BCIT Marketing and Communications Vision

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS VISION

BCIT Overview For more than 55 years, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has been delivering flexible, relevant, future-proof education that prepares learners to provide applied solutions to industry challenges —across British Columbia and around the world. With five campuses throughout Metro Vancouver, and nearly 45,000 students enrolled each year, BCIT is one of BC’s largest post-secondary institutes.

Acting on the Institute’s vision of empowering people, shaping BC, and inspiring global progress, each of BCIT’s six acclaimed schools ensure that students are ready to join the workforce in their chosen careers.

As such, the BCIT curriculum is developed through close consultation with industry, and delivered by instructors who have direct, hands-on experience in their chosen fields.

At BCIT, students gain the technical skills, real-world experience, and problem-solving ability needed to embrace complexity and lead innovation in a rapidly changing workforce. Through our unique applied education model and over 300 programs, BCIT is connecting education, industry, and government to power provincial recovery and resilience.

As BCIT has continued to grow and evolve, the Institute has supported the vitality of BC’s economy—and everything BCIT has achieved is a testament to our people. As one of the province’s top employers for twelve years running, we pride ourself on being a people-focused organization, delivering future-proof applied education—while amplifying our impact through globally relevant connections.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology acknowledges the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Nations of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) on which our campuses are located.

Why the BCIT Marketing and Communications Vision?

Marketing and communications have been integral to the advancement of BCIT throughout our history, and this importance was further amplified through the COVID-19 pandemic. From first-time BCIT students to returning alumni, employees to industry partners, learners are becoming increasingly discerning and selective, and we are competing for all. Beyond the key role of student recruitment, our marketing and communications efforts are vital in helping retain faculty and staff, attracting prospective employees, promoting areas of excellence and innovation, and positioning BCIT effectively for partnership and philanthropy.

The BCIT Marketing and Communications Vision (the Vision) outlines our objectives and approach to marketing and communications in the broadest sense, as well as summarizing the dimensions of our brand, audiences, and school contexts that inform our various engagement efforts. Articulated and championed by the Marketing and Communications team, this is indeed a framework for everyone at BCIT. While requiring review and refinement periodically, the Vision is not time-bound, nor is it limited to one stakeholder group. It is intended to guide decision-making, action, and investment across the organization in respect of all our marketing and communications. In our respective roles, we are all advocates for BCIT. Together, we continue to strengthen the perceptions of those we serve and with whom we interact.

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Connections with the BCIT Strategic Plan In 2019, BCIT launched a new three-year Strategic Plan with a refreshed vision and mission, bold commitments and strategic initiatives, and an articulation of our shared values. The Plan was developed through extensive consultation with more than 9,000 stakeholders.

In the summer of 2020, the unprecedented shifts in our external and internal contexts prompted BCIT to initiate a review of the Plan. We extended its duration to four years and identified the opportunity to amplify our current strategic focus in three priority areas: learning ∆ Agile Digital transformation ∆ Partnership in provincial resilience ∆ During this period, several associated plans were developed and initiated to complement and operationalize the Strategic Plan, as well as to guide BCIT in key areas of focus. These include the Indigenous Vision, Education Plan, Sustainability Vision, Strategic Enrolment (SEM) Plan, Internationalization Plan, Anti-Racism Framework, Applied Research Strategic Plan, and People Vision.

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Marketing and communications are key enablers of the Strategic Plan—from data-based marketing strategies that support student and employee recruitment and retention, to building on our reputation as a unique polytechnic with outstanding learning outcomes and real-world impact.

The BCIT Strategic Plan is a significant foundation for marketing and communications, articulating the BCIT story and outlining a path forward that students, employees, alumni, industry, and government alike find both credible and compelling. Much of our work stems from this narrative. This two-way connection is both valuable and empowering for those leading all forms of marketing and communications across BCIT.

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Our Approach At the core, our efforts are focused on prospective students—our pipeline for both sustainability and impact. Our approach to student marketing is grounded in the SEM Plan. SEM is an integrated approach to achieving enrolment goals by bringing together stakeholders from across BCIT to:

∆ ∆ ∆ ∆

Promote student access and entrance Create a culture of student service excellence Engage students in the BCIT experience Foster student success

Marketing must be consistent over time, as prospective students move through stages of the recruitment funnel at different paces. It may take up to two years for some to move from the stage of initial awareness to application, while others may require contact from BCIT at a much earlier onset to begin building pathways.

Marketing and communications at BCIT operate from a centralized team who collaborates with schools, Applied Research, Advancement, and departments across the Institute to build brand affinity, and to support initiatives that align with the Strategic Plan.

Our marketing efforts remain focused on building presence—particularly in domestic markets—to keep BCIT top-of-mind as the post-secondary school of choice. This is enhanced with recruitment tactics that support the decision-making process of prospective students.

Our three-tiered approach to messaging is highly effective. It comprises of:

∆ ∆ ∆

Institute-level campaigns that highlight BCIT differentiators Sector-specific marketing, such as health, computing, or business Program-level promotions

Each layer is progressively more tactical, with the layers also mutually reinforcing. Data on student decision-making journeys and demographics help us reach audiences at the right time and place.

We work hard at reframing misconceptions about polytechnics and our offerings. We also continue to pursue new opportunities. For example, prospective Generation Z students expect brands to hypercustomize products and services.

Accordingly, BCIT is implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) system with automated marketing functionality. This system will provide a holistic view of our learners. It will also enable greater levels of cross-recruitment between BCIT programs.

Our approach to marketing and communications embraces audiences from employees to alumni, to industry and government stakeholders across BC. Some of these initiatives are designed to support employee recruitment efforts whereas others are to strengthen rapport with alumni, industry, and government stakeholders.

Issues management is another core focus of our efforts. This ensures that BCIT maintains the transparency expected of our stakeholders and minimizes distraction in our academic endeavours. Some of these efforts are led by the Marketing and Communications department, but are also developed by the schools, Applied Research, Human Resources and People Development, Safety, Security, and Emergency Management (SSEM), and Advancement.

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Labour Market and Impact on BCIT With an aging population and now the impact of a global health crisis on the economic landscape, the province’s labour market is undergoing a significant transformation. Having enough trained workers to meet future needs continues to be a challenge. Even before the “Great Resignation,” labour reports projected a net reduction in the workforce. This, coupled with the creation of positions through economic growth has yielded significant levels of job vacancy. These openings will need to be filled by people entering the labour force for the first time, those changing careers by reskilling or upskilling, and immigrants from beyond BC and Canada. The anticipated investment in infrastructure to help facilitate provincial recovery will result in an increased demand for trades.

These shifts have implications for BCIT as an educational Institute. The BCIT student demands patterns for full-time programming that are typically counter-cyclical with the economy, and will undoubtedly be impacted as the world adjusts to an ever-evolving situation and eventually regains its economic footing.

Most new positions will require at least some form of post-secondary education or training. Many of the openings are likely to be in areas of BCIT program focus, including healthcare, technology, and skilled trades, all of which will assume greater importance as we emerge from the pandemic and embark upon a program of investment to strengthen resilience and fuel recovery. Workers are seeking opportunities to reskill and upskill as they navigate the changing jobs landscape. So, the market for higher education is strong, and many of our prospective students are already BCIT alumni, creating an effective foundation for recruitment.

However, the landscape in BC is highly competitive. Publicly funded post-secondaries, private and out-ofprovince degree-granting institutions, and hundreds of private career training institutes are all competing for students.

There are also prevailing concerns around access, affordability, and relevance, and today’s learners are increasingly mobile and diverse. On average, BCIT meets the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training mandate target for total student spaces, with a provincial market share of about 10% in 2021, but we are facing heightened pressure from regional peers, worldwide offerings, and alternatives to higher education altogether. Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, full-time and part-time programs were experiencing declines in domestic growth, consistent with the rest of the sector, but these were largely balanced by corresponding increases in international student growth. The latter has been negatively impacted by public health and travel restrictions, in addition to the prevailing global level of uncertainty. Marketing and communications are critically important as we strive to promote our programs and attract students.

The labour market dynamics also have implications for BCIT as an employer. Like our peers, BCIT is challenged to work harder to retain and recruit faculty and staff. The competition for talent is one of the top strategic challenges for most organizations. Marketing and communications are vitally important, not only in employee recruitment, but also as part of our efforts to engage faculty and staff across the BCIT community.

More broadly, we continue to navigate the challenges of building and strengthening rapport with partners, donors, and other stakeholders. The level of messaging “noise” and risk of misinformation are high.

Yet again, marketing and communications are integral to these various efforts, as demonstrated by the highly successful INSPIRE fundraising campaign.

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— EXPERIENCE IS EVERYTHING. If you want to get your hands on a career that makes a difference, you need to get your hands on the skills, connections, and experience to make it happen. BCIT is connected with industries around the globe, with 300+ programs taught by industry leaders on campus and in the field. Whether applied and natural sciences, business and media, computing and IT, engineering, health sciences, or trades, you’ll learn by experience through real-world education.

Start your hands-on learning at bcit.ca

EDUCATION FOR A COMPLEX WORLD.

—— BCIT Business + Media grads and instructors work with motion capture at The Coalition, a Microsoft gaming studio.

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Key Positioning and Differentiation of the BCIT Brand Introduced in 2017, the BCIT brand platform delivers on more than 55 years of flexible, relevant, and future-proof education that prepares learners to provide solutions to industry challenges.

The brand is guided by the BCIT vision: Empowering people, shaping BC, and inspiring global progress.

And the mission: Partnering learners and industry for success through workforce development.

Distinctive and industry-aligned, the BCIT brand position proudly proclaims our pivotal role in the economy and society, across BC and around the world. Our key differentiators include applied education, industry connections, flexible learning and laddering, work-integrated learning, Applied Research, and student and graduate success.

With five campuses and around 45,000 students, BCIT is one of BC’s largest post-secondary institutions. Our curriculum is developed through close consultation with industry and delivered by instructors who have direct, hands-on experience in their fields. Students gain the technical skills, problem-solving ability, and real-world experience needed to embrace complexity and lead innovation in a rapidly changing workforce.

We offer over 300 programs, from certificates and diplomas to bachelor’s and master’s degrees, in areas such as Applied and Natural Sciences, Business and Media, Computing and IT, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Trades and Apprenticeship. Our intense two-year, full-time diploma programs allow students to learn as part of a cohort to quickly gain the credentials they need to gain entry to the workforce. Our Part-time Studies offerings deliver accessible, industry-specific training to meet the needs of practitioners seeking to improve their job performance and prospects. Our Trades and Apprenticeship programs provide learners with hands-on training, directly supporting the economy through expanding the pool of qualified trades talent. Advanced placement programs and Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) are an important option for experienced prospective students.

Our graduates and apprentice completers have outstanding employment rates, and the majority are in a training-related job. Most Part-time Studies students are employed and have some postsecondary education. The probability of a secure employment future makes the BCIT proposition highly compelling, especially in an uncertain world.

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Profiles and Objectives: Schools and Applied Research BCIT marketing and communications are delivered by and for the Institute as a whole, as well as through our schools. Each school has a distinctive position and context, which shape its approach and priorities. The purpose of school-level marketing activity is primarily to drive student applications and registrations. There is also an intent to increase awareness of new offerings and credentials, showcase expertise, position BCIT as a leader and partner to industry and government, reinforce commitments to priorities such as Indigenization and sustainability, and recruit instructors.

BCIT Applied Research has been working with industry clients for more than 30 years, helping companies and organizations develop new technologies, products, and services. The practical solutions range from process improvements for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to changing provincial building codes for the construction industry, to a collaborative research network involving students, researchers, companies, and government organizations from across Canada and the world.

The School of Business + Media is one of the largest schools of its kind in Western Canada, providing training in a wide range of offerings from Marketing and Digital Arts to Business Administration and Broadcast Communications, with unique programs in Operations Management, Technical Arts, and Logistics. BCIT is the only post-secondary in BC to offer a Diploma in General Insurance and Risk Management and a Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics.

The School of Computing and Academic Studies offers programs and courses that lead to credentials ranging from microcredentials to degrees. BCIT offers the largest selection of part-time IT courses in BC and the most comprehensive Forensic Science and Technology program in Western Canada. In collaboration with the BCIT School of Energy, the Industrial Network Cybersecurity diploma is a first

— BE THE DIFFERENCE THE WORLD NEEDS. If you want to get your hands on a career that makes a difference, you need to get your hands on the skills and connections to make it happen. BCIT has more than 30 applied and natural science programs taught by industry leaders on campus and in the field. From Chemical and Environmental Technology to Geomatics, Environmental Engineering to Sustainable Energy Management, learn by experience through real-world education.

Start your hands-on learning at bcit.ca/appliedsciences

APPLIED AND NATURAL SCIENCES FOR A COMPLEX WORLD.

—— BCIT grad at Envirochem tests water on the shore of Burrard Inlet.

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— BUILD THE NEXT BIG THING. If you want to get your hands on a career in trades, you need to get your hands on the skills and connections to make it happen. BCIT is the largest trades training provider in the province, with programs such as Welding, Marine Fitter, Machinist and Heavy Mechanical Trades, taught by industry leaders on campus and in the field.

From Transportation to Construction, Electrical to Mechanical, learn by experience through real-world education.

Start your hands-on learning at bcit.ca/trades

TRADES & APPRENTICESHIP FOR A COMPLEX WORLD.

—— BCIT grads at Seaspan Shipyards build Canada’s largest naval ship.

of its kind nationally. Academic Studies also provides core academic courses, as well as academic and language upgrading for entry to BCIT programs.

The School of Construction and the Environment is a leading contributor of trades, engineering, applied science, and natural science professionals in the province, offering certificates, microcredentials, diplomas, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. No other Canadian post-secondary Institute offers the same depth and breadth of programming that supports building in natural environments. The Master of Engineering in Building Science and Master of Applied Science in Building Engineering/Building Science are the only programs of their kind in western Canada. The Master of Science in Ecological Restoration program, offered jointly between BCIT and Simon Fraser University, is Canada’s only graduate program specializing in ecological restoration.

The School of Energy delivers education and research that focuses on energy efficiencies in industrial processes and development of cost-effective alternative energy sources. Programs range from Machinist to Telecommunications, from Chemical and Environmental Technology, to Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. The Master of Engineering in Smart Grid Systems and Technologies is a new offering designed to upskill industry professionals.

The School of Health Sciences provides industry-leading health education for essential, in-demand careers in healthcare from preventative-based programs including Food Technology and Occupational Health and Safety to one of the largest Nursing programs in the province. BCIT offers a depth and breadth of health training unmatched by other post-secondary educators, and the Health Sciences Centre—a centrepiece for the Burnaby campus—will advance progressive clinical education through sophisticated simulation, innovative classroom technology, and inter-professional practice.

The School of Transportation offers accredited and globally recognized programs tailored to meet the human capital needs of the transportation industry. Leveraging highly specialized facilities and equipment, BCIT offers training in all modes of transportation—air, sea, road, and rail—across our four campuses, three of which are dedicated to Aerospace, Motive Power, and Marine programs.

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Audience Segmentation Given the broad scope of marketing and communications, audiences range from prospective, current, and past students, employees, partners, and the general public. Many will reside in multiple categories.

Current BCIT students Students enrolled at BCIT, whether in part-time or full-time programs, are a primary audience for Institute communications. It is crucial that they are not only informed about program and other educational matters, but also connected with their campus and the broader BCIT community in terms of activities, services, and opportunities for engagement. By communicating effectively with students today, we put in place the building blocks for a lifelong relationship with alumni that encourages them to return for reskilling or upskilling, as well as to partner with BCIT as practitioners and industry leaders.

International students, both those residing in Canada and those based abroad, are an ongoing growth segment for BCIT. Approximately 6,400 international students from over 110 countries attended BCIT in 2019–20, just over 15% of full-time student equivalents. Most were enrolled in Part-time Studies and in the School of Business + Media, with India, China, and Brazil as the top home countries. Access to student visas and online learning are important considerations, with these students significantly bolstering diversity at BCIT. In 2019 to 2020, close to 1,800 BCIT students identified as Indigenous, just under 4% of the student population. Indigenous students tend to pursue education later in life and leverage the tailored learning supports provided at BCIT. Objectives and priorities in our Indigenous Vision support a future in which: BCIT is the first-choice post-secondary Institute for learners in BC; well-developed pathways exist to support Indigenous learner transition to and from BCIT; and Indigeneity is embedded and active across BCIT. These goals are reinforced in our mandate from the provincial government.

Current BCIT employees Our faculty and staff are a key segment for communications. Their trust in BCIT as an employer of choice is paramount to our success. We worked hard through the pandemic to establish new channels and to ensure transparency and currency in our communications with employees, and these efforts were recognized for their positive impact. Our communications ensure that our people have the information they need to work productively, understand Institute decisions and actions, and know they have the support of BCIT. We also aspire to foster an environment of continuous learning; many of our employees are students at BCIT. In addition, they are our main interface with many stakeholders, including students and partners. The importance of effective employee communications cannot be overstated.

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—— BCIT Health Sciences grads work at LifeLabs medical laboratory.

— SPECIALIZE IN THE GOOD YOU DO. If you want to get your hands on a career that makes a difference, you need to get your hands on the skills and connections to make it happen. BCIT offers advanced simulation technology, with programs taught by industry leaders in immersive settings and in the field. From one of the largest nursing programs in BC to Clinical Genetics and Radiation Therapy, learn by experience through real-world education.

Start your hands-on learning at bcit.ca/healthsciences

HEALTH SCIENCES FOR A COMPLEX WORLD.

Post-secondary students and graduates Many full-time technology students at BCIT have either some post-secondary experience or have a bachelor’s degree. Prospects are those either looking to switch institutions mid-stream or seeking further practical training that will enhance their employment prospects. Brand research has indicated that BCIT is seen as a “finishing school”—a place to gain practical experience before seeking employment.

High school students and their parents Students in Grades 8 to 12 are a key audience as they actively consider post-secondary options and engage in career planning. Teens starting at BCIT directly after high school accounted for approximately a quarter of BCIT students in 2019 to 2020. Those that choose BCIT are primarily seeking practical, hands-on learning with high potential to secure a job, and they are heavily influenced by their parents. Most are male and disproportionately enrolled in Trades or Engineering.

Students from high school often require more support and experience a steep, high-stress learning curve at BCIT as they navigate demanding schedules and program structures.

BCIT alumni BCIT has more than 195,000 alumni who are integral to the economic, social, and environmental prosperity of their communities. They make an impact worldwide, living and working in more than 90 countries around the globe—with more than 75% of them in BC. Many alumni return to BCIT as learners, especially in Part-time Studies, and they are amongst our strongest advocates and often serve as ambassadors, influencing prospective students to apply and helping graduating students to get hired. They may also be influential parents of children who are also prospective students.

The Alumni Relations team actively engages with this audience, inviting their partnership, and building networks.

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Working population This group includes adults, aged 18 to 55 years old, who work full-time or part-time. They are a prime target for Part-time Studies offerings, including those retraining or upgrading their careers, decisionmakers who establish and approve professional development programs in their organizations, and workers who require continuing training to sustain their accreditation. Affordable, modular, and flexible learning options such as microcredentials will be attractive to this demographic. Of course, many of these people are current, prospective, or former faculty and staff. In their employee relationship with BCIT, they are motivated by our focus on people, education, and connection, and those who choose BCIT tend to stay, themselves becoming part of our proposition to learners and other employees.

Industry and business influencers As managers and executives, industry stakeholders play an active role in hiring new employees and shaping the hiring practices and decisions of their organizations. Many are former BCIT students or faculty. They hire BCIT graduates, send employees for additional education, establish customized corporate development programs, and may seek training themselves. In addition, BCIT partners with industry in multiple ways: from collaborations in applied research and centres of excellence, to workintegrated learning, to curriculum development. Mechanisms such as program advisory committees (PACs), sponsored projects, and the INSPIRE Campaign are just a few of the ways in which we engage with this audience.

Government Our government partners are critical in enabling the impact of BCIT, not least through funding, and one of our primary objectives is to support workforce development and economic growth across BC. It is crucial that we sustain close connections through regular dialogue and information sharing, including the annual Institutional Accountability Plan and Report. Government, in turn, is an important advocate for BCIT in its ongoing dialogue with industry, creating a multiplier effect.

General public Many individuals in BC have no formal connection with BCIT. Our task is to build general awareness of BCIT and to engage the broader population—whether as prospective students, beneficiaries of our research, potential donors, or partners. As a publicly funded post-secondary, it is important that individuals across the province recognize the role and contributions of BCIT. Targeted marketing and communications with the various audience groups is a hallmark of our approach. As we continue to strengthen our capabilities, we will also be better equipped to map and leverage the significant interrelationships between these segments.

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— ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE NEEDS YOUR INTELLIGENCE. If you want to get your hands on a groundbreaking career in engineering, you need to get your hands on the skills and connections to make it happen. BCIT offers accredited training in civil, electrical, mechanical, and mining engineering programs, taught by industry leaders in the classroom and in the field. From Mechatronics and Robotics to Building Science, learn by experience through real-world education.

Start your hands-on learning at bcit.ca/engineering

ENGINEERING FOR A COMPLEX WORLD.

—— BCIT Engineering grads and students work with automated systems and robotics at Cytiva.

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BCIT Marketing and Communications Goals The following five overriding goals anchor our marketing and communications work across BCIT. While these are expected to persist for some time as crucial areas of focus, they may require periodic adaptation as the environment and BCIT evolve. BCIT will continue to develop an annual marketing and communications plan that reflects the immediate tasks to advance these goals and to partner with the Schools to do the same in their respective contexts.

1. Brand affinity Our first goal is to increase overall brand affinity by highlighting what sets BCIT apart: applied education and integration with industry. This applies equally to current and prospective students and employees, alumni, and external partners—provincially, nationally, and globally. While some of our work is broad brand building, other aspects are targeted at establishing the BCIT Centres of Excellence as these exemplify areas of expertise, including digital transformation, sustainability, and applied research. Indicators of success include likelihood to recommend, awareness, and favourability perceptions across key audience segments. In addition to promotion of the advantages of BCIT, there is a need to lessen areas of concern for prospective students, notably around financial support, as well as the granting of degrees. This is also a requirement to translate the strength of the brand in all employee recruitment activity and in interactions with current and prospective partners.

2. Enrolment in full-time technology and trades programs It is business-critical to continue to increase enrolment in our foundational programs. In many cases, efforts will focus especially on engagement with and support for underrepresented groups, so that these learners increasingly consider and pursue studies at BCIT. Important demographics include teens, women, Indigenous peoples, and immigrants, with the level of relative attention dependent on the school. BCIT Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships also has an important role to play in the recruitment of Indigenous students.

There will also be focus on identified priority programs. Application, registration, and retention data, as well as key conversion statistics—overall and by learner population—are key indicators.

3. Positioning and growth in Part-time Studies and new forms of modular education Consistent with the Strategic Plan, we are intent on establishing BCIT as the leading destination for dynamic, accessible, and modular education to support learner upskilling or reskilling—what we have termed “agile learning.” Leveraging our existing strength in Part-time Studies programming, BCIT is focused on creating and delivering an extensive portfolio of microcredentials, both in-person and online, that respond to the pressing and changing needs of industry. The task is to build awareness and understanding of Part-time Studies and newest offerings, as well as position BCIT as a practical option for those economically displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the working population and business influencers, students and alumni of Part-time Studies are an important target as they may well become return customers. Indicators of success include application and retention data, as well as brand recognition in this domain.

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4. Information and community connection The fourth goal is achieved mostly through communications, rather than marketing. These efforts are largely focused on current students, employees, alumni, and partners, as well as individuals who have already chosen to engage with BCIT, at some way in some time. Channels range from in-person departmental or Institute-wide engagement, to individual interactions with leaders, students, or employees, to alumni outreach, to the BCIT website and social media. Fostering the strength of the BCIT community through communications is crucial for our operating effectiveness, capacity for impact, and longerterm revenue generation. Some of the messaging is directly focused on advancing BCIT plans internally and externally. There is a similarly broad set of indicators, including student and employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention.

5. Capacity building for marketing and communications To advance the above objectives, it is critical to strengthen our capacity in marketing and communications.

Most fundamentally, this includes the development and implementation of a CRM system to identify prospective student leads and nurture the leads through the initial recruitment journey and beyond, creating a backbone for lifelong connection. This will support all our student and alumni marketing and recruitment, requiring a significant shift in how we operate in these areas. We must also continue to build the skills and structures that support community communications throughout BCIT. In addition to training and collaborations with the Marketing and Communications department to enhance local efforts, the establishment of a structured intranet with a document management function is a critical step as it will enable significant improvements in information access, updating, and, dissemination.

These are both areas of longer-term investment and transformation; they are both vital if BCIT is to continue to strengthen its effectiveness in marketing and communications. The BCIT Information Technology (IT) Services team is a crucial partner in marketing and communications—they support efforts from website design and search engine optimization, to tracking the online student journey and user experience, to enabling e-commerce in course registration. Continued IT Services support and innovation is fundamental if BCIT is to continue to develop capacity in marketing and communications.

Institute and school-level marketing plans reflect the relative importance of these goals in any year. Given the opportunities for synergy and reinforcement between these various efforts, it is important to take a coherent and coordinated approach. The same is true of internal communications initiatives and efforts across the organization and, in time, this Vision will help inform our messaging and engagement approach with stakeholders more broadly.

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Implementation and Accountability BCIT has foundational strength in marketing and communications. It is crucial not only to leverage this capability in an increasingly challenging environment, but also to extend the approach and philosophy throughout the organization. Endorsed firmly by the Leadership team, this Vision will be championed by Marketing and Communications, but delivered in collaboration with schools and departments across BCIT. The Vision creates a framework for planning, developing, and executing marketing and communications initiatives across BCIT. It outlines a holistic assessment of the various audiences and stakeholders in this work, as well as instilling common language, both of which support a considered and coordinated approach. This Vision highlights the need for investment and it articulates five clear goals for marketing and communications at BCIT that will help channel activity, guide resource allocation, and inform evaluation of these activities.

BCIT tracks brand recognition and perception, as well as program awareness, with the current focus on five key segments: post-secondary students, teens, parents, working population, and business influencers.

Our “likelihood to recommend” scores are consistently near the top of those of other post-secondary institutes, and the trajectory is generally positive with teens remaining an area of focus. We also monitor the satisfaction and engagement of students, employees, and alumni through quantitative and qualitative research. This data then informs Institute-wide and school-specific marketing and communications plans.

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These plans are the primary mechanism through which the Vision is advanced and refined. Guided, in addition, by new data and the specifics of the local context at the time, they will contain the concrete tactics and associated metrics by which to judge their success. Marketing and Communications will play a key role in ensuring that these various efforts are designed and executed to a high standard and that they are mutually reinforcing. More broadly, the Vision will underpin efforts throughout the organization that engage our diverse stakeholders and promote BCIT. Many of these activities are not typically considered to be marketing and communications, such as those in Human Resources and Advancement.

The Marketing and Communication team will play a key role in promoting and supporting this evolution.

BCIT will need to remain agile as the coming months and years unfold and the Vision will be renewed accordingly. Marketing and Communications will continue to be integral to our efforts to connect with learners, employees, and partners as the pace of change, intensity of competition, and stakes for BCIT continue to increase and grow. The brand positioning campaign centred on the concept of Education for a Complex World has never been more relevant.

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