education in the nanaimo region

The Education sector is the fifth largest sector in Nanaimo, providing 3,470 jobs.  The Education sector represents 6.6% of Nanaimo’s labour force (2006 Census). The number of jobs in the Education sector declined by 5.19% during the last Census.  There are 73 private firms involved in the Education and Training sector.  The Public sector is not required to obtain a business license, therefore those institutions are not reflected in the business count below.

Nanaimo is home to Vancouver Island University, which offers a variety of certificate, diploma, and degree programs. The programs provide training in academic, vocational, and technical fields and range from basic literacy to university degrees.

Discover Community College and Sprott-Shaw Community College offer undergraduate programs in a variety of driplines, further adding to Nanaimo’s educational sector.  Nanaimo offers various options for K-12 education through public and private schools.

Vancouver Island University

Vancouver Island University (VIU) offers diverse, comprehensive range of post-secondary programming that includes access to programs through web-based and on-line instruction, as well as certificates, diplomas, degrees and a masters program all designed to meet the diverse needs of the region. VIU has a main campus in Nanaimo and three other campuses in Cowichan, Parksville/Qualicum and Powell River.

The physical infrastructure at VIU's Nanaimo campus has undergone significant change and includes a new international building, a new state-of-the-art library, a new faculty of management building, a centre for shellfish research and a $13.2 million student residence expansion.

VIU has established strong international ties with post-secondary institutions, government, trade and industry organizations in 42 countries around the world.

VIU has grown into an educational, social, cultural and economic hotspot within the community, serving thousands of visitors each day. The Nanaimo campus not only provides and lends support to potential and current students, they also provide venues for cultural events, theatrical productions, sporting events, community celebrations and a wide range of other diverse activities that support the cultural diversity of the local community.

Vancouver Island University offers a variety of certificate, diploma, and degree programs. The programs provide training in academic, vocational, and technical fields and range from basic literacy to university degrees. Bachelor Degrees are offered in virtually every discipline and Master's degrees are offered in Business Administration, Education in Educational Leadership, Education in Special Education and Arts in Sustainable Leisure Management.