Health Sciences Division Justice Institute of British Columbia Paramedic Academy School of Health, Community & Social Justice

JIBC grad takes paramedic skills to Downtown Eastside streets

October 18, 2019 – 10:27 am
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After completing his studies at JIBC’s Paramedic Academy, Ryan Vena hopes to work as a paramedic but plans to carry on using his skills in the Downtown Eastside with the outreach society he founded.

 

Ryan Vena is taking the skills he learned at the Justice Institute of British Columbia’s (JIBC) Paramedic Academy to the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, through an outreach society he founded.

Ryan recently completed JIBC’s Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) program, after finishing the Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) program at the Institute the year before. What he appreciated most about his JIBC experience is the fact their instructors are working paramedics.

“I fully believe a lived experience gives you a step up on someone who’s just learned it from books … you can relate it to a sort of real-life situation.”

Ryan has drawn on his own lived experience for years. Prior to attending JIBC, he worked in the trades then studied social work before sinking into drug addiction. It was while he was in recovery about three years ago that he realized he had lost numerous friends to fentanyl overdoses, part of the recent opioid overdose crisis. Since part of recovery is giving back, he decided to help fill a void, of volunteers providing outreach to people on the ground.

“So I grabbed a backpack full of sandwiches and a Narcan kit, went to the Downtown Eastside and started helping. I had no idea it was going to grow to what it is now.”

Street Saviours Outreach Society was born. Eventually, Ryan recruited other volunteers from his recovery house and then determined the overdoses they were frequently encountering were getting more severe. That’s when he decided he needed more medical training and became a student at JIBC. read more »

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Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies Justice & Public Safety Division Justice Institute of British Columbia School of Criminal Justice & Security

JIBC student among 40 international students selected to go on exchange to Taiwan

September 13, 2019 – 11:26 am
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Jordan Wagner, a JIBC Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies student, took part in an unforgettable international study experience in Taiwan this past summer.

 

Having the opportunity to spend two weeks in Taiwan this summer was an invaluable experience that Jordan Wagner isn’t soon to forget.

The JIBC Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies student was one of 40 international students from eight different countries selected for the annual two-week Discovery Camp offered through the University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (UMAP) Consortium, of which JIBC is a member.

This year’s camp was held in early August 2019 and was co-organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, UMAP Taiwan National Secretariat and Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan.

“UMAP exceeded my expectations,” Jordan said. “They planned everything from class lectures to field trips and also provided us with free time to explore Taiwan. It was a fun, easy and exciting program that allowed a well-rounded experience.”

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Fire & Safety Division Fire Fighting Technologies Certificate Justice Institute of British Columbia School of Public Safety

Part-time JIBC program helps aspiring firefighter make career change

September 11, 2019 – 2:16 pm
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Thanks to JIBC’s part-time Fire Fighting Technologies Certificate program, Patrick Conley was able to pursue his dreams of a career in firefighting while continuing his full-time job as a carpenter.
(Photo by Jesse Erlich)

 

While Patrick Conley has a long-established career as a carpenter, he’s always wanted to be a firefighter. Thanks to the part-time Fire Fighting Technologies Certificate (FFTC) program at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC), he’s now making that dream job a reality.

“I have family and an established career and couldn’t feasibly take time off to complete the full-time (FFTC) program, so was excited to learn that the JIBC was offering a part-time program to meet the needs of a full-time working dad/husband. The part time offering helped me make my long-time goal of firefighting that much more achievable.”

The part-time FFTC program offers the same level of applied education and hands-on training as the full-time version ­­– up to 12 weeks of online knowledge-based courses followed by seven weeks’ worth of hands-on, live-fire training at JIBC’s Maple Ridge campus spread out over three months on evenings and weekends.
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Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies Justice & Public Safety Division Justice Institute of British Columbia Law Enforcement Studies Diploma School of Criminal Justice & Security

International students gain valuable skills and experience at JIBC

August 9, 2019 – 2:40 pm
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Emily Bird, left, and Rachele Cabboi saw their international exchange experience at JIBC as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that enhanced their studies through a hands-on learning approach and instructors still actively working in law enforcement. 

 

When the opportunity to study at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) came up for two students from the University of Portsmouth in the UK, they jumped at the chance.

Emily Bird of Salisbury, England is working on a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Forensic Studies, while Rachele Cabboi of northern Italy is enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Criminology with Psychology program at the university in southern England.

Rachel liked the idea of studying abroad for a year to make the most of her studies before starting a career. She considered studying in Vancouver as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a part of the world that interested her. She appreciated JIBC’s hands-on approach to teaching, and the fact JIBC offered subjects she could not have studied otherwise.

Similarly, Emily saw the exchange program as a way to explore all her career options.

“I saw that JIBC has instructors still actively working in the law enforcement field; it can only be beneficial to learn from such experienced individuals,” Emily said. “Practical policing modules were also offered at Portsmouth, however due to taking other units it was not possible to study these. I believed coming onto the exchange program would offer something different to study whilst also learning about another country and exploring Canada.”


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Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies Justice & Public Safety Division Justice Institute of British Columbia Law Enforcement Studies Diploma School of Criminal Justice & Security

JIBC degree grad takes lessons to UK law school

July 18, 2019 – 3:29 pm
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Pavan Dhaliwal’s passion for the law translated into completion of a Bachelor of Law Enforcement degree at JIBC and now to law school in the UK.

 

Coming from a family that includes several lawyers, it is perhaps not surprising that Pavan Dhaliwal has always held a passion for the law. He believes in the powerful role the law plays in holding society accountable and ensuring fairness. That interest translated into completion of a Bachelor of Law Enforcement (BLES) degree at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) and his current legal studies in the UK.

He first heard about JIBC’s BLES program while he was studying criminology at another university and volunteering with the Surrey Crime Prevention Society.

“I visited the JIBC campus in New Westminster and spoke to the admissions staff and realized that JIBC had instructors with immense experience in the criminal justice system. Whether that be lawyers, police officers, or correctional officers. I was ecstatic at the fact that I would be receiving education from experienced professionals whom have achieved great success in the community and are leaders in our society.”

Pavan says the BLES program was crucial in his growth academically and personally, and helped him develop skills in conflict resolution, research, and time-management, which are benefiting him now as he pursues a law degree. He added his legal courses in the BLES program gave valuable insight into what to expect in law school. 
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Justice Institute of British Columbia Law Enforcement Studies Diploma

LESD grad makes a difference drawing on refugee experience

June 28, 2019 – 3:44 pm
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Two years after graduating from JIBC, Mansoor Sahak was hired as an RCMP officer, a role he hopes will help him to give back to Canada for taking in his family as refugees.

 

Mansoor Sahak hasn’t wasted any time in pursuing his goal of giving back to Canada as a police officer.

Two years after graduating with a Law Enforcement Studies Diploma (LESD) at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC), he was hired by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in early 2017. Then in his first year as a general duty officer with North Vancouver RCMP, he took 42 impaired drivers off the road, and was recognized as a member of “Alexa’s Team.”

The honour is named after four-year-old Alexa Middelaer who was killed by a drunk driver in 2008. It is awarded to police officers in BC who make an extraordinary contribution to reducing the number of impaired drivers on the province’s roads.

Mansoor believes the lessons and skills he gained from the LESD program at JIBC was a great foundation in his pursuit for a law enforcement career, along with his experience as an RCMP auxiliary and a bylaw officer, volunteering with the Vancouver Police Department, and being part of police judo at JIBC.

He also had a deeper purpose in his career choice. It all comes back to his family’s experience as refugees, and his desire to give back to the country that took them in. read more »

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Emergency Management Division Justice Institute of British Columbia School of Public Safety

JIBC education helps grad pursue a career in emergency management

April 8, 2019 – 11:24 am
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Kevin Skrepnek, the chief fire information officer for the BC Wildfire Service, recently completed a Certificate in Emergency Management at JIBC to get a better understanding of the industry for which he’s now a spokesperson. 

 

For several years now, Kevin Skrepnek has been the face of the BC Wildfire Service during the summer wildfire season. As chief fire information officer, he serves as the spokesperson for the service ensuring the public receives critical safety information when they need it most, when forest fires start bearing down on homes and people are forced to evacuate.

Armed with a diploma in public relations from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Kevin had the background for his particular line of work. But being new to the world of emergency management, he wanted to get a better understanding of the industry he was now a visible part of.

When Kevin decided to go back to school for a Certificate in Emergency Management, he chose the program at the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC).

“I found the courses refreshingly practical, and very hands on. Instructors came with significant real-world experience, which was a huge asset as a learner,” he said. “The program is very flexible, which is great for working professionals looking to expand their skillset.”

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Fire & Safety Division Fire Fighting Technologies Certificate Justice Institute of British Columbia School of Public Safety

JIBC firefighting grads gain a global perspective studying in the UK

March 7, 2019 – 10:44 am
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JIBC Fire Fighting Technologies Certificate (FFTC) graduates Nick Cirillo and Rorie Moir recently arrived at The Fire Service College in the UK to participate in a special opportunity to study abroad for two weeks and gain invaluable international firefighter training experience.

This new opportunity for JIBC FFTC students is part of the Fire Protection in the Global Community course and is made possible through funding from the Irving K. Barber One World Scholarship administered by the Victoria Foundation, and with additional support from The Justice Institute of British Columbia Foundation.

Check back often to see their latest updates below about their learning experience at one of the largest firefighter training schools in the world:

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