The Community Solution Education System has joined the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade (GVBOT), Western Canada’s leading business association, as part of its ongoing commitment to collaboration, workforce development, and community-centered higher education solutions.

Established in 1887, GVBOT represents more than 5,000 member organizations and approximately one-third of British Columbia’s workforce. Through its policy leadership, advocacy, and extensive programming, GVBOT plays a critical role in shaping the region’s economic future. Membership places The Community Solution Education System alongside leading post-secondary institutions and major employers across British Columbia.

“This membership reflects our belief that higher education must be deeply connected to the communities and economies it serves,” said Michael Horowitz, Ph.D., chancellor of The Community Solution Education System. “By engaging with the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, we are strengthening relationships that support workforce alignment, innovation, and long-term institutional sustainability.”

The Community Solution Education System maintains a System-wide Learning Centre in downtown Vancouver, which serves as a hub for academic programming, community engagement, and partnership development across its institutions. The Centre supports convenings, educational events, and collaboration with regional partners aligned to workforce and community needs.

The Community Solution Education System is a network of six U.S.-based colleges and universities educating more than 13,000 students. Institutions within The Community Solution use shared infrastructure and collaboration to drive innovation and advance student outcomes, enabling them to strengthen academic offerings, improve operational sustainability, and expand educational access.

Through its GVBOT membership, The Community Solution Education System will engage in policy dialogue, leadership development, and cross-sector collaboration focused on workforce needs, economic growth, and post-secondary innovation. The membership also provides opportunities to participate in GVBOT’s extensive events platform, committees, and leadership programs, while increasing visibility within British Columbia’s business and education communities.

“Our Learning Centre in Vancouver is designed to support partnership, convening, and exchange,” Dr. Horowitz added. “Through GVBOT, we can listen, learn, and engage with business and civic leaders in ways that inform how we collaborate and serve learners.”

The Community Solution Education System will participate in select GVBOT programming and convenings over the coming year, supporting its broader strategy of global engagement and partnership development in Canada.