British Columbia Institute of Technology
EN-8: Employee Orientation

“All About BCIT: Getting Started” is a comprehensive online course available to all new employees that centralizes important information about BCIT. It reviews the essential information the majority of new employees need to know and introduces them to key parts of the BCIT community. Subjects include:

• About BCIT


• The Essentials


• BCIT’s Main Technical Systems


• Mandatory Training (see below for details)


• Key Polices


• Schools and Service areas


• Your Growth and Development


• The BCIT Community

In addition to online training, there are in-person New Employee Orientation sessions offered at the Burnaby campus that give new employees an opportunity to connect with other newcomers. Employees learn about the key service and support departments at the Institute, directly from area representatives and learn where to find many helpful onboarding resources. A campus walking tour follows highlighting sustainability features, BCIT schools, eating spots, the library, and the recreational facility.

Multiple dimensions of sustainability are covered in the online and in-person orientation including:

• A brief introduction to the Indigenous, Sustainability and People Visions.


• An overview of the Sustainability Office, the Sustainability Vision, the policy on Economic, Social, and Environmental Sustainability and how we define sustainability as “enabling people to lead socially just lives within ecological limits” (see PA 1 and 2 for more information).


• Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships supports for Indigenous students and the Indigenous Vision which formalizes goals around Indigenization of curriculum, enhancing Indigenous employee recruitment, and expanding learner services to attract and retain Indigenous students (see EN 3, EN 4, PA 7 and IN 27).


• Respect, Diversity and Inclusion (RDI) Office helps BCIT foster a respectful and inclusive working and learning environment by creating awareness and belonging through education, events, and training. The Office provides coaching and support to individuals with concerns of bullying, harassment, and discrimination and strives to help people resolve conflicts informally. They also assist individuals who have formal complaints and coordinate workplace investigations. The Anti-racism framework and the Accessibility Plan are featured (see PA 5, PA 6, PA 7 and IN 50 for more information).


• BCIT Safety, Security and Emergency Management (SSEM) department works with BCIT academic programs and service areas at all campuses to provide safe, secure, and disaster-resilient environments (see PA 15 for more information).


• The Student Success service areas focusing on accessibility and supporting student well-being include Health Services, Counselling and Student Development, Financial Aid and Awards, Accessibility Service, Housing and Recreation Services (see PA 5 and PA 7).


• Professional Development opportunities (see AC 7 and EN 9)


• Employee Engagement (see EN 5 and PA 13)


• Employee Green Team (see EN 5 and PA 1)


• Centre for Ecocities which helps build socially just cities in balance with nature: https://www.bcit.ca/centre-for-ecocities/

The sustainability features shown on the walking tour include but are not limited to:

• AFRESH Demonstration House: https://www.bcit.ca/zero-energy-buildings/about/afresh-demonstration-house/


• Centre for Architectural Ecology Elevated Lab and green walls: https://www.bcit.ca/centre-for-architectural-ecology/


• Rainwater management features including rain gardens and cisterns used to collect rainwater from roofs and used to water gardens (see OP 22).


• Indigenous and Edible Gardens (see EN 3)


• Pollinator gardens and the BeeCIT Pollinator Program with Alveole. At the conclusion of the tour, participants are given a jar of BeeCIT honey which includes a QR code that links to further information about BeeCIT: https://www.bcit.ca/facilities/facilities-services/grounds-landscaping/beecit-pollinator-program/


• Recreation Services: https://www.bcit.ca/recreation/


• Guichon Creek and the most recent daylighting project: https://commons.bcit.ca/news/2024/01/daylit-guichon-creek/


• Location of the First Aid Office and other SSEM features on campus.

Mandatory orientation training that is required to be completed within the first 30 days of employment includes:

• Occupational Health and Safety Orientation (OHS) training is designed to be an informative and interactive experience to introduce new employees to essential health and safety information.


• Supervisors OHS training is mandatory for BCIT managers and supervisors, providing essential information on safety responsibilities, BCIT safety policies, standards, and resources to assist supervisors to address health and safety concerns raised at workplace. Supervisors play a critical role in promoting the community’s safety culture.


• Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) for Non-Office Areas is for employees working in non-office areas and is designed to provide the knowledge and skills required to work with, and around, hazardous materials. Employees receive basic WHMIS training for office areas during the OHS orientation and are required to complete a WHMIS Risk Assessment. Employees who are identified within the risk assessment as needing the “WHMIS for Non-Office Areas” will be required to take this course.


• Respect in the Workplace training - BCIT is committed to providing a work and learning environment that is free of harassment, discrimination and bullying.

Optional orientation training includes:

• Unconscious Bias training aims to help people understand themselves and the world better through an examination of one’s unconscious biases. The relevance of this course is what the employee makes of it. We all have biases that we may not be aware of and that shape how we see the world and interact with others. The hope is that employees feel empowered to choose how they can help change our world for the better through their own thoughts and actions.


• Indigenous Awareness. Words like Reconciliation and Indigenization are becoming common place and they are often followed by, “What do these words mean? Why do we have to do this? How come I didn't know about Residential Schools?” This course provides employees with foundational knowledge of Indigenous people in the hopes that when the true history and contemporary reality of Indigenous people is known, Reconciliation can begin.


• Climate Change 101 is free for employees and students. The objective of this online course is to help one understand their influence on climate, and climate's influence on us.