The B.C. government has followed through on its commitment to ban mandatory high heels in the workplace.

More than 7,000 British Columbians will be trained by this fall through a wide range of skilled-trades and employment training projects throughout the province, thanks to $45.4 million from the provincial and federal governments in 2016/17.

The Province is providing $480,600 as part of a Sector Labour Market Partnership project with the Association of BC Marine Industries (ABCMI) to conduct an assessment of the labour force in B.C.’s industrial marine sector.

The Province is providing $253,500 as part of a Sector Labour Market Partnership project with the Quadrant Marine Institute aimed at identifying and assessing the obstacles associated with apprenticeship training in B.C.’s recreational-marine industry.

Skilled trades students in B.C.’s rural regions will benefit from the majority of funding from a three-year, $15-million investment by the provincial government with the purchase of new trades training equipment to support youth trades programs.

Skilled trades students in three capital region school districts will benefit from a three-year, $15-million investment by the B.C. government to support youth trades programs with the purchase of new trades training equipment.

The Province of British Columbia will allocate $1 million, through the Canada-B.C. Job Grant (CJG) program, to help employees upgrade their skills for jobs in rural communities

The government intends to amend the Workers Compensation Act to establish a new policy requiring WorkSafeBC to return funds to employers when it has a surplus of contributions from employers in the Accident Fund.

The Province has established a cross-ministry working group to ensure that British Columbians are adequately protected from the dangers of asbestos.    

In the first month of 2017, international visitor arrival numbers continue to show positive signs of growth for the booming tourism sector in British Columbia.