Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour Shirley Bond has issued the following statement in honour of Labour Day:

"Many people believe the September long weekend is merely about the end of summer and the start of a new school year, but it is so much more than that. The celebration of Labour Day gives us an opportunity to thank the men and women who built the British Columbia we love and are proud to call home.

"The work environments we take for granted today are the result of decades of hard work by the labour movement and past governments. We will continue to work with employees, employers and unions to improve worker safety and protect worker rights.

"Labour Day is also an opportunity to reflect on our own work, the choices we have made and the goals we have. And it is the perfect time to look at what lies ahead for our province: we have unprecedented opportunities before us, and with those opportunities come tremendous challenges such as growing our skilled workforce to meet the large demands ahead in industries like liquefied natural gas.

"That's why it's critical for our government to help connect people with jobs and jobs with people - something we're doing through the BC Jobs Plan and the Skills and Training Plan. We are making significant investments to ensure British Columbians have the right skills, in the right place, at the right time.

"Our goal is to move our province forward by creating opportunities that support families and build communities. We intend to do that by actively engaging with workers, employers, unions, First Nations and educational institutions.

"This Labour Day, I want to express my gratitude for all the work that the people of B.C. do, each and every day of their working lives. However you spend this long weekend, I hope you can take the time to reflect on how fortunate we all are to work in British Columbia in 2013 - and I encourage you to think about the challenges and opportunities ahead.

"Working together, I know we can build on our proud legacy and make British Columbia an even better, more prosperous place."

Watch Bond's video statement: http://youtu.be/rUX6zSpIRXM

Listen to Bond's audio statement: http://snd.sc/1ci5cV0

Learn more about the BC Jobs Plan and the Skills and Training Plan: http://www.bcjobsplan.ca/

Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour
250 387-2799