Aboriginal students at 14 public colleges and universities throughout British Columbia will benefit from a range of new and expanded programs to support them during their studies.

Aboriginal students at the College of the Rockies and Selkirk College will benefit from a range of new and expanded programs as the result of receiving $75,000 in one-time funding.

Northern Lights College (NLC) will receive $150,000 to support training for workers affected by the temporary decreased production at the Chetwynd Mechanical Pulp Mill.

The official opening of the Aboriginal Gathering Place at the New Westminster campus of the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) marks the completion of 31 Aboriginal gathering places at all of the public post-secondary institutions in the province.

The B.C. government has awarded the University of British Columbia (UBC) more than $27 million through the BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF) for 40 research infrastructure projects in areas of healthcare, astrophysics, clean technology and agriculture.

An additional 96 trades seats will give Vancouver Island University (VIU) students access to training in a variety of in-demand occupations in a range of sectors that support the provincial economy.

As part of a commitment to increase the number of Aboriginal faculty members in the public post-secondary education sector, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) will offer a master of education program jointly with the University of British Columbia.

The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is receiving $103,400 toward the purchase of simulation mannequins that will give health-care students, including nurses, the hands-on experience they need to be prepared for the workplace.

Co-op students at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) will benefit from $75,000 in one-time funding, part of a $1.3-million announcement to 16 public post-secondary institutions following the launch of Co-op Week celebrations.