Ask Shruthi Narayan how she feels about graduating from SFU’s new master’s in big data program, and you will get a simple but poignant answer: “It’s like a dream.”

Before applying to Camosun College, Alana Armstrong had been working as a Registered Massage Therapist for 16 years when she took time off to care for some family members who had become ill.

After working as a stay-at-home mom to her three boys for several years, Carol Pesce decided she wanted to go back to school. Originally from Italy, Carol Pesce moved to Victoria 10 years ago.

A post-secondary education comes with many rewards. It prepares students to not only meet labour market demands in British Columbia, it also sets them up for a lifetime of personal and career success. Their success supports their families and their local communities and can lead to a lifetime of opportunities.

The next generation of talent will have the opportunity to do research on real-world projects as a result of $6M in government funding for Mitacs programs. A not-for-profit organization, Mitcas will use the funding to bring students together with industry and business in the technology, health, business and engineering sectors.

Deepak Chana was working as a construction labourer in his hometown of Prince Rupert when he realized that he wanted to become a certified journeyperson carpenter, “I had been a labourer for so long. I wanted to learn skills to be more independent.”