College of the Rockies and Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise (KORE) have renewed their partnership with a new memorandum of understanding.
Their long-standing collaboration supports industry aligned training and workforce development in outdoor recreation.
“KORE Outdoors has led the way in rural economic development in the outdoor industry. The renewed partnership with College of the Rockies keeps us moving toward our goal of making the Kootenays the epicentre of innovation, sustainability, and repair in the outdoor rec-tech industry, including training and workforce development.” said Matt Mosteller, Board Chair, Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise.
COTR and KORE’s goal is to support local outdoor recreation jobs and businesses, assist community development and help the outdoor recreation sector grow in the Kootenays.
The partnership works together to boost job training, industry events, knowledge exchange, and hands-on learning in areas such as gear repair, manufacturing and product innovation.
“This agreement builds on a strong history of collaboration and reflects our shared commitment to supporting the outdoor recreation sector in our region. By working closely with industry, we can help ensure learners and businesses have access to the skills, facilities, and expertise needed to support sustainable economic growth.” said Michael Crowe, President, College of the Rockies.
College of the Rockies brings strong education experience and expertise to the partnership with programs in outdoor recreation and adventure-based training. For over three decades the college has provided Mountain Adventure Skills Training and Adventure Tourism Business Operations programs which give a strong foundation for a future in the industry.
While the college programs help students and local businesses, KORE connects many outdoor businesses, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders from all over B.C.
KORE supports local gear makers, designers, and outdoor companies, and helps them get funding, training, and support.
This teamwork is critical in shaping industry needs by ensuring training and innovation efforts stay connected with the demands of real world operations.
The COTR and KORE partnership helps the local economy as outdoor recreation is important to East Kootenay and brings money and jobs to the region.
While the partnership is rooted in the East Kootenay region, the outdoor recreation sector is also important to all of B.C. having contributed about $4.8 billion to the province’s economy in 2023.
Learn more about Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise at koreoutdoors.org.
