Episode #83: "250 Students in One Year: Filling Canada’s Mental Health Skills Gap with Dylan Matter” with Dylan Matter

What does it actually take to change a family’s trajectory? In this episode of EdUp Canada, host Michael Sangster sits down with Dylan Matter, Chief Operating Officer of Cambria College in British Columbia — a leader with 18 years in the career college sector who has quietly become one of its most respected voices.

Dylan opens up about his unlikely entry into education (hint: it started behind a coffee bar), what it means to watch a first-generation graduate walk across a stage surrounded by 15 proud family members, and how Cambria trained 250 mental health support workers in a single year — not because the government asked, but because the community needed it.

Together, Dylan and Michael dig into the layers of regulation most people never see, why the location of a career college in a strip mall or above a restaurant is a deliberate strategy — not a compromise — and what it really means when a school’s survival depends entirely on whether its graduates find jobs. This is an honest, grounded conversation about what skills training looks like from the inside.[00:02:00] — From lattes to leadership Dylan’s unlikely origin story — how a Starbucks regular changed the direction of his career.

[00:04:00] — 15 guests at graduation What it really means when a first-generation family fills the seats — and why it hits differently than a university convocation.

[00:08:00] — 250 students, 15 cohorts, one year The mental health support worker program that grew with unexpected momentum and what it reveals about community-driven skills demand.

[00:11:00] — “Our survival is based on your success” The outcomes-first accountability model at the heart of career college education — in Dylan’s own words.

[00:12:00] — More regulated than you think The layers of oversight behind a single program: provincial approval, industry accreditation, practicum agreements with health authorities.

[00:16:00] — Why being above a Cactus Club is a strategy The case for accessible, community-embedded campuses — and why the ‘impulse visit’ student is exactly who they’re designed to serve.

[00:20:00] — “Make people your cheerleaders” The graduation speech advice Dylan has given for 15 years — and the story of how his last three jobs all came through referral.

[00:26:00] — The receptionist is the heart Who really holds a career college together — and why the front desk may be the most important role in the building.

⁠Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/eRxaNez2XnB ⁠

⁠Listen to past episodes here: www.edupcanada.ca‍ ‍