Up to 130 Greater Vancouver residents will receive the training they need for jobs in their community, thanks to the federal-provincial partnership under the Canada-B.C. Job Fund Agreement.

Approximately $968,000 has been allocated to S.U.C.C.E.S.S., a multicultural non-profit agency that serves a wide range of clientele including new residents of Canada, to deliver the following three projects:

• Funding of $347,911 has been allocated to train up to 40 participants for employment in high-demand information and communication technology occupations. The program offers four weeks of comprehensive training followed by four weeks of job-search support and individualized job coaching.
• Funding of $309,937 has been allocated to provide skills training to up to 40 people for high-demand office administration jobs. Five weeks of group-based training is followed by two weeks of intensive job search and placement support.
• Funding of $310,514 has been allocated to train up to 50 people for jobs as retail sales associates, with certification from the Canadian Retail Institute, a division of the Retail Council of Canada.

Training in various intakes for all three projects has begun and all training will be completed by June 2017.

Today, Burnaby North MLA Richard T. Lee visited students and instructors and saw first-hand the training being delivered and how it will prepare students for employment opportunities.

(flickr.com)

The skills training projects support B.C.’s regional labour market demands and provide opportunities to youth, women, Aboriginal people, immigrants and other eligible participants to receive training, as well as industry-recognized certificates or credentials.

Through the Canada Job Fund, the Government of Canada provides $500 million annually to the provinces and territories for investments in skills training. Under the Canada-British Columbia Job Fund Agreement, the province receives a total of $65 million per year – its per-capita share of the available funding.

The Canada-B.C. Job Fund helps ensure training programs give individuals the skills to enter and succeed in the job market. The Employer-Sponsored Training stream provides funding for project-based, time-limited, employer-driven training that leads to a job at the end of training. This includes targeted projects delivered by Aboriginal service providers, post-secondary institutions, industry associations, community groups, and private trainers that meet regional labour market needs. Employers also provide either financial or in-kind contributions to support the training.

Quotes:

Richard T. Lee, MLA for Burnaby North –

“These training projects provide a valuable opportunity for new residents of Canada to gain the skills needed for jobs in high-demand occupations. With up to one million job openings expected in B.C. by 2025, it is essential that we offer more training programs to prepare British Columbians for job opportunities today and in the years ahead.”

Queenie Choo, chief executive officer, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. –

“We are pleased to partner with the B.C. government and other stakeholders to implement these three project-based training programs. One of the goals is to focus on community integration by connecting clients and employers to meet their needs. We are very excited that S.U.C.C.E.S.S. is able to provide these training programs to contribute to employment opportunities that are aligned with immediate labour market priorities in B.C. As such, it promotes provincial economic growth by ensuring the availability of a skilled workforce.”

Sandra Saric, vice-president, Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) –

“ICTC has a strong and established collaborative relationship with S.U.C.C.E.S.S. ICTC’s partnership with S.U.C.C.E.S.S. on its Information and Communications Technology training program serves to jointly enhance both organizations’ ability to deliver on the mandate to train and develop critical digital talent that is essential to enhancing Canada’s competitiveness in the dynamic and evolving global economic environment.”

Linda Gavsie, senior vice-president, Universal Learning Institute (ULI) –

“ULI is honoured to be the partnering trainer of the Office Admin project with S.U.C.C.E.S.S. This intensive training prepares students for the workplace by combining in-class instruction in the most sought-after job-related skills: customer services, computer skills, accounting, admin procedure, telephone skills, etc., in addition to visits to offices to see how these skills are integrated and used in the real workplace. We look forward to hearing all the success stories of the project participants.”

 Quick Facts:

• B.C. is expecting almost one million job openings by 2025.
• Up to 596,400 job openings are expected in the Lower Mainland/Southwest region by 2025.  
• Two-thirds of B.C.’s job openings will be from retirements and one-third from economic growth.
• Almost 80% of job openings in B.C. will require post-secondary education.
• The B.C. government invests more than $7.8 billion each year in education and training.
• Through B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, $3 billion in training investments will be redirected to in-demand jobs over the next 10 years.

Learn More:

Canada Job Fund: http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/training_agreements/cjf/index.shtml   

British Columbia’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint:  https://www.workbc.ca/skills 

B.C. Labour Market Outlook 2025: https://www.workbc.ca/Labour-Market-Information/B-C-s-Economy/Reports.aspx