British Columbia Institute of Technology

The British Columbia Institute of Technology, is a public polytechnic institution of higher education. The post-secondary institute has five campuses located in the Metro Vancouver region, with its main campus in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. There is also the Aerospace Technology Campus in Richmond, the Marine Campus in the City of North Vancouver, Downtown campus in Vancouver, and Annacis Island Campus in Delta. It is provincially chartered through legislation in the College and Institute Act. The school operates as a vocational and technical school, offering apprenticeships for the skilled trades and diplomas and degrees in vocational education for skilled technicians and workers in professions such as engineering, accountancy, business administration, nursing, medicine, architecture, and law.BCIT was first established as the British Columbia Vocational School in 1960. When BCIT opened its Burnaby campus in 1964, initial enrollment was 498 students. As of 2013, enrollment has grown to 17,453 full-time students and 29,224 part-time students. Since its foundation, the institution has been home to over 125,000 alumni.HistoryEstablishmentIn 1960, the British Columbia Vocational School was established in Burnaby, opening at Willingdon and Canada Way. It was the first permanent trades school of its kind in British Columbia; its programs included carpentry, welding and aircraft maintenance. A year later, plans were announced to establish the British Columbia Institute of Technology on adjacent land. It was the first provincial institution dedicated to advanced technical education in BC, and its principal was named in 1962. It offered education in the areas of engineering, business and health, enrolling 498 students in 1964. In 1966, it celebrated its first graduates.