The Province is helping employees gain the essential skills they need to succeed while increasing productivity for employers through a $1.5-million investment in essential skills training.

From Vancouver Island to Haida Gwaii, adult learners throughout the province will get help to improve their literacy and numeracy skills, thanks to projects funded through the Community Adult Literacy Program.

British Columbians who want to work in high-demand jobs in the health-care sector have more opportunities to get the training they need, thanks to continued investments in health education at public post-secondary institutions.

Future health professionals in the Bulkley Valley will benefit from additional student spaces in the health-care assistant training program at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT).

Through the Ministry of Advanced Education's Nurses Education Bursary, 190 students in nursing programs across British Columbia will receive a total of $380,000 in bursaries this fall.

Employers and students in northern B.C. will benefit from the expansion of trades and technology training centres at the College of New Caledonia's Prince George and Quesnel campuses, helping to meet the demand for skilled workers in B.C.

Premier Christy Clark announced today two British Columbians who will chair the BC Jobs and Investment Board and the Aboriginal Business and Investment Council.