More than 1,700 students throughout British Columbia will get skills training thanks to $10 million provided to 16 B.C. public post-secondary institutions in April 2012 to prepare workers for jobs in their regions.

Aboriginal learners in British Columbia's Penticton region will have more opportunities to develop in-demand job skills thanks to an expansion of the Aboriginal Training for Employment Program (ATEP).

Students at Thompson Rivers University will benefit from improved and upgraded campus facilities, thanks to $887,000 in capital funding that is part of government's investment in B.C.'s post-secondary infrastructure this year.

Study time for water engineering technology student Dave Swityk could mean hitting the books on campus at Okanagan College. Or it could mean a day on the job taking groundwater samples or stream gauging, or perhaps core logging at a mine site in northern British Columbia.

From a welder working at an industrial manufacturing plant to a craftsperson who has perfected a new wood design, British Columbia's future is fuelled by the talent, experience and hard work of skilled individuals throughout the province.

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.

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