Applied Business Technology students use skills to help local businesses

Released: January 19, 2023 | Last Updated: January 27, 2023

Story | School of Business, Centre for Sport and Exercise Education

Students taking ABT 270, Maintaining Online Presence, have the opportunity to work with a real client over the duration of the term to analyse their online presence and present solutions.

A laptop screen displays the Callie Swan's web design project

Bachelor of Sport Management student Callie Swan worked with MelRad Coaching, a local fitness training business to improve their online presence with skills learned in ABT 270.

For Bachelor of Sport Management student Callie Swan, the project was the perfect opportunity to use her contacts in the local fitness community to find a project that combined her passion and skills. Swan partnered with Melanie McQuaid of MelRad Coaching to learn more about her small business and ultimately design a new website for her brand. “It was great to have a younger person’s insight and expertise to decide what is or isn’t important in terms of both the design of the site and the content,” says McQuaid.

After first meeting in 2016, Swan and McQuaid stayed connected through their shared love of cycling, but their conversations eventually led to how McQuaid’s coaching business could be more effective with the right type of online presence. Swan’s background in fitness, amplified by the digital and communications skills she was learning at Camosun, made the partnership an easy decision. “It was fun and useful to see the project from a different perspective, and it was great to be able to add more context and ideas for Callie to learn from,” said McQuaid, whose newly-designed website can be found .

As a portion of the course, Swan honed her web and graphic design skills, developing marketing strategies to guide potential clients through different options and services. Feedback from Callie’s Instructor, Julia Grav, and classmates allowed Swan to create a website with a simplified viewing experience and easy to access information.

“It was great to have a younger person’s insight and expertise to decide what is or isn’t important in terms of both the design of the site and the content,”
- Melanie McQuaid of MelRad Coaching

Having received positive feedback from McQuaid, Swan is looking forward to continuing with the plan to bring more ideas into action. “Working with a real client made the project so much more relatable and engaging,” says Swan, whose interest in learning applied skills brought her to the program. “I would absolutely recommend other students to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Camosun’s Applied Business Technology courses offer a wide-range of programs to provide in-demand, technical and management training for work in the modern business. To learn more about what courses are offered and where a Camosun education could bring your career, click here.