Up to 36 eligible British Columbians will get skills training, in three separate intakes, to prepare them for jobs in customer service and office administration in the Lower Mainland.

This is a new Community and Employer Partnerships (CEP) project from the Government of British Columbia. Participant recruitment is focused on youth, Indigenous individuals, immigrants and individuals with multiple barriers to employment.

“We’re committed to providing all British Columbians with skills training and employment opportunities so they’re able to find good-paying jobs to support themselves and their families,” said Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “As the labour market recovers, there will be a greater need for skilled administrative and customer service workers around the province.”

The Province is providing more than $385,000 to Douglas College to deliver skills and certification courses virtually as part of its customer service/digital skills training program.

Participants will receive 11 weeks of essential and occupational skills training, four weeks of on-the-job work experience and two weeks' followup support to assist in their job search. They will also receive certification courses in basic computer skills, Microsoft Office 365: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat/Reader and SuperHost, as well as diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Graduates of the program will be qualified to work as administrative officers, data entry clerks, office support workers, call centre workers and sales representatives.

“Our employer networks are consistently seeking staff with high levels of digital literacy, complex problem-solving and customer service skills,” said Pamela Tetarenko, associate director, training group, Douglas College. “These transferable skills are the focus of the customer service digital literacy program designed to equip participants with the technical and social-emotional skills needed to achieve work in a variety of administrative/customer service occupations.”

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.

“Building a recovery from the pandemic that works for everyone is something that we are focused on as a government,” said Fin Donnelly, MLA for Coquitlam-Burke Mountain. “Graduates of this program will be in a position to find good jobs that help them support themselves, their families and their communities. I wish them all the best in their studies.”

Online learning for the first intake of this project will start on Monday, June 14, 2021. Project activities run through to Oct. 8, 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 your local WorkBC centre: https://workbccentres.ca

Douglas College:
https://www.douglascollege.ca/programs-courses/training-group/employment-services-career-development/virtualservice-digitalskills