CBC Radio’s Chris Walker interviewed Niagara College’s Dean of Culinary, Tourism & Beverage Studies, Craig Youdale and Dean of Hall School of Business at Okanagan College Joe Baker, to discuss a newly signed memorandum of understanding between Niagara College and Okanagan College that will expand access to world-class wine education while creating new opportunities for collaboration in food, agriculture, and tourism training.
In the interview, Craig Youdale discusses the strong demand for Niagara College graduates from the program and the pathways that support their transition into careers in the industry.
“There’s a lot of great demand and opportunities to grow,” he said. “We have just under 200 wineries here in our region and I know there are over 250 wineries in the Okanagan Valley…so there’s a really thriving industry across the country, and Okanagan and Niagara being the two big players across Canada, there are literally hundreds of jobs.”
“These are very specialized areas of expertise,” added Youdale. “When we look at the fundamentals, it’s about getting [students] ready to be available upon graduation to be functional and exceptional in the industry.”
Listen to the March 23 segment here.
