Accreditation

What is Accreditation?

Columbia Academy is a private post-secondary career training institution accredited by the Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA) of BC.

The Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA) has responsibility under the Private Career Training Institutions Act to:

• Provide consumer protection to the students and prospective students of registered institutions;

• Establish standards of quality that must be met by accredited institutions;

• Establish and manage the Student Training Completion Fund.

Schools wishing to become accredited must undertake a rigorous screening process, consisting of: curriculum presentation and review; facility tours; verification of instructor’s qualifications; enrollment process evaluation; research indicating the likelihood of graduates obtaining employment in their field; and more.

Accreditation is a voluntary process available to registered institutions whereby the institution and its programs are evaluated against the Agency’s quality standards. By choosing to attend an accredited institution, not only is your tuition protected, but you can be assured the institution and its programs have met the Agency’s quality standards. Also, BC Student Loans are only available through accredited institutions. For more detailed information, visit the Agency’s website at: http://www.pctia.bc.ca/

Once accredited, private career training institutions must submit yearly reports to the PCTIA, as well as undergo a stringent five-year review.  Schools who do not comply with the ongoing requirements of the PCTIA may have their accreditation revoked.

1. Accredited schools must submit annual reports to PCTIA indicating: the number of students taking the program each year, how many graduated, and how many found employment in the industry.  Schools who cannot prove that its graduates have found work in the field they have trained for may have their accreditation revoked.

2. Program curriculum must be submitted to PCTIA for review and outside experts in the field must be brought in by the schools to verify that the training offered is current and relevant to the industry.

3. To be eligible for a BC Student Loan, you must attend an accredited, designated private institution.

4. In the event that an accredited private school closes, a student’s tuition will be refunded by the PCTIA through the “Student Training Completion Fund.”

Have more questions about Accreditation? Please feel free to contact us for assistance.