The provincial government has provided College of the Rockies with $194,440 for 80 critical trade seats to reduce wait times for students entering an in-demand trade profession.

“As B.C.’s economy continues to grow, it is important that trades training grows with it,” Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett said. “We want to ensure the trades jobs that become available in the coming years go to qualified British Columbians, which will benefit our families, communities and the economy.”

College of the Rockies’ funding will go toward the following programs:

• Heavy Mechanical Trades: 16 Foundation seats
• Millwright: 16 Level 2 seats
• Electrical: 16 Level 2 seats
• Heavy Duty Mechanic: 16 Level 3 seats
• Heavy Duty Mechanic: 16 Level 4 seats.

College of the Rockies’ support is part of a $6.1-million initiative to fund 1,429 additional critical trade seats this year in 14 public post-secondary institutions throughout the province and supports B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint.

Foundation training programs provide students with the basic knowledge and skills needed for entry into a particular occupation. Students receive credit for the first level of apprenticeship training in a specific field by the Industry Training Authority (ITA) upon successful completion.

B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint outlines how the provincial government is re-engineering the education system – from kindergarten through to post-secondary training and beyond – to make sure education and training aligns with B.C. jobs.

B.C. expects one million job openings by 2022. More than 78% of jobs will require some form of post-secondary education, and 44% of jobs will be in skilled trades and technical occupations. Approximately 12% of the one million projected job openings are for in-demand trade occupations in B.C.

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