Choose the good life. Choose your dream job. Our vibrant waterfront city is connected, entrepreneurial, and the type of place where big ideas blossom into big business. Penticton is the business hub of Okanagan-Similkameen, with more than 3,600 businesses serving 100,000 people throughout the region. Penticton offers something for everyone – and that something is opportunity.
Love Where You Work
Penticton may be known for its beaches and peaches, but around the world, it's also being recognized for its ‘Made in Penticton’ products. This includes everything from award-winning wines to custom wood or metal products, trailers and even manufactured housing. And that means jobs.
Also, with the growth of remote working and decentralized business hubs, more skilled workers and business leaders are choosing Penticton for the lifestyle advantage. More professional services are now relocating here, including marketing agencies, design firms, technology companies and other specialty businesses.
Virtual job boards
- Indeed.com
- Set up job alerts on your LinkedIn.com account
- Classified job listings on Castanet.com
- Local Facebook groups, including the "Hiring Penticton" group
- Register with the local WorkBC Employment Services Centre, which provides information, services, programs and support during your job search
Health & Professional Jobs
- Interior Health careers (medical / health)
- Okanagan College
- Government of Canada
- FortisBC
- School District 67
- City of Penticton
- CRA
Unique Opportunities in Penticton
- Manufacturing, Industrial & Transportation jobs
- Construction jobs
- Health Care & Professional jobs
- Technology jobs
- Agriculture jobs
In Penticton, you’ll find opportunities across industries as diverse as construction, winemaking, custom manufacturing, precision agriculture, tech and tourism. Significant recent upgrades to the Penticton Regional Hospital is attracting educated health care workers to the city (search the Interior Health careers webpage). Other jobs in high demand include the education sector, trades, professional services, retail, manufacturing and viticulture.
Local employers Interior Health and Okanagan College are breaking new ground using state-of-the-art technologies. Industrial manufacturers like Structurlam and Slimline are shipping custom products around the world. Other major employers include the Government of Canada, FortisBC, the School District 67 and the City of Penticton.
Our growing wine and tourism industries are recruiting people with a broad range of technical and customer service skills. Interested in working for the City of Penticton, visit our Career Opportunities page to see what's available.
Penticton is the business hub of B.C.’s Okanagan-Similkameen region, with more than 3,600 businesses serving 100,000 people.
If you’re thinking of starting your own business, or seeking to relocate an existing company, start by reading Penticton's Guide to Business. It provides information to help you get started, including everything from business licences to zoning.
Penticton is attracting some of the country’s brightest entrepreneurs, remote workers, professionals and new businesses. It's a place where big ideas turn into big opportunities. Get connected and find out more!
Open a Business
While we’re known for world-class wineries and deep roots in agriculture, our sectors are diverse and imaginative. Our resilient business economy includes a solid foundation of mature, multi-generational businesses as well as start-ups and newly relocated companies.
If you’re thinking of starting your own business, or seeking to relocate an existing company, start by reading Penticton's Guide to Business. It provides information to help you get started, including everything from business licences to zoning. Hard copies of this magazine can be picked up at City Hall, from the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Penticton Association, SOICS and more.
Are you interested in buying an existing business? Or perhaps you’re an owner looking to sell or lease your business? Here are a few options to get started.
BritishColumbia.ca Opportunities
Search this B.C. government website for businesses for sale. You’ll also find rental listings for office, retail and industrial space. If you’re selling your business, submit your listings so OpportunitiesBC can promote your opportunity worldwide.
Venture Connect
This organization provides guidance to business owners to plan for transition and business retention. List or browse businesses for sale on their website.
The Province of BC has created an online tool to help guide you through the steps for opening and maintaining a restaurant in B.C.
Visit our Start a Business page for easy steps to get your business up-and-running, including information about business licensing.
Looking for information about Penticton's economic drivers, demographics, and infrastructure? Visit the Penticton Business Toolkit, a site dedicated to helping you access ready-to-use local data & intelligence. Also visit our Economic Profile page for relevant information about Penticton.
Here are some other useful resources:
- BC Stats
- DataBC
- Housing: cmhc.ca & omreb.com
- Statistics Canada
- 100 Women Who Care, 100 Men Who Care & the Community Foundation: networking and charitable giving
- Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce
- Two Rotary clubs: Penticton Okanagan Rotary and the Rotary Club of Penticton
- Penticton Women in Business
- Junior Chamber International for young professionals (JCI Penticton): Provides young businesspeople opportunities in leadership, social responsibility, entrepreneurship and fellowship.
- Accelerate Okanagan: mentorship and coaching for tech companies
- South Okanagan Tech Professionals
- Cowork Penticton: shared office space with informal Friday evening networking
- Penticton meetup groups
- Community Futures Okanagan Similkameen: supports entrepreneurs and businesses through loans, support and advisory services
Local Organizations that can Help You Succeed
Accelerate Okanagan
Accelerate Okanagan helps develop and support creative entrepreneurs in the technology community. Based in Kelowna, they are a hub of like-minded, ambitious individuals who seek collaboration through coaching, connections, info sessions and a shared workspace.
Community Futures Okanagan Similkameen
Community Futures offers assistance and a variety of services and tools to help entrepreneurs and small business owners achieve their goals, including business support services, business planning advice, loans and self-employment assistance.
Interior Health
Interior Health is responsible for regulating and monitoring many public facilities and those aspects of the environment that have a direct impact on public health. If you're looking to open a business that serves food or drink, cares for children or the elderly, or is involved with personal care such as tanning, tattooing, or hair, you will need to speak with someone at Interior Health.
Naramata Bench Winery Association
The NBWA represents more than twenty award-winning wineries overlooking Lake Okanagan. Member wineries share marketing costs and benefit from being associated with a positive, established brand that lends their business an immediate level of consumer confidence and recognition.
Okanagan Falls Winery Association
The OFW Association offers the same benefits as the NBWA to another group of premiere wineries just south of Penticton.
Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce
The Penticton Chamber of Commerce is a not for profit, member-based association. Members benefit from networking as well as subsidized products and services (insurance, software, office supplies, gas, advertisements, etc.).
Penticton Industrial Development Association
PIDA represents the interests of industrial businesses in Penticton. They are a sounding board for business owners to address issues and concerns, and they advocate to the City of Penticton to improve the economic climate. To get involved contact Frank Conc of AC Motor Electric.
Start Here Penticton
Be inspired by others who have made the move. Find your people. Get tips to help you settle in. Visit StartHerePenticton.com.
Small Business BC
Small Business BC is British Columbia’s premier resource centre for knowledge-based business development. They have been recognized by several national and international awards.
South Okanagan Immigrant and Community Services (SOICS)
SOICS is a one-stop-shop that works together with immigrants to help them get settled, find careers and learn all they need to know about starting their new lives in Canada—including business services and information about foreign direct investment.
Travel Penticton
Travel Penticton markets our city and operates the Visitor Centre, open to tourists and locals alike. They also promote your event, accommodation or experiential travel business, while attracting major sporting events.
Women’s Enterprise Centre
WEC helps women entrepreneurs to start, purchase or grow a small business. They provide training, business advice, resources and referrals to other services using a supportive, individual and practical approach.
WorkBC
WorkBC Employment Services Centres serve local businesses by providing key labour force information and recruitment services, including free job postings for employers. Our local WorkBC Centre is found at 50 Calgary Avenue, Penticton
Accelerate Okanagan
Accelerate Okanagan helps develop and support creative entrepreneurs in the technology community. Based in Kelowna, they are a hub of like-minded, ambitious individuals who seek collaboration through coaching, connections, info sessions and a shared workspace.
Naramata Bench Winery Association
The NBWA represents more than twenty award-winning wineries overlooking Lake Okanagan. Member wineries share marketing costs and benefit from being associated with a positive, established brand that lends their business an immediate level of consumer confidence and recognition.
Okanagan Falls Winery Association
The OFW Association offers the same benefits as the NBWA to another group of premiere wineries just south of Penticton.
Penticton Industrial Development Association
PIDA represents the interests of industrial businesses in Penticton. They are a sounding board for business owners to address issues and concerns, and they advocate to the City of Penticton to improve the economic climate. To get involved contact Frank Conci of AC Motor Electric.
Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC
Provides safety training and advisory services for manufacturers, food processors, wineries, breweries and distilleries.
Continuing Education and Skills Training
Want to brush up on some additional skills, or perhaps you are considering a complete career change? Penticton has a variety of post-secondary educational opportunities:
- Okanagan College Adult Education, Diploma, Certificate and Degree programs
- Sprott Shaw College Early Childcare Education, Healthcare: Medical Care Aide, LPN
- HNZ Topflight Advanced terrain helicopter pilot training
- BP Aviation Airplane pilot training
- Community Futures Okanagan Similkameen Self-employment and business management workshops
- Penticton School of Hair: 250-493-2747
Visit the following websites for information about subsidies and training opportunities that may be suitable for you.
- Community Futures Okanagan Similkameen
- Government of Canada – Support for Apprentices
- Province of British Columbia – Jobs & Career Training Resources
- Certified International Trade Professional Training
- Federal Government Grants and Contributions
- Service Canada
- Skilled Trades Employment Program (STEP)
- Trades Training BC
- Training Tax Credit
- Work Sharing Program for Employers
- WorkBC
Where to Live
These links may provide inspiration:
- Find a home
- These are the new housing projects being built or planned in Penticton right now
- Move Here webpage (download your 'Just Moved' Checklist)
- View our Penticton is Growing webpage to see which housing developments are in the works
- Learn about the North Gateway development project
