Up to 21 Lower Mainland residents will receive the training they need for jobs in their communities, thanks to the federal-provincial partnership under the Canada-B.C. Job Fund Agreement.

More than $482,000 has been allocated to the Electrical Joint Training Committee to deliver a program supporting B.C.-based training of future electrical workers.

The program is designed to provide new entrants with an eight-week foundational electrical preparation program, in order to bridge the gap for entry into the Industry Training Authority’s Entry-Level Trades Training (ELTT) program. ELTT training is a valued pathway to apprenticeships in B.C. and to employment in the electrical construction industry. Training will begin in January for participants from Aboriginal backgrounds.

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:

Linda Reimer, MLA for Port Moody-Coquitlam –

“Investments in electrical skills training such as this are critical to keeping our local economy diverse, strong and growing, as we anticipate nearly one million job openings in B.C. by 2025.”

Graham Trafford, president, Electrical Joint Training Committee –

“B.C.’s electrical industry is committed to the ongoing development of a safe, productive, inclusive workplace. We welcome this opportunity to work with government and our project partners in offering a bright future to trainees at our Green Skills Campus, with an initial focus on people from the urban Aboriginal community in the Lower Mainland.” 

Kyle Downie, CEO, SkillPlan –

“With government support, we’re developing and piloting a focused, customized program that will open up pathways to the trades for promising candidates. There’s great potential in this approach for building skills and employment opportunities across British Columbia.”

John Webster, president and CEO, Aboriginal Community Career Employment Services Society (ACCESS) –

“B.C.’s Aboriginal population has a huge potential to provide skills and professional services for the provincial economy in the coming decades. It’s appropriate that in the first phase of this program for the electrical trades, ACCESS has been engaged to recruit qualified trainees of Aboriginal heritage. We’ll also provide the ongoing individual support that is critical to success in technical training.”

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:

Electrical Joint Training Committee: http://ejtc.org/

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