Ski Resort Operations and Management

2-Year Diploma at Tenth Street, Nelson

Career Potential

The ski industry in western Canada is well positioned to meet an increasing world-wide demand for high quality winter and summer mountain recreational facilities and Selkirk College graduates are in demand as the industry grows. The success of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler B.C. will have an impact on ski resorts in both British Columbia and Alberta over the next decade as they did for Calgary and Alberta for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Demand for new ski industry professionals is expected to increase in Western Canada over this period.

Graduates of the Ski Resort Operations and Management Program may follow a variety of ski resort career paths. The list below indicates just some of the departmental options available for our graduates.

Technical

• Lift Operations
• Lift Maintenance
• Grooming Operations
• Snowmaking Operations
• Ski Patrol and Avalanche Control
• Building Maintenance

Service

• Ski and Snowboard School
• Rental Shop Operations
• Retail Shop Operations
• Food and Beverage Operations
• Childminding Centers
• Terrain Park Operations

Administrative

• Guest Services and Hosting
• Ticket Office Sales
• Human Resources and Payroll
• Bookkeeping and Banking
• Accounting / Budgeting
• Reservations / Accommodations
• Marketing and Promotions
• Special Event Management

The seasonality of ski resort jobs results in somewhat higher rates of employee turnover than in non-seasonal businesses, and this creates opportunities for graduates to advance into supervisory and middle management positions. In fact, many students are able to secure supervisory positions for their work terms or shortly after graduation. Graduates often need to find suitable summer employment that meshes with the ski season prior to becoming year round full time employees. Because our program provides "Transferable Skills" to our students, off season employment options in the summer tourism industry are readily available. Four season resorts also provide the opportunity for year around employment for graduates from this program.

Other Ski Industry Employment Options

• Cat Skiing Operations and Heliskiing Operations
• Lift construction companies
• Ski and Snowboard equipment manufacturers
• Retail wholesale agencies
• Sporting goods retail operations

Degree Program Transferability

Through curriculum articulation agreements, Ski Resort and Operations Management graduates from Selkirk College may receive up to two year's credit towards four-year bachelor's degrees from several institutions.  Selkirk has formal agreements with the following universities, but others also accept transfer credit from the SROAM Program.

1. University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Bachelor of Business Management Website http://www.uleth.ca/
2. Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops British Columbia, Bachelor of Tourism ManagementWebsite http://www.tru.ca/
3. Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo British Columbia, Bachelor of Tourism Management Website http://www.mala.bc.ca/
4. Royal Road University, Victoria, Bachelor of Tourism Management, http://www.royalroads.ca/

It is important to note that current tuition fees and costs of living in the West Kootenay can mean significant financial savings for Selkirk students who study in Nelson for the first two years before transferring to university or university colleges.