Vancouver Island University offers Building Service Worker Certificate, a certificate in Other programme in Nanaimo, Canada. The programme is delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition is CAD 529 per semester for local students.
At a glance
Degree:Certificate
Field:Other
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 529 / semester
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Building Service Worker Certificate is an intensive, non-credit program that trains students in the practical cleaning skills and procedures used across institutional, commercial, and hospitality settings. Delivered in-class over four days spanning two weekends, the program totals 28 hours of instruction at either VIU's Cowichan or Nanaimo campus. Coursework covers the chemistry of cleaning agents, antiviral and disinfection procedures, floor care, restroom and shower cleaning, carpet cleaning, and workplace communication and time-management standards, alongside mandatory WHMIS safety training. The short, focused format is designed to move students quickly into entry-level custodial roles in institutions, hotels, offices, and industrial facilities, while also giving current custodial staff a structured way to formalize and upgrade their existing skills. Because the certificate is non-credit and does not require prior experience, it functions as an accessible entry point into building services and facility maintenance work rather than a pathway into a regulated trade.
Application Details
Start Date:September and November
Application Deadline:Domestic (Canadian) applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC; Vancouver Island University sets no institution-wide equal-consideration date, and its admissions FAQ states deadlines vary by programme, with applications for most academic programmes opening 1 October in the year before a September start. VIU publishes no general closing date for that window; applicants are directed to each programme's own page for its own deadline. International applicants use the same portal; VIU publishes no international-specific institution-wide date either, and several health programmes (Practical Nursing, Nursing Unit Assistant) are stated as not currently open to international students. Each programme's own page carries its own Start Date, Deadlines, and Additional Application Details table for the 2026-27 cycle, and admission for programmes without a stated window is treated as ongoing/rolling until the intake fills. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
