Sprott-Shaw Community College was founded in 1903 by Robert James Sprott and William Henry Shaw as Vancouver Business Institute. It later expanded as Sprott-Shaw College with business office training schools in Vancouver (four), Nanaimo (one) and Victoria (one).
The college survived economic recessions, two World Wars and the Great Depression, all making its foundation stronger for today.
The college changed hands in the 1960s, 1970s and again in the 1980s. The real growth truly began in 1991 under the leadership of Dean and Sherri Duperron. With their vision and tremendous determination, along with highly trained staff, the college has grown to 17 locations across the province of B.C. as well as one campus in Alberta and two in The Philippines, along with two accredited affiliate colleges, one each in China and Jordan. Employing the principles of adult education theory, the curriculum has expanded to include much more than office training, as students now train for careers in healthcare, tourism, hospitality, business, administrative and international studies. Sprott-Shaw has always maintained a sharp focus to provide relevant skills for meaningful jobs in high growth industries.
The modern campuses of Sprott-Shaw now train over 4,500 students each year. All locations feature small class sizes, qualified instructors, hands-on training and a friendly, appropriate learning environment for adults of all ages. During the past century, Sprott-Shaw Community College has built a solid reputation with both the private sector and government. This reputation is based not only on training excellence, but also on Sprott-Shaw graduates’ enviable record of securing successful jobs after training.
In all cases, the College’s goal is to help students to obtain employment at the conclusion of their studies and to open the door for life-long learning.