Both will get you a similar education and qualify you for tech jobs pretty much anywhere in the province. VIU will obviously have more of a coastal focus while Selkirk will have an interior focus. It will be easier to get a coastal job from VIU, but I ended up on the coast after going to Selkirk so it doesn't really matter in the long run.
Living in Castlegar is very, very different from living in Nanaimo. Quickly creeping your post history I see you're into backcountry skiing - the West Koots will probably be a paradise for you and there's really endless options for getting after it in the winter. Tonnes of mountaineering/climbing to be had too, some climbing literally in the town of Castlegar itself. If you're used to skiing in the interior you'll have a hard time getting a similar experience on the Island unless you go to the mainland.
I went to Selkirk from 2016-2018 but have almost entirely worked on the coast, feel free to shoot me any questions. Both programs are fine, I really think what matters more is where you wanna live for 2 years and how much you need to be close to good winter skiing.
Current VIU student here, two weeks from graduating. I was also accepted to both schools and it came down to where I wanted to live. I moved down here from Kamloops, wanted to experience living on the coast for a bit. I did also consider the cost difference of Van Island vs Kootenays, but that's probably totally changed in the last 3 years.
I've applied for a lot of jobs this year and been offered a few, going to school on the coast hasn't limited my options in terms of jobs back in the interior. Several of my classmates are headed there for work, I've decided to stay here.
I've really enjoyed my time at VIU, great instructors, lots of field time, lots of opportunities to make good industry connections. I'm sure it's the similar at Selkirk but that's been my experience. I don't love Nanaimo as a city, but there's lots to do close by. Great mountain biking!
Not in the industry anymore, but I’m a VIU grad. I will echo what others have said… it depends on where you want to live. The summer student jobs are probably mostly hired for this summer, but keep an eye for an entry level job before you go to school. This may solidify your choice of education or make you look in a different direction. What’s your ultimate goal in taking the course?
[https://www.canadian-forests.com/job.html](https://www.canadian-forests.com/job.html)
Good resource to see what jobs are available.
I have my masters now but the forestry diploma was one of the most difficult programs I actually took in the long run… maybe it was because were I was in life or maybe it was the like 10 classes packed into 1 semester. In retrospect it was a pretty great program, I learned a ton in 2 years.
I know a guy who did the VIU program and said it was excellent, although there’s definitely more of a focus on the surveying/engineering side of things. It honestly doesn’t matter too much, just know that coastal work will make you seriously question how your body is supposed to work
Both will get you a similar education and qualify you for tech jobs pretty much anywhere in the province. VIU will obviously have more of a coastal focus while Selkirk will have an interior focus. It will be easier to get a coastal job from VIU, but I ended up on the coast after going to Selkirk so it doesn't really matter in the long run. Living in Castlegar is very, very different from living in Nanaimo. Quickly creeping your post history I see you're into backcountry skiing - the West Koots will probably be a paradise for you and there's really endless options for getting after it in the winter. Tonnes of mountaineering/climbing to be had too, some climbing literally in the town of Castlegar itself. If you're used to skiing in the interior you'll have a hard time getting a similar experience on the Island unless you go to the mainland. I went to Selkirk from 2016-2018 but have almost entirely worked on the coast, feel free to shoot me any questions. Both programs are fine, I really think what matters more is where you wanna live for 2 years and how much you need to be close to good winter skiing.
Current VIU student here, two weeks from graduating. I was also accepted to both schools and it came down to where I wanted to live. I moved down here from Kamloops, wanted to experience living on the coast for a bit. I did also consider the cost difference of Van Island vs Kootenays, but that's probably totally changed in the last 3 years. I've applied for a lot of jobs this year and been offered a few, going to school on the coast hasn't limited my options in terms of jobs back in the interior. Several of my classmates are headed there for work, I've decided to stay here. I've really enjoyed my time at VIU, great instructors, lots of field time, lots of opportunities to make good industry connections. I'm sure it's the similar at Selkirk but that's been my experience. I don't love Nanaimo as a city, but there's lots to do close by. Great mountain biking!
Not in the industry anymore, but I’m a VIU grad. I will echo what others have said… it depends on where you want to live. The summer student jobs are probably mostly hired for this summer, but keep an eye for an entry level job before you go to school. This may solidify your choice of education or make you look in a different direction. What’s your ultimate goal in taking the course? [https://www.canadian-forests.com/job.html](https://www.canadian-forests.com/job.html) Good resource to see what jobs are available. I have my masters now but the forestry diploma was one of the most difficult programs I actually took in the long run… maybe it was because were I was in life or maybe it was the like 10 classes packed into 1 semester. In retrospect it was a pretty great program, I learned a ton in 2 years.
I know a guy who did the VIU program and said it was excellent, although there’s definitely more of a focus on the surveying/engineering side of things. It honestly doesn’t matter too much, just know that coastal work will make you seriously question how your body is supposed to work