Conquering the steep slopes of success
A ski resort operations program at Selkirk College is leading students to success
by JODY JACOB
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SOARING TO SUCCESS: Ski Area Management magazine's Recruit of the Year Amy Bird is pleased with her new role as suest services supervisor at Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort.
—photo courtesy Amy Bird |
Selkirk College graduate Amy Bird didn’t always know what career path she was meant to pursue. Like many young women who are searching for their place in the world, she took a couple of detours along the way.
“Where I have ended up wasn’t exactly where I had always intended to be,” said Bird. “I actually have a Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon Fraser University. I was planning on being a teacher. Then one day I realized it wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life.”
So Bird decided to take some time off.
“I ended up moving to Whistler to teach skiing,” she said. “And while I was there I met a couple of girls who were doing their work-placement term at the ski resort. They told me about the Ski Resort Operations and Management Program at Selkirk College and I knew it was for me.”
After enrolling in the program, Bird had no doubt in her mind that she had made the right decision. The program combined hands-on experience with classroom learning, which was a perfect combination for Bird.
“Selkirk provided me with the business side of things but also gave me the skills and tools that are specific to resort management,” said Bird. “One of the best things about the program is the close connection the instructors have with the ski industry.”
John Waterer, who has been the program co-ordinator of the Ski Resort Operations and Management program at Selkirk for more than a decade, said that the instructors strive to expose their students to as many aspects of the ski industry as they can.
“The key to the success of the program is a close liaison between the instructors and the industry,” said Waterer. “Our students receive current and relevant information from professionals who know the ins and outs of what is shaping the industry today. We are very unique because there are only two programs in Canada that cater to the ski industry, and we are the only one in western Canada.”
Upon graduating from the program in April 2006, Bird utilized some of the contacts that she had made during her time at Selkirk to land a job at Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort in Whistler, B.C.
After only a short time, Bird worked her way up to the position of guest services supervisor at the well-known ski resort. She was also recently recognized by her peers with the Recruit of the Year award, given by Ski Area Management (SAM), which is the professional trade publication for the North American mountain resort market.
“My Selkirk instructor, John Waterer, actually sent me the details of the competition,” said Bird. “And I was really happy to hear that I won. It is awesome to be recognized in the industry for all your hard work . . . especially since I am at the beginning of my career.”
For information on the Ski Resort Operations and Management Program at Selkirk College visit www.selkirk.ca/programs/ht/ski/
For more information about Selkirk College, go to www.selkirk.ca.
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