Eighteen job seekers will gain valuable work experience and contribute to the success of five local festivals, sports and community events, thanks to almost $110,000 in provincial funding from the Community and Employer Partnerships program.

Two people will get 26 weeks of work experience and skills enhancement in festival production, event management, research, promotions, marketing and design through $25,031 in funding to the DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver. The participants will help boost community engagement for the annual film festival, which runs May 5-15, 2016. One person will serve as a visual media assistant, working with the DOXA communications team to tell the story of the festival through photo and video. The other participant will reach out to niche audiences, develop a street team, flyer campaign and information tables to promote the festival and help with operations as the outreach and audience services assistant.

Taghum Hall, a community space in Nelson, will receive $16,814. One person will receive 23 weeks of work experience and skills enhancement in administration, research and planning for community events and programs. Taghum Hall has recently re-opened after a large renovation project and the participant will help revitalize the space by conducting a community survey and creating a plan for recurring seasonal events to be held at the hall for all community members to enjoy.

Three people will get work experience through $12,241 in funding to the 39th annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival to be held July 15-17, 2016. Participants will develop skills in leadership, project management, event logistics, administration and community outreach as they help produce the festival. Through the seven month project, they will help revamp vendor activities at the festival, create a digital database of historical information and expand festival programs, including the Young Artists Program, which provides an opportunity for up-and-coming musicians to learn more about the craft and business of music. 

The 30th annual BC Summer Games, to be held in Abbotsford on July 21-24, 2016, has received $23,726 to provide up to nine people with 26 weeks of work experience and skills training in administration, warehouse operations and volunteer coordination. With the assistance of the participants, the 2016 BC Summer Games will provide sporting and economic benefits to the community while promoting healthier lifestyles. Each of the participants will be involved in all stages of the games including preparation, staging, and wind down in areas as diverse as ceremonies, protocol, food services, marketing, security and transportation. Through their different roles, the participants will have access to networking opportunities, as well as the chance to develop employment and teamwork skills while working directly with leaders, local volunteers and the general public.

Nakusp Medieval Days has received $31,465 to provide three people from the area with 23 weeks of work experience and skills enhancement. Participants will learn about event planning and production, including administration, marketing and project management. They will also complete a certification program to increase their skills in graphic design. The festival, which runs from July 23-24, 2016, attracted more than 1,800 participants last year and provided important economic impacts for the community and the region, which is increasingly focused on tourism as a key sector.

Job Creation Partnerships are part of the Employment Program of BC’s Community and Employer Partnerships, which fund projects that increase employability and share labour market information.

The Community and Employer Partnerships program is featured in B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint and provides more support to people who are struggling to gain a foothold in the job market. It helps build stronger partnerships with industry and labour to connect British Columbians with classroom and on-the-job training, while making it easier for employers to hire the skilled workers they need – when and where they need them.

To date, more than 1,000 job seekers benefited from work experience and more than 200 projects have been funded throughout the province.

The Blueprint was launched two years ago to help British Columbians get the skills they need to be first in line for the almost one million job openings that are projected by 2024 and to re-engineer B.C.’s education programs toward a data-driven system focusing investments toward training for in-demand jobs.

B.C. invests more than $7.5 billion in education and training each year from early learning programs for the youngest British Columbians all the way through to post graduate education. Over the next 10 years, to better align annual investments to meet emerging labour market needs, government will redirect $3 billion in training investments to focus on skills and programs for in-demand jobs.

In-demand occupations that require post-secondary education or training range from professional to management to trades in a range of sectors including technology, resource and health care.

Quotes:

Michelle Stilwell, Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation –

“Arts, culture and sports are an increasingly important part of our economy. The funding provided through these Job Creation Partnership projects will help participants gain the skills and experience they need to find employment in these sectors. There are also great benefits for the communities involved, through the ongoing development of new and longstanding events and festivals.”

Darryl Plecas, MLA for Abbotsford South –

“This year’s BC Summer Games in Abbotsford promises to be an amazing event, providing an exciting array of events for our community to enjoy, plus some great impacts for our local economy, including the opportunity for these job seekers to get some hands-on experience that will help them build their careers.”

Sam Sullivan, MLA for Vancouver-False Creek –

“I am so excited to see organizations like DOXA and the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, as well as other B.C. festivals and events, working with the Province on Job Creation Partnerships. These projects will help train future cultural workers, fuel the creative economy and deliver long-term impacts to the arts and culture sector.”

Kenji Maeda, executive director, DOXA Documentary Film Festival –

“DOXA Documentary Film Festival has had the opportunity to participate in the Job Creation Partnerships program a half dozen times. The program has not only been instrumental in building DOXA's capacity to introduce world-class documentary films from around the world to Metro Vancouver audiences, the program has also developed the skills and experiences of more than 15 participants, encompassing all aspects of festival planning and production. A number of our past JCP participants have gone on to work with other arts organizations across Canada, in B.C., and here in Vancouver, including returning back to DOXA.”

Cheri, participant, Taghum Hall revitalization project –

“This Job Creation Project at Taghum Hall is such amazing opportunity for me. Being new to the community, it is not only a great job experience, but it also allows me to network with so many people and get a better picture of the community and what my future employment might be. The education that I am receiving working here is unbelievable – doing things that I have never done before but always wanted to! Thank you!”

Heather Haake, project supervisor, Taghum Hall revitalization project –

“If the community wasn't aware of Taghum Hall and all it can offer before , it sure is now. The Taghum Hall revitalization project has opened the hall doors to the community and they have come! Our community Easter egg hunt attracted over 100 parents and kids and many more such events are in the planning stage. We are confident that Taghum Hall will become the meeting place for parents, kids and seniors ... and everyone in between.”

Daniel Abraham, director, Nakusp Medieval Society –

“Our Job Creation Partnership is an integral part, not only of our planning efforts, but also for the long-term community plan of creating jobs and opportunity for skill development. We are thrilled to be a part of that process and look forward to positive outcomes for our participants and our community.”

Linda Tanaka, artistic managing director, Vancouver Folk Music Festival –

“We are delighted to have three participants work with us to produce the 39th-annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival. It is exciting to have them as part of our team and we hope they will leave with new skills that will help them gain full time employment.”

Steve Carlton, president, Abbotsford BC Summer Games Society –

“This Job Creation Partnership has exceeded our expectations. The participants have all taken the experience thus far with the greatest enthusiasm. They have brought a new positive dynamic to our team. With their support, we are sure to pull off an extremely successful BC Summer Games in Abbotsford.”

Quick Facts:

• In 2016-17, the ministry has committed to investing $331 million in employment and labour market programs under the Employment Program of BC.
• The Employment Program of BC is funded by the Province of British Columbia as well as the Government of Canada through the Labour Market Development Agreement.
• Funding supports 84 WorkBC Employment Services Centres throughout the province and the four components of the Community and Employer Partnerships fund:
  • Job Creation Partnerships
  • Labour Market Partnerships
  • Project-Based Labour Market Training
  • Research and Innovation
• Job seekers and employers can contact their local WorkBC Centre for more information on eligibility and application processes for Job Creation Partnerships and other streams of the Community and Employer Partnerships program.
• Arts and culture provide remarkable experiences for visitors to B.C., enhancing the province’s prosperity and global profile as a great place to live, work, play and invest.
• People working in the creative sector help to drive the BC Jobs Plan and contribute to healthy and vibrant communities.
• The United Nations has identified the creative economy as one of the world’s fastest-growing sectors for income generation, job creation and export earnings.
• On June 9, 2015, Statistics Canada released new provincial and territorial arts, culture, heritage and sport-related economic figures for 2010 from the Cultural Satellite Account (CSA). The figures showed that nationally, British Columbia had the third highest GDP ($5.7 billion, or 3% of the economy) of culture and was tied for third in culture jobs (87,996 or 3.8% of total jobs).

Who is eligible?

• Businesses
• Non-profit organizations
• Crown corporations
• Municipalities, agencies or territorial governments
• Bands, tribal councils
• Public health and educational institutions

Learn More:

DOXA Documentary Film Festival: http://www.doxafestival.ca/

Taghum Hall: http://taghumhall.ca/

Vancouver Folk Music Festival: http://thefestival.bc.ca/

BC Summer Games – Abbotsford 2016: www.bcgames.org/

Nakusp Medieval Days: http://www.medievaldays.ca/

For more information on Community and Employer Partnerships:  https://www.workbc.ca/Employment-Services/Community-and-Employer-Partnerships.aspx

Find a local WorkBC Employment Services Centre: www.workbccentres.ca

Learn more about the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation: www.gov.bc.ca/sdsi

For more information on B.C.'s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: www.workbc.ca/skills

To find out more about the BC Jobs Plan: www.engage.gov.bc.ca/bcjobsplan/

Learn more about B.C.’s creative economy: www.gov.bc.ca/creativeeconomy