When it comes to the merging of education, technology, and business, the British Columbia Institute of Technology stands in a field all its own. For over fifty years BCIT has shaped the careers of budding technology students who would go on to influence their fields at home in British Columbia, across Canada, or around the world. After 18 years of close collaboration with the school, Burli is very pleased to assist BCIT’s journalism students as they move into their chosen profession with the announcement of a new annual scholarship, the Burli Software Inc Award.

Since its early days, BCIT has produced quality graduates in many diverse fields and trades, including electronics, nursing, welding, robotics, business, plumbing, and journalism. Going all the way back to its inception in 1964, the Broadcast Journalism Program has long been a source of talented Canadian journalists.

Not long after Burli Software came into being in 1996, we began helping to grow that program, working alongside BCIT to shape the next generation of journalistic workflow. Now we’re taking that growth to the next step.

Building Tomorrow’s Skills

Connie Monk is the Program Head of the Broadcast and Online Journalism Program at BCIT. Since she joined the school, she has seen the program use the Burli Newsroom System as a core piece of the program. Monk has had a career spanning Canada and many roles within the journalism industry from reporter, to anchor, to producer, and now teacher. She’s worked at the CBC and a number of large market TV stations. She knows her profession, and is happy to be working with Burli.

Burli was first installed at BCIT in 1998. “It was an easy decision… It was a world class technology”, says Monk. “Burli was expanding across the country and around the world… It just made sense to us to go with the market leader”.

Support and resources from Burli have always been excellent she says. “[It’s] easy to get in touch with people… telling us all the time about something new, showing us how [it] works, and beyond”.

But the real key, she says, is Burli’s ability to adapt and change. “Burli has always added things every year that make it easier for the students to access news from all over the world, and to do it more quickly”, said Monk. And she says the students enjoy that – they refer to all news as “coming from Burli”, regardless of the actual source (though she’s quick to correct them).

Second year student Amy Quinton using Burli Newsroom at BCIT

Students are then going into Canadian newsrooms already comfortable with a market leading tool. “You know what it’s like going into a new job with so much to learn”, said Monk. One former student told her “It’s a world of difference, because you have that comfort level going into a new place… ‘Oh yeah, I know how to do Burli!’, and they can build on whatever else they’re doing with their new jobs. It has been amazing for them”.

When asked how the program has changed, Monk acknowledged, “We are very focused [on] digital… Everything has to be done more quickly. We need more of everything – video, audio… Every news room is basically online based”. BCIT has had to adapt its program to keep up, and Burli has helped them do that.

Supporting the Future of Journalism

To keep helping future journalists as they complete their program, Burli has announced that it will be opening a scholarship with BCIT. Starting at the end of this school year, one student per graduating class will be able to earn this fund by being the best in class – in more ways than one.

When asked what kind of student should win the scholarship, Monk described them as, “Having a delight in audio, and how audio takes you to locations… Someone who has mastered… filing from the field, or putting together a newscast, and has that interest in being able to use technology to be able to be creative and innovative in journalism… What kind of a team player are they?”. She looks at leadership and willingness to pitch in as importantly as one’s marks in the course.

Burli is pleased to open this scholarship with its long time partner, BCIT. Our long collaboration and common roots in Vancouver have proven very beneficial for both organizations, as well as for the future of Canadian journalism.