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Mayors Minute: Smells like TEAM spirit

I’m sure you’ve heard the acronym, Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM), probably most commonly used in sports references, but getting everyone singing from the same songbook is finally starting to happen.
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Andrew Jakubeit is the Mayor of Penticton and provides the Western News with a column twice a month.

I’m sure you’ve heard the acronym, Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM), probably most commonly used in sports references, but getting everyone singing from the same songbook is finally starting to happen.

Earlier this week Okanagan College opened their new $2.2 million dollar welding classroom. This is big news for Penticton. In the past, the welding program was off-campus and rotated throughout the Okanagan College regional centres. The growing demand for a permanent welding skills training centre was one of the issues that council, in an effort championed by Coun. Helena Konanz, lobbied the province for at UBCM, so it was nice to see the project come to fruition years later.

Related: Sparks set to fly in new Okanagan College welding facility

Given Penticton’s niche and robust manufacturing sector, having access to more skilled labour and training will help our local industry continue to grow. There used to be a stigma about trades, but these days trades training is very sophisticated and requires critical thinking. Figuring out how much electrical load can be on a circuit, how to construct and support structures, mechanical or machinery fabrication and pushing the limits of design and capacity all require bright people to become skilled trades’ professionals.

In the past, entities that provided economic benefit to the community all had similar goals, but often didn’t communicate or collaborate well with one another. Recently the City of Penticton started an economic development partnership with stakeholders like the college, chamber of commerce, Downtown Penticton Association, Penticton Indian Band and their development corporation, the airport, Travel Penticton, Community Futures, UBC, South Okanagan Immigrant Community Services, and the Industrial Development Association. This partnership is mainly to keep everyone in the loop on what is happening, common challenges we face, or opportunities to work as a collective so as to leverage more resources and move forward on more initiatives that will benefit our community and region.

Related: Working together on the economy

This breaking down of silos started a few years ago with Tourism Penticton and the hoteliers association who now operate as a single organization, Travel Penticton. Progress is being made — today we’re in a better place to market Penticton and share unique experiences than ever before. Many people, on arriving in our community, immediately comment on its beauty and wide range of activities, hence the tagline “undiscovered Penticton.” People want experiences off the beaten path.

Recently, many of the non-profits, faith-based groups, social agencies, government agencies, and the city have been working together to address our social issues. We’ve facilitated a meeting with this group and the development community to introduce potential connections for affordable housing. We have 100 Homes Penticton, comprised of many local organizations, working together on strategies to house the homeless. CAST (Community Active Support Table) had their inaugural meeting this week and will focus on individuals needing help and having all the service providers in one room to cooperatively come up with a solution for that person.

Related: Proactive crime reduction group praised by RCMP

Lastly, we’ve seen some great momentum and excitement within the arts and culture community to collaborate. We have a very talented group of artists in our region which I have so much potential to enrich and impact our city in a positive way.

Related: Revisioning the Okanagan School of the Arts

The fact that three main arts organizations – Okanagan School of the Arts, the Penticton Art Gallery, and Penticton Arts Council – are agreeing to brainstorm together and find common synergies is yet another example of Together Everyone Achieves More.

Andrew Jakubeit is the mayor of Penticton and provides the Western News with a column twice a month. Contact him via email Andrew.Jakubeit@penticton.ca. Follow him on Twitter @AndrewJakubeit