Members of the public are invited to join the Industry Training Authority (ITA) in a community dialogue entitled "Trades Training and Careers on Vancouver Island. What needs to be done?" tomorrow night at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo.

The evening discussion will include topics such as identifying and addressing the challenges to accessing trades training and careers on Vancouver Island, encouraging more youth to consider a career in the trades, and encouraging more employers to invest in training and hiring of apprentices.

This dialogue, the second in a series of three, follows one held in Dawson Creek in the fall of 2012, with the third event to be held on March 12, 2013, at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops.

The ITA will be recognizing employers committed to trades training through four regional employer recognition events. The events will also encourage more employers to invest in training and hiring of apprentices from post-secondary trades training programs. The by-invite events will be held as follows:

• Terrace - Jan. 24, 2013

• Fort St. John - Feb. 12, 2013

• Kelowna - March 26, 2013

• Victoria - April 8, 2013

In addition to these events, the ITA is also hosting webinars, or online workshops, to help those looking to hire apprentices on how to find, hire and manage apprentices. The webinar sessions are as follows:

• Feb. 19, 2013, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.

• Feb. 27, 2013, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Registration for the webinars begins on Jan. 21, 2013, on the ITA's website at: http://www.itabc.ca/

Announced this past fall, the Ministry of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology is investing $1.2 million to encourage students to pursue a future in skilled trades and support the ITA in engaging employers and increasing their participation in training and hiring of apprentices from post-secondary trades training programs. The series of funded programs will benefit students, apprentices, instructors and employers in a range of occupations through programs developed by Trades Training Consortium B.C., Skills Canada BC and the ITA.

The ITA works with employers, employees, industry, labour, training providers and government to manage apprenticeships, set program standards and increase opportunities in the trades.

Quotes:

Minister of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology John Yap -

"As part of our Skills and Training Plan, we want to encourage more and more young people to consider careers in the trades."

"Hearing from British Columbians-as students, parents, instructors or employers-is key to helping address our next challenge of ensuring we are matching skills to jobs and jobs to skills. That way we know we have the right mix of workers, in the right regions, at the right time."

Industry Training Authority chief executive officer Kevin Evans -

"The community dialogues and employer recognition events are an opportunity for ITA to hear what needs to be done to make sure B.C.'s apprenticeship and trades training system is ready for the skills shortages that are coming at us."

"With two-way conversations at these events, employers, apprentices, training providers, parents and career-seekers have a chance to hear why the perception of trades careers is changing and the opportunities have never been greater."

Learn More:

To learn more about the community dialogues and employer engagement events, visit: http://itabc.ca/latest-news/events

Media Contacts:

Dan Gilmore
Communications Manager
Ministry of Advanced Education, Innovation and Technology
250 952-6400
Dan.Gilmore@gov.bc.ca

Susan Kirk
Director of Communications
Industry Training Authority
604 307-2122
skirk@itabc.ca