JABC TechWorks In-person

Date: April 27, 2026
Time: 9:30 AM – 2:15 PM
Location: BCIT Downtown Campus, 555 Seymour St, Vancouver

Almost 170 students gathered in downtown Vancouver at British Columbia Institute of Technology for a day of exploration, connection, and real-world insight through the JABC TechWorks In-Person program.

As a work-readiness program focused on tech-related careers, the day began with a morning plenary session where students heard directly from industry leaders, followed by nine hands-on breakout sessions featuring more than 35 volunteer speakers who shared insights into B.C.’s fast-growing tech sector and related career opportunities. Together, these experiences helped students better understand potential career pathways and what those careers can look like in practice.

Check out the photo gallery HERE.

Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKER
KEYNOTE SPEAKERRian Gauvreau
Founder, Aeon Health and Co-Founder, Clio
EMCEE
EMCEEAndrew MacLean
Staff Developer Educator, Ecosystem @Twilio
SPEAKER
SPEAKERDonna Turner
Associate Dean, Computing and Technical Professional Programs, BCIT
TERRITORY WELCOME
TERRITORY WELCOMEDeborah Baker
Member of the Squamish Nation Chiefs and Council

Breakout Sessions

  • Accenture: Led by Alan Hadle Hamilton, Lipika Sahni, Gowthan Mohan
  • Acuitas Therapeutics: Led by Melissa Dennis and Annie Ruan
  • BCIT: Led by Henry Leung and Morgan Westcott
  • Best Buy: Led by Kate Smith, Ankur Kumar, Marion Chimiack, Aman Shaikh, Kieran McCord, Taranpreet Kaur, Alexander Huijsman, Benjamin Boey
  • Coca-Cola: Led by Melissa Berke, Archie Repizo Villariza, Susan Kwan
  • FortisBC: Led by Sam, Jameson Roy, Adeel Ahmed, Shaun Cox
  • KPMG: Led by Christine Stitchman and Abhijeet Singh
  • SAP: Led by Kate Booth, Roelle Kim, Ian McAlpine, Mona Abusharkh, Sean Michael Fradl, Joycelyn Tng, Faraz Fazlaizadeh, Jessie Yeung, Chancey Wu
  • Think Tank: Led by Greg Berridge and Scott Thompson

“It was very interesting how AI can be applied to systems that I didn’t think it could.“

– Student

“One skill I’ve learned today is soldering. I really like the hands-on and I was able to actually learn how to do it, not just learn about it.”

– Student

“I thought it was very interactive all the workshops. It really got the students to use their critical thinking.”

– Teacher

“I really enjoyed having the equipment in my hands. For example, when we were making the cars, I enjoyed having to plan it and put everything together and use critical thinking to make them.”

– Student

“This is a really good way to give back to the next generation. I think it’s really important that we ensure that the upcoming workforce is in tune with what’s going on and to really set them out to ensure that they are choosing the right path or path that they are informed of when they go to university.”

– Speaker

“Learning something I never learned from school was the biggest highlight of JABC TechWorks.”

– Student

“Today has inspired me to look forward to what my future career in tech could be.”

– Student

“Having the hands-on, it really engages students a whole lot more. I think it empowers the students to realize what they can do and opens up doors that maybe they didn’t really see as open.”

– Teacher

Thank you to our Partners!

Provincial Partner

Presenting Partner

Platinum Partners

Gold Partner

Silver Partners