Vancouver career college grads win national award
The Forum for International Trade Training (FITT) recently selected a pair Vancouver Career College students to receive the 2005 Best International Marketing Plan award.
Maki Sugimoto andFITT - International Trade Program - Vancouver Career College Yumiko Kodera, Japanese students studying International Trade at the college’s Vancouver campus, compiled a meticulously researched plan to export a Canadian soy yogurt product to South Korea.
The prize-winning business strategy was chosen from 340 submissions from colleges, universities and private institutions across the country.
Recognition from Canada’s international trade training and certification body comes as a welcome honor to Kodera, Sugimoto and Vancouver Career College.
“I was elated to hear that two of our top graduates won the [2005] International Marketing Plan Award from FITT,” adds campus director Cherie Cooper. “Congratulations to Maki and Yumiko on their achievement!”
The International Trade diploma program was developed in partnership with FITT to prepare professionals to meet the challenges of global commerce. The program incorporates eight FITTskills courses and focuses on the practical aspects of international business: logistics, nation-by-nation marketing, trade finance, market entry strategies, international trade law and management techniques.
Students also learn about business plan development, cross-cultural communication and negotiations. Graduates of the program fulfill requirements for the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation, the only international trade professional title in Canada recognized by the International Association of Trade Training Organizations (IATTO).
International trade was not the priority for Kodera and Sugimoto when they decided to come to Vancouver. Instead, both students chose to study English in order to improve their career options. Sugimoto, 34, completed a degree in Business Management from Aoyama Gakuin University.
She worked as a sales representative for ten years for various companies before she decided to study in Canada. This was a bold move on her part. Career changes in Japan, especially for women past the age of thirty, are risky. Sugimoto, however, was fearlessly determined not to let his stop her.
Kodera, 24, decided to study English in Canada after she met an advisor from Worldwide Language Institute. The Labour Economics graduate from Nihon University had been working as a customer service associate for a Japanese retail outlet. After she completed her language studies, she enrolled at Vancouver Career College. It was here that she met Sugimoto.
Having mastered English at Worldwide Language Institute, Sugimoto and Kodera discovered that they needed to learn an even more difficult language for this program – business jargon. This made the initial months of training quite difficult. They’d spend up to six hours pouring over textbooks in the library, dictionary in hand.
“The first months were tough,” says Kodera. “We had to learn a lot of jargon. Everyday there was 20 to 30 new terms.”
Kodera and Sugimoto devoted a lot of time to research. They chose soy yogurt because it was a product that both enjoyed in Canada that was not available at home. After thorough market analysis, the pair chose South Korea. Additionally, they needed to redesign packaging and introduce flavors to make the product more appealing to South Korean consumers “We spent a lot of time researching products and a lot of time eating,” Sugimoto laughs.
“The hardest part of this program was that we had to create everything from the beginning,” she continues. “We had to use real products and real markets. It was difficult, but it was also fun.”
“[This] is a challenging, intensive six-month program,” says Patrick Liem, the instructor and FITTskills program coordinator at Vancouver Career College. “Both students demonstrated strong work ethics and a dedication to success.”
The difficulty of the FITTskills program only confirms its importance to the industry. Import/export companies, consultants and government agencies recognize that graduates have the ability and knowledge necessary to succeed in international trade. They also appreciate that the courses adhere to IATTO’s standards for international business and trade training.
Jayne Gibson, a practicum coordinator with Vancouver Career College, assists FITT students find work experience placements during the program. She understands the market demand for FITTskills graduates.
“I have one employer who phones and says ‘This is what we need,’” she says. “He likes this program and the students are prepared for what he needs. Generally speaking, he hires the people we recommend.”
“It was a great course”, says Sugimoto. “This program changed our future [and] FITT gave us the perfect present”
The award will be presented on June 14, 2006 in Halifax at the 9th Annual FITT National conference. Sugimoto and Kodera, who have since returned to Japan, will travel from Tokyo to Vancouver to attend the Vancouver Career College graduation ceremonies on June 3 before flying to Halifax to attend the conference and accept the award.
Vancouver Career College is accepting applications for the International Trade (FITT) diploma program at its Vancouver campus.
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