Office of the Premier
The Province is providing $250,000 to conduct a needs assessment of post-secondary education and skills training in the rapidly growing communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
“Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows are two of the fastest-growing communities in the Lower Mainland,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training. “This needs assessment is the first step to understand whether students in the area have access to the educational and training opportunities that are needed for them to thrive and be prepared for the economy of the future.”
Kwantlen Polytechnic University will work in collaboration with other public post-secondary institutions with nearby campuses, including Douglas College, the Justice Institute of British Columbia, and University of the Fraser Valley, to conduct an objective and informed assessment of the post-secondary education needs of the residents of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
This provincial funding is part of the Province’s co-ordinated approach to address immediate and long-term workforce challenges across all sectors of the economy. The Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training is developing a Future Ready Skills Plan that will help equip British Columbians with the knowledge and skills they require for the jobs of the future.
Quick Facts:
- The 2021 Labour Market Outlook forecasts that B.C. will have one million job openings in the next decade.
- Nearly 80% of these job openings will require some form of post-secondary education or training.
- According to the 2022 census, Maple Ridge’s population grew 10.6% between 2016 and 2021.
- This is twice the pace of the rest of Canada at 5.2%.
A backgrounder follows.
