The Province is providing $480,600 as part of a Sector Labour Market Partnership project with the Association of BC Marine Industries (ABCMI) to conduct an assessment of the labour force in B.C.’s industrial marine sector.

The ABCMI, as the contract holder, has been working with a diverse cross section of industry partners since November 2016 that includes Seaspan, the Chamber of Shipping BC, the BC Alliance of Manufacturing, ASL Environmental Sciences Inc. and BCIT in an effort to identify labour-market trends and develop an inventory of current talent and existing training programs available within the industrial marine sector.

The project includes engagement with six subsectors: shipbuilding, refit and repair, marine products, small craft marine, ocean science & technology, marine industrial services and marine professional services, to compile detailed information on employment training, attraction and retention for this broad sector.

With an estimated $10 billion in new investment and thousands of new jobs expected by 2020; shipbuilding, ship repair and industrial marine sector growth is a key part of the BC Jobs Plan.

The outcome of this project will provided recommendations on how to meet the challenges of industrial marine sector’s labour force.

The Province is an active partner in building a sustainable industrial marine sector. Through the Skills for Jobs Blueprint, B.C. is aligning training and education dollars with jobs in demand to ensure British Columbians are trained, qualified and ready for jobs in B.C.’s diverse and growing economy.

The Sector Labour Market Partnerships Program helps employers understand and respond to changing labour market demands, and ensures that training and education programs in B.C. are aligned with industry’s labour market needs and priorities. The Blueprint is re-engineering B.C.’s education and training programs towards a data-driven system that focuses our investment on jobs that are in-demand.

Quotes:

Greg Kyllo, Parliamentary Secretary for the BC Jobs Plan to the Minister of Jobs, Tourism, and Skills Training –

“Advanced manufacturing and its subsectors are essential to the BC Jobs Plan as a source of innovation, competitiveness and acts as an incubator for new products. That’s why the Province is investing in Sector Labour Market Partnerships like the one between the industrial marine sector and ABCMI, to ensure that B.C. manufacturers are able to develop, grow and compete in global supply chains.”

Mark Collins, president, ABCMI –

“The industrial marine sector is fast becoming a significant contributor to the Province’s economy. ABCMI is pleased to undertake this work which will update labour-market information for B.C.’s industrial marine sector. The extensive data collected will be a cornerstone in the development of progressive polices that will further enhance the productivity and sustainability of marine industries in British Columbia.”

Quick Facts:

• Since its establishment in July 2015, ABCMI has grown to include 90 members.
• ABCMI membership includes representation across the industrial marine sector including shipbuilding, refit, and ship repair; small craft marine; marine products; ocean science and technology; marine industrial services; and marine professional services.
• The National Shipbuilding Strategy is expected to contribute billions to the provincial economy through 2020. The first National Shipbuilding Strategy vessel is expected out of the Seaspan dockyard and in the water by June 2017.
• The governments of B.C. and Canada contributed $582,000 to Seaspan Shipyards through the Canada-BC Job Grant, in May 2015, to help workers gain shipbuilding skills.
• BC Budget 2015 announced contributions of $3 million over three years for the Vancouver International Maritime Centre (VIMC). The VIMC promotes B.C. to the international shipping industry as a maritime center and enhances the development of the international shipping sector, including support services in B.C. and Canada.

Learn More:

To learn more about career planning and B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, visit: www.workbc.ca/blueprintbuilder 

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

To learn more about the Association of BC Marine Industries, visit: http://abcmi.ca/

For more information on Labour Market Partnerships, visit: http://ow.ly/LmcJ30af7Yv