Thirty years after they were paddled through Vancouver’s False Creek as part of Expo 86, nine Chinese teak dragon boats will be restored by four people gaining work experience in Salmon Arm through a Job Creation Partnership with the Province of British Columbia.

After just four years in operation, WorkBC Employment Services Centres have helped put more than 77,000 British Columbians back to work.

South Okanagan business leaders gathered in Penticton to share ideas on how to attract and retain workers at a summit where the findings of a regional labour market strategy were released to the community.

To create equity in the system the Province is investing $170 million over the next three years to ensure about 100,000 people on disability assistance in B.C. will receive a rate increase of up to $77 a month as of Sept. 1, 2016.

The Baker Creek Enhancement Society is increasing awareness of the importance of Cariboo Chilcotin shorelines and providing one person with work experience, thanks to more than $11,000 in provincial funding.

Government is investing more than $3 million in five research projects to find new and innovative ways to help unemployed British Columbians find a meaningful job.

Nanwakolas Council Society will soon have a labour market study that will provide a blueprint so its member First Nations can play a bigger role in B.C.’s diverse, growing and strong economy.

More than 1,300 single parents on income and disability assistance are participating in the provincial government’s Single Parent Employment Initiative launched on Sept. 1.

Up to 30 local people are getting classroom training and work experience as in-demand office administrative assistant workers, as a result of nearly $250,000 in provincial funding for Vancouver Community College.

Sicamous and surrounding communities are ready to turn employment data into action to encourage local economic development after participating in a government-funded labour market study with Community Futures Shuswap.