Program of Excellence

The Program of Excellence Award acknowledges a program consisting of a series of related courses and/or experiences with a clearly defined instructional, career or market objective, and an evaluation component.

2018

Ground Search and Rescue Program

JIBC’s Ground Search and Rescue Program is designed as the minimum training standard to meet the needs of search-and-rescue (SAR) volunteers in BC who must be prepared to safely and effectively perform their duties and be capable of working effectively in an inherently risky environment.

This basic training was previously a single large course with several modules. JIBC redesigned the program in 2017 into a series of inter-related courses delivered at the community level by instructors embedded within the SAR teams, allowing for flexibility in scheduling. Emergency Management BC and several of the Ground Search and Rescue instructors were actively engaged in the course development.

The revised program has achieved greater consistency in the delivery of the curriculum across the province as well as standardization of evaluation practices and better assurances that participants have met learning outcomes. Its advantages include allowing prior assessments to recognize skills and knowledge acquired elsewhere, and ongoing and timely management of participants’ progress.

2017

Police Recruit Training Program

JIBC’s Police Academy trains all new municipal, tribal, and transit police recruits in BC. Full implementation of the new delivery model of the recruit training program started in May 2017.

The new delivery model was developed in response to the requirement to align the program with the Police Sector Council National Framework of Competencies. It is the first program in Canada to integrate this national standard.

The change involved a complete redesign and rethinking of all three blocks of the police recruit training, as well as an overhaul of the associated Field Trainer Course. There was extensive consultation with the core client, Policing and Security Branch, and with instructors and other subject matter experts.

The new model was designed based on educational theory, including case-based, and competency-based education, incorporating the best adult-learning principles. It is designed to build critical thinking skills, to better meet the changing expectations of police in modern society.

2016

Road Safety at Work

Road Safety at Work is an Occupational Road Safety initiative funded by WorkSafeBC and has been managed by JIBC since 2013. This initiative is in response to the startling fact that work-related crashes are the leading cause of traumatic workplace fatalities in British Columbia. Its mission, to reduce work-related motor vehicle crashes, deaths and injuries, is being tackled through three programs that have been created to improve worker driver safety: Fleet Safety, Care Around Roadside Workers, and Winter Driving Safety.

Each program is supported by a dedicated website providing free access to information and resources. A number of innovative resources and tools have been created including five online courses developed through collaboration involving WorkSafeBC, JIBC’s Driver Education Centre and Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation. It is a good example of how a government agency collaborates with JIBC for both our expertise and our innovation. 

The success of the courses has led to the model now being considered by other areas in JIBC as a valid example of microlearning, demonstrating JIBC’s ability to innovate its program models to better meet the needs of an adult, working population. In addition to the online resources, the three programs support annual campaigns: Road Safety at Work Week, Cone Zone, and Shift into Winter. Road Safety at Work is now recognized across British Columbia and Canada as a leading resource for occupational road safety, winter driving safety and driving safely around roadside workers.