In an effort to make it easier for business and industry to make connections with the University College of the Fraser Valley, UCFV is launching an Industry Liaison office.

Duncan Jeffries, currently in charge of Co-operative Education at UCFV, will be expanding his duties to include responsibility for this new initiative.

"We know that UCFV has a lot to offer to the business and industry sectors of our communities in terms of faculty expertise and other resources," said Jeffries. "What we haven’t been able to offer before is a clear central point of contact for regional industries that seek this expertise. We’ll be addressing that need through the Industry Liaison office. We’ll be gathering information about the specific areas of expertise, what types of projects or research faculty are interested in, and what other special skills our faculty and staff might have that we don’t currently know about."

The ILO will provide:

• access to faculty and staff expertise
• partners for projects and initiatives
• access to federal and provincial research funding
• help with applied research
• facilitation of industry-specific training
• help with technology transfer
• access to students for co-op (four to eight month) work terms or special projects
• liaison with UCFV’s resident National Research Council Industrial Technology Advisor..
• The ILO will also help sponsor forums and career fairs and other events related to economic development.

Jeffries is already working to forge closer connections to other Fraser Valley organizations concerned with economic development, including chambers of commerce and the Chilliwack Economic Partners Corporation (CEPCO). Three UCFV representatives, including President Skip Bassford, sit on CEPCO’s education committee. UCFV is also part of an Abbotsford group looking at bringing aeronautics-industry related training to the Valley.

"We’re not out to duplicate work that’s already being done in our communities or internally at UCFV," says Jeffries. "We want to work in partnership with other organizations and departments, ensure that 

everyone is aware of what UCFV has to offer in terms of resources and expertise, and give them one place to come to to tap into it. We will then direct inquiries to the most appropriate person or department at UCFV."

The motivation for creating the ILO came partly from UCFV’s goal, stated in its recent strategic plan, of creating better connections with communities in the Fraser Valley.

"We’ve done a study which showed how UCFV’s educational programs contribute to the local economy and fill important training needs," noted UCFV president Skip Bassford. "But it also showed us that if we really want to be a greater partner with our communities, we have to offer opportunities for joint research and other partnerships with business and industry. We have over 500 full-time and part-time faculty and staff, all of whom have a highly developed knowledge base. We believe by helping our communities tap into this resource, we can really help foster economic, social, and cultural development in the Fraser Valley."

For more information contact Duncan Jeffries at (604)854-4591 or jeffries@ucfv.ca

Upcoming events that UCFV’s new Industry Liaison Office is involved in or hosting:

Wed, Feb 14: The Careers of the Future road show At UCFV, featuring keynote speaker, panel, and displays. Focus of this event is the aerospace industry. Keynote speaker: the National Research Council's Tony Edgar, industrial technology advisor and aerospace industry expert; followed by an industry panel. A networking session, sponsored by the Science Council of B.C. will immediately follow the presentations to allow the audience to meet employers, ask questions and obtain company literature and industry information. This event is organized by Future Works and hosted by the UCFV Industry Liaison. Admission is free, but registration is required. Call 684-1132 to reserve your seat. Presentations, 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., lecture theatre, Abbotsford campus Networking Session, 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m., Great Hall and Room B-202.

Friday, March 9: HighTech@Abbotsford forum Is Abbotsford missing out on the high tech boom? What can we do to create a favourable environment to attract high tech? Featuring speaker Frank Came, executive director, Vancouver Economic Development Commission, speaking on current and future high tech development in the Lower Mainland, and a local panel (Jay Teichroeb, Abbotsford economic development manager, Duncan Jeffries, UCFV industry liaison director, Richard McBride of Kirmac Information Technologies, and Dave McGregor, business development manager, BDC)on Abbotsford’s high tech potential. Rancho, Delair Road, Abbotsford. Call Ingrid Epp at the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce at 859-9651, local 302 for details.

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