Students in the Okanagan who want to learn a trade are getting a helping hand with more than $367,000 in one-time funding for 88 foundation seats in targeted trades training courses during 2013-14.

Students in northern B.C. who want to learn a trade are getting a helping hand with more than $91,000 in one-time funding for 16 foundation seats in targeted trades training courses during 2013-14.

Students at Camosun College and Vancouver Island University who want to learn a trade are getting a helping hand with close to $500,000 in one-time funding for 130 foundation seats in targeted trades training courses during 2013-14.

Students in the Lower Mainland who want to learn a trade are getting a helping hand with more than $284,000 in one-time funding for 78 foundation seats in targeted trades training courses during 2013-14.

Students in the Kootenays who want to learn a trade are getting a helping hand with more than $65,000 in one-time funding for 16 foundation seats in targeted trades training courses during 2013-14.

Twenty open textbooks will be developed for skills training and technical post-secondary subject areas.

Work is underway to adapt more open textbooks for use by students and instructors in British Columbia with an open call for proposals to begin the second phase of the project.