By Carey Yada Lee
Every year, more than a billion people around the world celebrate Diwali – festival of lights that symbolizes the spiritual triumph of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance.
Vancouver Community College (VCC) President and CEO, Ajay Patel is one of those people.
“In my family, Diwali is one of the most awaited festivals of the year,” says Patel, who immigrated to Canada from Fiji as a young boy. “At VCC, I’m privileged to serve a community which celebrates the diversity of our cultures and honours our shared values of equity, diversity, and inclusion.”
Those core values are what make VCC the preferred choice for learners from diverse backgrounds seeking a practical education. With Patel at the helm, the college provides hands-on skills training in high demand fields such as culinary arts, health sciences, and transportation trades which support the province’s training, labour market, and environmental goals.
VCC’s student body mirrors its educational offerings: learners come from more than 134 countries, with over 50 languages spoken at home. For the college’s community, accessible, affordable, and inclusive education is vital. VCC provides courses in academic upgrading and university transfers and offers English upgrading courses that can be taken alongside vocational training, ensuring learners have every opportunity to succeed in their chosen career path.
A bold new chapter for VCC
As British Columbia’s oldest public post-secondary dating back to 1890, VCC has played a pivotal role in building and shaping the city, the region, and the province for over 130 years. To further its legacy, the college announced the development of the new Centre for Clean Energy and Automotive Innovation. The Centre, set to open in 2027, will equip learners for careers in clean energy sectors like light rail transit, wind turbines, automotive service and zero emission and hybrid vehicle maintenance. The Centre will also enable the college to continue serving the community by providing opportunities to leverage its campus land for affordable housing, daycare spaces, and other civic amenities.
“The word “community” is in our name, and it speaks volumes to our approach at VCC. Our vision for the Centre is not only to modernize our education facilities for jobs of the future, but also consider how we can respond to the needs of our community in every way,” adds Patel.
“As we celebrate Diwali, I can’t help but see the connection between helping students achieve their education goals and the true meaning of this spiritual festival – spreading joy by illuminating the love of others. On behalf of the VCC community, I wish everyone a Happy Diwali.”
Learn more about VCC and follow their journey as they embark on a bold new chapter. vcc.ca
