Up to 30 Aboriginal participants in Greater Vancouver will be receiving the training they need for jobs in their community, thanks to the federal-provincial partnership under the Canada-B.C. Job Fund Agreement.

Approximately $274,000 has been allocated to Native Education College (NEC) to deliver the Aboriginal software tester training project providing participants training and qualifications for employment in the rapidly expanding IT industry as software testers.

The first group of participants began training Sept. 6, and after 15 weeks of classroom training will begin an eight-week paid internship with partner organizations PQA Testing and Plato Testing. The second cohort began its classroom training on Dec. 5.

This training project is part of an investment of more than $12 million for 49 training projects benefiting about 2,000 British Columbians throughout the province, thanks to funding provided through the Canada-B.C. Job Fund Agreement under the Employer-Sponsored Training stream.

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:

Suzanne Anton, MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview – 

“This project is an exciting opportunity for people in our city to learn essential skills for careers in the software industry. With up to one million job openings expected in B.C. by 2025, we need to broaden our training programs to prepare young British Columbians for job openings now and in the coming years.”

Amrik Virk, Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services –

“Growing local tech talent is a key commitment of our #BCTECH Strategy to meet increasing demand and help strengthen our tech sector. By supporting the creation of new training programs like the Aboriginal software tester training project, our government is helping Aboriginal learners acquire the specialized skills sought by B.C.’s vibrant tech industry.”

Sandy Moore, manager, applied business training program, NEC Native Education College –

“After taking this six-month certificate program, students will have the necessary skills and knowledge to enter the IT industry as a software tester. There are exciting continuous learning opportunities within the partner organizations PQA Testing and Plato Testing. Students will be provided with opportunities to develop myriad skills. These include social skills, communication and teamwork skills, understanding customer perspectives and how businesses run and deliver value to their clients, paying attention to detail, critical thinking and risk analysis, and learning automated testing using popular programming languages.”

Keith McIntosh, founder, PQA Testing and Plato Testing –

“Partnering with NEC has brought our training program to the urban Indigenous population in the Vancouver area. This training will open doors into the ICT industry and result in meaningful careers for its participants. We are proud to be working with NEC and partnering to build the future of software testing across Canada.”

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.
• The project announced today supports the government’s commitment to deepen B.C.’s technology talent pool through a variety of actions, including improving access to timely and relevant labour market information, as outlined in the #BCTECH Strategy.
• The 10-year strategy includes a $100-million BC Tech Fund to improve access to capital, as well as initiatives to increase talent development and market growth for tech companies to drive innovation and productivity throughout the province.

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

#BCTECH Strategy: http://bctechstrategy.gov.bc.ca/