Up to 30 eligible British Columbians will get essential and occupational skills training to prepare them for jobs as dental assistants in the Lower Mainland.

This is the second intake of a new Community and Employer Partnerships (CEP) project from the Government of British Columbia intended for immigrants.

“The provincial government is working with employers to ensure people who have immigrated to B.C. have an opportunity to develop the skills they need to find and keep good-paying jobs,” said Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “I wish all the participants in this project success in their studies.”

The Province is providing more than $600,000 to Western Community College in Surrey to deliver skills and certification courses in two intakes of its Immigrant Dental Assistants Training program.

“This program aims to connect immigrants to rewarding careers as dental assistants, providing them an opportunity to acquire the training necessary to obtain employment in a recovering sector of the B.C. economy impacted by COVID-19,” said Gurpal Dhaliwal, president, Western Community College. “Partnering with Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS), a well-known, community-based organization, enhances our ability to provide immigrant participants with the essential skills and supports needed to effectively attach to the labour market.”

Participants will receive 27 weeks of essential and occupational and skills training, four weeks of work experience with local dental practitioners and one week of follow-up support to assist in their job search. They will also receive certification courses, including Privacy and Information Sharing, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) and Medication Management. 

“This is a great opportunity for participants to get the skills training and experience they need to forge careers in the dental health field,” said Rachna Singh, MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers. “Graduates will be well positioned to find jobs to support themselves and their families.”

Funding for this project is provided through the Project-Based Labour Market Training stream of WorkBC’s CEP. CEP’s investments are targeted toward projects that support an inclusive economic recovery. CEP supports B.C. job seekers’ training and work experience, leading to employment in available jobs, and aids businesses and communities to address labour-market challenges. CEP invests $15 million annually in communities throughout B.C.

Full-time, group-based classroom learning for the second intake of the project starts on Monday, May 17, 2021. Project activities run through to Dec. 31, 2021. Anyone interested in finding out more about this or other CEP projects can contact their local WorkBC centre.

Learn More:

Learn how CEPs are helping local communities: www.workbc.ca/Employment-Services/Community-and-Employer-Partnerships.aspx

Learn about how WorkBC can help find British Columbians jobs that are right for them: www.workbc.ca/rightforyou

Find a local WorkBC centre: https://www.workbc.ca/Employment-Services/WorkBC-Centres/WorkBC-Centres-Listing.aspx

Western Community College: https://westerncommunitycollege.ca/