Regional employment statistics:

• 31,170 job openings are expected in the Kootenay region to 2020; 27% of these (8,500) are expected to be newly created jobs.

The Province approved a major expansion of the Elkview Coal Mine, near Sparwood.

The Province has reached agreements with First Nations to provide certainty for investors and more opportunities for Aboriginal communities and families. This includes a Ktunaxa Economic Community Development Agreement that creates certainty for the Elk Valley coal project.

A regional workforce table (RWT) has been established for the Kootenay region. Its key deliverable is to produce a regional skills training plan by spring 2013. The RWT had its first meeting in November 2012 and is currently meeting with key stakeholders to gather input into the plan.

As part of the $17-million province-wide Skills and Training Plan investment to support public post-secondary institutions to upgrade equipment, the Province invested more than $787,000 in new skills training equipment at Selkirk College and over $1 million to the College of the Rockies, including funding for  mining truck haul simulators.

In 2012, the College of the Rockies signed a 5-year, $1.6 million agreement with the Canadian International Development Agency in 2012 to implement a maternal and newborn health project in Kenya.

• This project - called MAISHA - will be focused on leveraging the college's international experience, faculty knowledge, and institutional partnerships to train health workers, improve health management systems, and conduct extensive community outreach and educational activities.
• Since official project launch in late 2012, the college has sent several teams to Kenya who have conducted extensive project planning with local partners and government ministries, ensuring the project is integrated into broader Kenyan government initiatives and maximizes sustainability.
• The college is planning to send several dedicated project teams to Kenya in 2013, comprised of faculty, staff, and health professionals from the East Kootenay region.

British Columbia's trade and investment representatives from key international markets have made a series of visits and tours throughout the province.

• These road shows allow the international representatives, who are based in priority markets throughout Asia, Europe and the United States, to build partnerships and relationships with B.C. businesses and communities in key regions and sectors, including natural gas, mining, biomass and technology.
• The autumn 2012 road show visited the Kootenays from Oct. 22 to Oct. 24. Communities included Cranbrook, Creston, Kimberly, Sparwood, Fernie and Trail, with a focus on tourism, agrifood, bio-energy and mining.

A series of workshops for local leaders have been tailor-made to provide participants with training related to a full range of economic development activities in their communities, including attracting investment and supporting new and existing ventures.

• The workshops are designed for elected local government and First Nation officials and their staff.
• In the Kootenay region, local leaders workshops - facilitated by the Economic Development Association of B.C. - are scheduled for Kimberley, Castlegar and Revelstoke in March-April of 2013.

Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training
250 387-2799