Employment opportunities in the mining sector are expected to grow over the next decade, with more than 10,000 job openings expected by 2020. The industry will need skilled workers in several key occupations, including machinery and transportation equipment mechanics, primary production workers and vehicle drivers.

In 2011, the B.C. forest sector employed more than 53,000 workers. In addition to new jobs, as many as 25,000 job openings are expected across the sector over the next decade as existing workers retire.

British Columbia's International Trade and Investment Representatives are hitting the road to continue their tour of communities and regions throughout the province.

The B.C. government has created over 3,000 seats for skills training in colleges and universities throughout the province with an $18.7-million investment.

Several media reports in recent days have focused on temporary foreign workers hired to do work for Canada Dehua, a company that is undertaking coal exploration activities at two sites in northeastern British Columbia. The following facts have been absent from much of this reporting:

A multi-storey wood building is closer to becoming a reality, as three qualified teams have been shortlisted to participate in the Request for Proposals (RFP) phase of the competition to design and build the Wood Innovation and Design Centre (WIDC).