Trades students will benefit from a new investment of $2.3 million for BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) to purchase industry-standard trades training equipment, as part of B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint.

“New trades training equipment at BCIT ensures students train on the same types of equipment used on jobsites throughout B.C,” said Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson. “This training will help students graduate ready to take advantage of opportunities in sectors, including LNG, and shipbuilding and repair that support our diverse, strong and growing economy.”

BCIT intends to purchase equipment such as welders, a power feed drilling machine and a hydraulic shear.

"This investment in training equipment for trades means current and future BCIT trades students will be at the front of the hiring line,” said Burnaby North MLA Richard T. Lee.

Government is investing $185 million over three years in new trades training equipment and facilities throughout B.C. to support students entering in-demand sectors including LNG, shipbuilding and ship repairs, and construction.

Earlier this year government announced $5 million for 14 institutions to purchase new equipment as well as $13 million to reduce wait lists in high-demand trades programs, creating 2,917 additional seats at public post-secondary institutions. As part of B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, BCIT has received over $20 million to support trades training students.

“This funding for trades training equipment will support students entering in-demand sectors throughout the province,” said BCIT president Kathy Kinloch. “Our students will be able to train on industry-current equipment, allowing them to hit the ground running once they reach the jobsite.”

Consultations with institutions, the Industry Training Authority, as well as current labour market data, inform decisions for funding.

Quick facts:

• B.C.’s Blueprint outlines how the Province is re-engineering the education system - from kindergarten through to post-secondary training and beyond - to make sure education and training aligns with B.C. jobs.
• By 2022, B.C. is expected to have one million job openings - more than 78% of jobs will require some form of post-secondary education.
• Approximately 13% of the one million projected job openings to 2022 are for in-demand trade occupations in B.C.

Learn more:

B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: www.workbc.ca/skills

B.C.’s 2022 Labour Market Outlook: http://ow.ly/DOw6R

$6.1 million for 1,429 additional critical-trades seats in 2015-16: http://ow.ly/OeLxh

Media Contacts:

Richelle D. Funk
Ministry of Advanced Education
250 356-7876

Jocelyne Leszczynski
BC Institute of Technology
604 250-9251

(flickr.com)

BACKGROUNDER

Funding training equipment to support trades programs

The 18 eligible trades training programs, in the top 60 list of in-demand occupations, delivered by public post-secondary institutions in B.C. are:

Carpenters
Chefs/cooks/bakers 
Concrete finishers
Construction craft workers
Crane operators
Electricians
Gas fitters
Heavy equipment operators
Heavy mechanical trades
Insulators
Iron workers
Machinists
Millwrights
Plumbers
Power engineers
Sheet metal workers
Steam/Pipefitters and Sprinkler System Installers
Welders

Media Contacts:

Richelle D. Funk
Ministry of Advanced Education
250 356-7876

Jocelyne Leszczynski
BC Institute of Technology
604 250-9251