School District 38 in Richmond will receive $40,000 in funding for the Youth Work in Trades program to boost trades training for young people in the province.

Youth Work in Trades, formerly Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA), is a dual credit program that provides an opportunity for B.C. students in grades 10, 11 and 12 to begin their apprenticeship journey. The funds support school districts in placing students with local employers to attain practical experience. Students will earn a paycheque while gaining credit toward their high school diploma and the apprenticeship portion of their trades training.

Allocation of Youth Work in Trades funding reflects regional and school districts’ needs. These funding opportunities directly support the goals of B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint to realign training investments to better prepare the province’s youth for a successful career in skilled trades.

The funding helps districts cover staffing costs to support and guide youth in securing jobs and employer sponsorship required to enter the trades apprenticeship system. It will also help youth transition from technical training to work-based training, and build further awareness of opportunities in the skilled trades among youth, parents, educators and employers in their communities.

The B.C. government committed an additional $7.8 million from Budget 2016 to the Industry Training Authority (ITA) for its youth program expansion over the next three years. This has allowed the ITA to expand its youth trades training programs including the funding of an additional 18 school districts in 2016-17, for a total of 45 school districts.

In response to the objectives outlined in B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint and the McDonald Report, the B.C. government has worked in partnership with the ITA to begin building a demand-driven trades-training system with funding aligned to specific in-demand trades.

The provincial government invests more than $94 million annually in industry training through the ITA. The ITA leads and co-ordinates British Columbia’s skilled trades system by working with employers, employees, industry, labour, training providers and government to issue credentials, manage apprenticeships, set program standards and increase opportunities in the trades.

The second annual Apprenticeship Recognition Week was held Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 in celebration of apprentices and their employers throughout the province.

Quotes:

Linda Reid, MLA for Richmond East –

“It’s great to see investments being made here in Richmond to further develop the trades programs in the secondary school system. Early hands-on training means more of our local youth are transitioning into the workforce.”

John Yap, MLA for Richmond-Steveston –

“The workforce in B.C. is reaching a tipping point, with more skilled people retiring out of the workforce then entering into it. The B.C. government is working to address this gap by re-engineering our education system to better match with jobs in demand, through programs like the Youth Work in Trades.”

Teresa Wat, MLA for Richmond Centre –

“We anticipate nearly one million job openings here in B.C. between now and 2025. The $40,000 in funding to School District 38 is one way we are supporting our youth to be first in line for those jobs, a key priority of B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint.”

Gary Herman, CEO, Industry Training Authority –

“We are pleased with this funding support for ITA’s youth trades training programs from the B.C. government. School districts play a key role in connecting youth with employer sponsors, and this funding will help ensure that the right connections are being made and that students are graduating with the right skills and knowledge to attain successful careers in the trades.”

Quick Facts:

• Last year the B.C. government invested more than $17.4 million in secondary school trades programs.
• ITA provides more than 100 apprenticeship training programs in B.C., including 50 Red Seal trades.
• There are currently more than 39,000 registered apprentices in the industry training system (including youth) – more than double the 14,676 apprentices registered when ITA was created in 2004.
• B.C. is expecting up to one million job openings by 2025 due to retirements and economic growth.
• Eight of every 10 of these job openings will require post-secondary education or trades training.

Learn More:

Industry Training Authority: http://www.itabc.ca/

Industry Training Authority Youth: http://www.itabc.ca/youth/

B.C.'s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: https://www.workbc.ca/Training-Education/B-C-s-Skills-for-Jobs-Blueprint.aspx

B.C. Labour Market Outlook: www.workbc.ca/Labour-Market-Information/B-C-s-Economy/Reports.aspx

September 2016 youth program announcement: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016JTST0152-001775