Building on the momentum from a recent enhanced construction craft worker pilot program, the College of New Caledonia is providing additional training to students who completed the pilot at the college’s Fort St. James campus.

Based on individual student needs, this could include upgrading for further training, employment coaching or assistance to register for a foundation trades program.

“New short-term programming that is giving students job-ready skills is welcome news for Fort St. James,” said Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad on behalf of Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson. “Our government is working to ensure education and training is aligned with in-demand occupations that are critical to our economy.”

Construction craft workers are mostly employed on construction sites in residential, institutional, commercial and industrial settings including pipelines, utilities, roadways, bridges, mining and hydroelectric dams. Tasks include site preparation and cleanup, setting up and removing access equipment and assisting on concrete, masonry, steel and wood projects.

“CNC is responsive to the education and training needs of regional communities as well as employers,” said CNC president Henry Reiser. “Most of our enhanced construction craft worker participants were optimistic that they will secure employment and carry on with their apprenticeship in the construction sector. This additional training will help to ensure that they are successful.”

The provincial government has provided $400,000 to support short-term, technical and vocationally focused programs that support in-demand occupations at four College of New Caledonia campuses including Fort St. James. Program offerings were determined in conjunction with consultations that the college held with communities and Aboriginal partners.

Government is also providing $302,000 toward the cost of the Digital Delivery Initiative at CNC, which relies on new technologies and improvements to broadband Internet connectivity. The digital technology is currently being piloted to allow Quesnel students to link into instructors located in Prince George and vice versa. The Digital Delivery Initiative will be rolled out to other campuses in the next year.

Nearly one million job openings are expected in British Columbia over the next decade, and eight out of 10 of these openings will require post-secondary education. B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint outlines a plan to re-engineer the education system by aligning education and training with in-demand jobs in British Columbia.