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Media Contacts

Nova Pierson

Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training
250 208-2743

Backgrounders

Working for British Columbians – Skills Training for Employment programs

Skills Training for Employment (STE) programs help British Columbians who face barriers to participation in the labour market, regardless of Employment Insurance eligibility.

There are six STE programs, which focus on:

  • Indigenous persons;
  • young adults;
  • young adults at risk;
  • older workers (55 years of age and older);
  • survivors of violence and abuse; and
  • multi-barriered individuals.

These programs are funded by the Canada-BC Workforce Development Agreement (WDA). The WDA replaced the Canada-BC Job Fund and the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers agreements and the Labour Market Development Agreement for Persons with Disabilities in 2018. The new agreement gives the Province more flexibility in meeting its labour-market demands and skills-training needs as it strives to build a strong, sustainable, innovative economy with a focus on poverty and inequality reduction.

Other programs under the WDA include:

  • B.C. Employer Training Grant:
    • This grant helps employers provide training to new or current employees so they can develop and upgrade their skills and achieve certification, adapt to the changing requirements of jobs and the labour market, and continue to take part in the province’s innovative economy.
  • Community Workforce Response Grant:
    • This program provides flexible and timely responses to emerging and urgent labour and skills needs in B.C.’s communities and sectors. Grants will help communities and sectors build up the skills of their local workforces, leading to secure, sustainable employment for unemployed or underemployed British Columbians.