News

(VICTORIA, BC) March 22, 2013 | BC Colleges applauds the Federal Government’s support of college education and training in Canada demonstrated in the recent 2013 budget announcement. The programs announced yesterday will help our colleges provide the relevant and innovative education necessary to produce the job-ready graduates needed to mitigate the pending skills gap in BC.

The establishment of the Canada Job Grant is a step in the right direction and will begin to address the growing need for highly skilled workers in BC. Our 11 public colleges look forward to working with Government, industry and employer associations to develop the program and deliver the training necessary to power our economy.

As the most accessible pathway to post-secondary education in BC, our colleges are also pleased to see the Federal support of skills training opportunities for Canadians with disabilities through the introduction of a new generation of Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities to be introduced by 2014.

“The Federal budget presents opportunities for our province to build college education and training capacity to effectively respond to some of the major labour market challenges facing BC” says BC Colleges president, Jim Reed. “The federal budget announcements are welcome news. It is good to see colleges recognized for the critical role they play in addressing the country’s labour market challenges. We are hopeful that the BC Government will find ways to further invest in colleges to ensure we can fully realize partnership opportunities with the Federal Government” adds Reed.

• $12 million annually for the College and Community Innovation Program (CCIP) starting in 2013–14, increasing its budget to $50 million per year. A similar program is required in BC to ensure Federal innovation funds are accessible to BC’s colleges and their industry partners


• The reallocation of $4 million over three years to work with provinces and territories to harmonize requirements for apprentices, and examine the use of practical tests as a method of assessment, in targeted skilled trades. This work will ensure more apprentices complete their training and encourage mobility.


• A new First Nations Job Fund, of $109 million over five years, will fund the provision of personalized job training to young recipients of the On-reserve Income Assistance Program.


• $132 million over five years will be provided to First Nations communities to create the service delivery infrastructure necessary, including counseling support, to effectively support and ensure compliance among on-reserve Income Assistance recipients.


• $19 million over two years to inform young people about fields of study where there is high demand from employers, including in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the skilled trades.
  

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  BC Colleges is a consortium representing BC’s 11 public, community colleges serving almost 200,000 students annually with campuses in over 60 communities throughout British Columbia. BC’s colleges offer a comprehensive range of programs from university studies and baccalaureate degrees to career, technical and trades education. All of BC’s colleges offer programs that are designed to be accessible, affordable and responsive to the evolving needs of BC communities and industry. For more information, visit our website.

  
  Contact:
  President, BC Colleges
  Jim Reed – jimreed@bccolleges.ca, 250-595-4866
  Media Contacts:
  Alix Cameron, Red CAB Communications, Alix@Redcab.ca, 604-839-2770
  Cindy Ball, Red CAB Communications, Cindy@RedCab.ca,  604-828-8050