Willis College Unites with CBBC Career College in New East Coast Expansion

For 160 years, Willis College has been a proud pioneer in career-focused training for Canada’s workforce. Today, we are thrilled to announce a major milestone in our history: effective August 1st, 2026, Willis College is officially expanding its physical footprint into Atlantic Canada through the unification of our sister institution, CBBC Career College.

This exciting transition brings three new campus locations—in Dartmouth, Halifax, and Sydney, Nova Scotia—into the Willis College family, creating a robust educational network that expands our program offerings in critical fields like healthcare and education.

Uniting Resources, Expanding Opportunities

Both Willis College and CBBC Career College have long shared a close bond as sister institutions operating under the same ownership. Bringing both schools under the historic Willis College banner is a natural evolution that allows us to pool our resources, streamline our operations, and deliver an enhanced educational experience for all of our students nationwide. The unified college will continue to be led by Henry Devlin, Co-Owner, CEO, and President of both institutions.

Welcoming a Proud East Coast Legacy

By welcoming the Nova Scotia campuses into the Willis family, we are integrating a rich, 68-year history of educational excellence on the East Coast. Founded on Cape Breton Island in 1958, CBBC has helped over 25,000 alumni secure successful careers through a journey of constant community-driven growth:

• 1958 – Founded as a premier secretarial and business training hub in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
• 1992–2010 – Expanded significantly into healthcare and beauty, adding ten new programs—including nationally accredited Dental Assisting and Pharmacy Technician diplomas—and establishing premier cosmetology and aesthetics training facilities.
• 2012 – Rebranded to CBBC Career College to reflect its massive growth beyond business programs and its expansion into the Halifax and Dartmouth regions, including the flagship Regency Training Salon.
• 2018–Present – Under Henry Devlin’s leadership, the college specifically aligned its curriculum to fill provincial skills gaps in critical areas such as healthcare and early childhood education.

Growing Our Programs: Healthcare, Education, and Beauty

This expansion significantly strengthens the Willis College portfolio. By integrating CBBC’s long-standing excellence in specialized fields, we are expanding our collective program offerings to better serve Canada’s evolving job market:

• Advanced Healthcare & Early Childhood Education: Merging our resources allows us to offer an even more robust catalog of heavily requested healthcare, dental, and early childhood education disciplines to a wider student base.
• Expanding into Cosmetology and Aesthetics: This unification brings top-tier cosmetology, hairstyling, and aesthetics training under the Willis College banner, supported by the established, student-led training salons on the East Coast.
• National Pioneering Spirit: Our new East Coast campuses will now be backed by Willis College’s renowned legacy as a pioneer in cybersecurity training, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) training, and Veteran support.

What This Means for the Willis Community

For our existing students and faculty in Ontario and online, our day-to-day operations remain unchanged, but our community just got a lot bigger. This unification unlocks a wider network of alumni, stronger national employer partnerships, and a shared digital infrastructure that enhances our premier online and blended learning delivery models across the country.

Furthermore, all graduates across our expanded network will enjoy the benefits of our signature Lifelong Learning Program, granting them exclusive access to skills upgrading and continuing education throughout their entire careers.

“This is an incredible step forward for Willis College as we celebrate 160 years of training Canadians,” says Henry Devlin, President and CEO. “By uniting these two exceptional institutions, we are blending a massive national legacy with an unwavering commitment to local communities. Whether our students are in Ontario, Nova Scotia, or learning online, we are giving them the absolute best tools to succeed.”

We look forward to officially welcoming our East Coast faculty, students, and alumni to the Willis College family on August 1st!

Want to learn more about our expanded programs or campus locations? Contact us at info@williscollege.com.