Exploring exciting career opportunities or delving into labour market information for any region of the province is the focus of three innovative, new online job tools being introduced by the provincial government today as part of 'Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan'.

The initial launch of the three job tools will allow a broad range of B.C. residents - from school children and teens to job-seekers, employers and researchers in all sectors of the economy - to test the programs. The tools are part of the BC Jobs Plan commitment to better inform British Columbians about employment opportunities in the areas where they live.

BC Job Trend Tracker is a web-based research tool used to access accurate, timely forecast information on regional and provincial labour market needs. The application provides online access to labour market information such as regional job demand, labour supply, and employment rates, as well as extensive information on more than 500 careers in B.C. for the 2010-20 time period.

The Build-a-Career Smartphone app provides career information for over 500 occupations in British Columbia. The app includes a career suitability quiz, offers career information for jobs in regions throughout B.C and highlights high-demand occupations.

Quiz results can be shared via email or social media sites such as FaceBook, and a map function helps users locate local career employment services. The app is available for Android, iPhone and Blackberry Smartphones and in web and iPad versions.

Career Explorers is an educational, jobs-related 3-D online board game that allows younger British Columbians (aged 8 to 12 years) to explore the many fascinating jobs held by workers in every region of B.C. Supported in both Windows and Mac OS environments, it offers a fun and interactive way to introduce children to a broad range of occupations while they "travel" the province, using an engaging learning tool.

Development of the three online job tools was funded through the federal Research and Innovation Support Measure of the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement.

Over the next decade, British Columbia is projected to have over one million job openings. A new wave of economic growth stimulated by the BC Jobs Plan will further increase the number of jobs. The BC Jobs Plan will ensure the over $500 million provided annually for labour market and training programs is targeted to meeting regional and industry labour market needs.

To find out more about BC Jobs Plan, go to: www.bcjobsplan.ca and click on the "Job Seekers" button for more information about the career tools.

For a video of a grades 4 and 5 class and their principal at South Park Family school in Victoria as they check out the Career Explorers game, visit: http://youtu.be/ezybsCtXPeM