From vineyard managers to viticulture technicians, B.C.'s growing wine and grape industry will need more skilled workers.

That is why the B.C. Government is funding a new project aimed at helping to ensure the province's grape and wine industry has the skilled workers it needs in the future.

According to the British Columbia Wine Institute - whose members produce some of B.C.'s finest wines and wine grapes - a steady stream of skilled labour will be needed to guarantee continued success in the highly competitive domestic and international markets.

As part of its Labour Market Partnerships Program, the government is providing HortEducation BC and its wine and grape industry partners with $140,000 to study ways to meet the ever-increasing demand for skilled labour in B.C.'s grape and wine sectors.

The goal of the project is the development of a comprehensive human resources strategy for the sector. It will also identify industry-specific training needs to ensure workers with the right skills are available, and in the future, trained here in B.C. The study is the first of its type in British Columbia to determine future skilled labour needs for the wine and grape sectors.

Funding for the study project is being provided through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement.

Quick Facts:

• B.C. is home to approximately 200 wineries and 700 vineyards that produce more than 60 grape varietals.
• More than 17,400 tonnes of B.C. grapes were harvested in 2010, second only to Ontario in terms of Canadian production volume.
• Grapes ranked 16th in the top 25 B.C. agricultural commodity sales list for 2010.
• There are five wine regions in B.C.: the Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

Learn More:

HortEducationBC: www.horteducationbc.com/

British Columbia Wine Institute: www.winebc.com

B.C. Labour Market Partnerships Program: http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/labour_market_partnerships/welcome.htm

Contacts:

Marc Black
Communications Manager
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation
250 889-1295

Anne Kadwell, CEO
HortEducationBC
604 575-3239
604 574-7773 (Fax)
Email: info@horteducationbc.com