Private Training Institutions Branch

Amendments to the Private Training Regulation and Fees and Student Tuition Protection Fund Regulation came into effect on September 1, 2021. The Regulatory Amendments 2021 page was created to provide information and resources to support institutions as they made the changes required.

On November 25, 2021, Canadian School of Natural Nutrition - Vancouver surrendered its designation certificate. As a result, the institution is no longer certified with the Private Training Institutions Branch, meaning that the institution is prohibited from offering or providing career training programs. A “career training program” is a career-related program for which tuition is equal to or greater than $4,000 and the instructional time is equal to or greater than 40 hours.

Affected students should contact PTIB at (778) 945-0605 or via email at pti.studentsupport@gov.bc.ca.

Please note that Canadian School of Natural Nutrition - Vancouver Island continues to hold a designation certificate with the Private Training Institutions Branch.

On July 5, 2021, the registrar of the Private Training Institutions Branch cancelled the designation certificate of Hilltop Academy. As a result of the cancellation decision, Hilltop Academy is prohibited from offering or providing career training programs.   A “career training program” is a career-related program for which tuition is equal to or greater than $4,000 and the instructional time is equal to or greater than 40 hours.
 
Students affected by the cancellation should contact PTIB at (778) 945-0605 or via email at pti.studentsupport@gov.bc.ca.

On October 16, 2020 the registrar of the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) cancelled the designation certificate of CHCA. As a result of the cancellation decision, CHCA is prohibited from offering or providing career training programs.   A “career training program” is a career-related program for which tuition is equal to or greater than $4,000 and the instructional time is equal to or greater than 40 hours. 

Students may contact PTIB at (236) 455-1584 or via email at pti.studentsupport@gov.bc.ca  for more information. 

CHCA appealed the cancellation decision to the PTIB commissioner.  On April 29, 2021, the commissioner dismissed the appeal and awarded costs to the registrar.

A copy of the appeal decision can be found here.

A copy of the decision on costs can be found here.

RED Academy, located at Suite 200, 1490 West Broadway, Vancouver, has surrendered its designation certificate. It closed its operations on March 27, 2020. Students enrolled at the institution may be entitled to a tuition refund. More information about tuition refund claims is available under the Information for Students section of our website, or by contacting PTIB at (778) 945-0605 or via email at pti.studentsupport@gov.bc.ca.

PTIB continues to operate as normal while following Provincial Health Officer directions concerning social distancing.

Telephone appointments with staff can be made by calling 604-569-0033 and selecting '0' from the menu options.

Couriers and other package deliveries can contact 604-569-0037 for instructions.

The Private Training Institutions Branch requires subject matter experts (SMEs) to act as inspectors to determine whether an institution is complying with the Private Training Act and associated regulations. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is currently posted at https://www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca/open.dll/welcome and can be found by browsing opportunities by organization and selecting the “Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.” PTIB is in need of SMEs in specific program areas; see Appendix B of the RFQ for the current list of required program areas.

Graduates of private training institutions are not eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP). Only international students who have graduated from programs of 8+ months at public post-secondary institutions or degree programs at authorized private institutions are eligible to apply for a PGWP. Some graduates of commercial flight training programs are also eligible to apply. Issuing Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP) for international students is the responsibility of the federal Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). For more information about the PGWPP eligibility requirements, visit the IRCC website. If you believe you were misled by an institution regarding your eligibility for the PGWPP, please contact PTIB at (778) 945-0605 or via email at pti.studentsupport@gov.bc.ca.

The registrar has refused to issue a designation certificate to Loxx Academy of Hair Design Inc.  The institution did not meet the requirements to issue a certificate.

Effective August 22, 2019, the institution no longer holds a certificate and is prohibited from offering to provide, entering into a contract with a student to provide or providing any career training programs. A career training program is a career-related program for which tuition is equal to or greater than $4,000 and the instructional time is equal to or greater than 40 hours.

Students enrolled at the institution may be entitled to a tuition refund.   For more information, please contact PTIB at (778) 945-0605 or via email at pti.studentsupport@gov.bc.ca.

The Okanagan Cosmetology Institute (“OCI”), located at 358 Main St. in Penticton, has surrendered its designation certificate. It closed its operations on August 3, 2019. Students enrolled at the institution may be entitled to a tuition refund. For more information, please contact PTIB at (778) 945-0605 or via email at pti.studentsupport@gov.bc.ca.

The registrar has refused to issue a designation certificate to Imperial Hotel Management College.  The institution did not  meet the requirements to issue a certificate.

Effective April 30, 2019, the institution no longer holds a certificate and is prohibited from offering to provide, entering into a contract with a student to provide or providing any career training programs. A career training program is a career-related program for which tuition is equal to or greater than $4,000 and the instructional time is equal to or greater than 40 hours.

Students enrolled at the institution may be entitled to a tuition refund.   For more information, please contact PTIB at (778) 945-0605 or via email at pti.studentsupport@gov.bc.ca.

The registration certificate of Fraser Valley Community College (FVCC) was cancelled on October 26, 2015. The owner, Sunanda  Kikla, and FVCC have commenced several proceedings challenging, amongst other things, the cancellation. The BC Supreme Court determined that Ms. Kikla abused the court’s processes and declared Ms. Kikla a vexatious litigant.
For more information, review the full notice.