WelcomeBC's online resources helped approximately one million clients last year - a 63 per cent increase in visits over the previous year. WelcomeBC is one of the most-visited provincial government websites.

The increase is due to the rising popularity of all of the products affiliated with WelcomeBC: WelcomeBC.ca and its mobile offering, Ask the Expert, five foreign-language gateways and social media offerings including WelcomeBC's YouTube channel.

WelcomeBC.ca is gaining a great deal of attention with its recent launch of 43 occupational guides, designed to help newcomers find employment that uses their training, skills and experience. The guides provide information to help users review their skills, English language abilities, education and work experience. Immigrants can use them to plan and start their careers before they come to B.C., and accelerate their integration into the labour market once they arrive.

Newcomers can also access the 2012 British Columbia Newcomers' Guide to Resources and Services on the website. The guide has been updated with new content and is available in 11 languages. Newcomers can use the publication to learn about important topics they will need to action during their first few months in the province, including finding a place to live, money and banking, accessing health care, enrolling kids in school, and getting a driver's licence.

This year's Newcomers' Guide includes quick response (QR) codes, allowing users to view multilingual videos related to different chapters of the guide with their mobile device.

WelcomeBC is funded under the Canada-BC Immigration Agreement.

WelcomeBC websites:

WelcomeBC: www.welcomebc.ca

WelcomeBC mobile site: m.welcomebc.ca

Ask the Expert: http://asktheexpert.welcomebc.ca/

Microsites:

French: http://immigration.welcomebc.ca/canada_fr/index.page

Simplified Chinese: http://immigration.welcomebc.ca/canada_cn/index.page

Korean: http://immigration.welcomebc.ca/canada_kr/index.page

Spanish: http://immigration.welcomebc.ca/canada_mx/index.page

Punjabi: http://immigration.welcomebc.ca/canada_in/index.page

Learn More:

• Occupational Guides: http://www.welcomebc.ca/wbc/immigration/work/occupational_guides.page
• 2012 Newcomers' Guide: www.welcomebc.ca/guide
• WelcomeBC's mobile website now accounts for four per cent of all WelcomeBC web traffic-and it is growing, in part, due to an increased reliance on smart phones and other devices to access the web.
• The Newcomers' Guide video series increases the accessibility of important settlement information written for the Newcomers' Guide, making it easier for visual learners and people with low literacy skills.
• Ask the Expert provides clients with an opportunity to contact WelcomeBC with questions about living, working or studying in British Columbia.

Contact:

Media Relations
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation
250 356-7104