A new partnership is assisting community forests and small woodlot licence holders in the Kaslo area to identify new business opportunities.

Business leaders from India and British Columbia will meet to discuss trade and investment opportunities at the BC-India Global Business Forum on Tuesday, March 12, 2013, at the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre.

Despite the slight decline in employment, mainly in part-time positions, British Columbia's economy remains stable. The province continues to attract investment in spite of continued volatility in global markets.

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: