By Shirley Bond
Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour.

Part of our province's success has been our ability to introduce three consecutive balanced budgets -- and this year we will likely be the only province in Canada to do so.

One of the main priorities in Budget 2015 is to support skills training to help our youth gain high paying, in-demand jobs.

We want to ensure our trades training system is responsive to what employers need -- and to connect people with the training they need to qualify for these jobs.

While B.C.'s economy is growing, we are also facing a tipping point.

By 2022, there will be one million job openings in B.C. from a combination of retirees exiting the workforce and from increased economic growth.

About 44 per cent of these job openings are in-demand careers in the skilled trades and technical occupations.

The fact is that there are not enough young workers enrolled in trades training to meet future demands -- across all sectors throughout the province.

A recent survey showed that 59 per cent of young adults in this province simply don't know how to get started. They don't have the right information on what it's like to work in skilled trades and technical positions. They know it's a good paycheque but they also think there are few long-term prospects.

We know that's not true.

Learning a skilled trade is a valuable chance at a long-term rewarding career in construction, the resource sector or technical occupations -- with room to move up, or start your own business.

We need our youth to enrol in trades training, and we have a plan to help them.

That is why we launched B.C.'s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, our plan to re-engineer the education system, providing a seamless path from the classroom to the workplace -- from learning to earning.

We have developed several new online tools, such as My Blueprint Builder, Career Compass and Apprentice Job Match that are available for you to explore on workBC.ca.

There is also financial help available.

Did you know that over the course of a four-year apprenticeship program, eligible students may receive up to $44,600 in financial support from the federal and provincial governments? Students with dependents can receive even more.

For example, a student supporting a partner and two children may be eligible for up to $55,700 to help them get the skills they need to build their careers.

When you look at the high lifetime earnings that come with these careers, it's clear that skilled trades and technical occupations can support families, help build communities and help keep B.C. strong.

We know the better prepared British Columbians are the more successful they will be in finding meaningful jobs and careers.

Career planning information is just a click away.

Visit workBC.ca today to find a job, explore careers, find training and funding opportunities, use our online career tools and find your fit in our diverse, strong and growing economy.