Premier wants more people in skilled trades
Posted September 19, 2012 6:42 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The premier wants more students and British Columbians to learn a skilled trade and is shifting taxpayer money around to try to get more of you enrolled.
Standing amongst stripped-down jet engines and aircraft students at the BCIT Aerospace hangar in Richmond, Christy Clark unveiled the latest step in her government’s jobs plan, dubbed the Skills and Training Plan.
“Our goal is to grow the number of people who choose trades in high school and provide them with coaching support to make sure that they complete their education,” she explains.
Clark says $75 million will be moved from various ministries into upgrading training facilities and equipment and make sure technical education teachers are available to teach students.
“Starting next year we’ll offer student financial aid support to encourage students to pick up the trades and technical skills where there is a noted demand.”
Clark notes BC is projected to have up to one million new jobs by 2020 and nearly half will need to be filled by skilled technical trade workers.
“So that includes aircraft mechanics, pipe fitters, welders, carpenters, all of those different areas of skill. But on the other side, the other 57 per cent, there are lawyers, financial services folks, accountants — that service sector that’s particularly based here in the Lower Mainland, will really benefit as well because people need to put those deals together,” adds Clark.
The premier is also appealing for British Columbians who left the province for work elsewhere in Canada to return.
“Come home to our province. Find that job here, it’s waiting for you. We need your skills.”
The plan comes a day after NDP leader Adrian Dix told the Vancouver Board of Trade his top priority is education and skills training and wants to bring back non-refundable needs-based student grants, paid for with a bank tax.
