Good jobs and training in a strong economy

B.C.’s StrongerBC Future Ready Action Plan is meeting the challenges of today, making sure people are ready to succeed, and growing our strong, sustainable economy into the future. Click below to read the plan.

We’re preparing for our current and future needs by building and delivering more housing, schools, hospitals, and transit our communities rely on. As part of Budget 2024, these projects will create an estimated 185,000 jobs across the province over the next three years, so everyone can build a good life here in B.C. 

People in B.C. want public health care they can count on. To meet the demands of an aging and growing population, we need more people to work in health care. That’s why Budget 2024 provides more incentives to attract the workers we need and keep the ones we’ve got across the full range of health services. This includes primary and acute care, long-term care and assisted living, home care, and mental health and substance use care.

People looking for extra support and flexibility as they pursue higher education are able to access more money through student loans and improved repayment terms. With B.C. student loans interest-free since 2019 – saving thousands of British Columbians $145 million to-date –, people pursuing an education in B.C. will have access to more flexible supports and options so that they can continue to study and succeed.

More students will have access to in-demand programs as 3,000 more technology-relevant spaces become available in the public post-secondary education system. Spaces include a range of areas, including cybersecurity, software engineering, data science, life sciences, creative tech, clean tech and agritech.

Schools are the heart of our communities. Here in B.C., we’re seeing steady growth in K-12 enrolment. To support our growing student population, we’re hiring more teachers and support staff. This includes special education teachers, teacher psychologists, and counsellors. We’re also continuing to build, expand, and upgrade schools and playgrounds throughout B.C. 

B.C. needs more veterinarians. New funding will permanently double subsidized veterinary medicine seats for B.C. students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. More people will get quality training, and our pets and farm animals can get the health care they need.

Developing the next wave of talent is essential to B.C.’s overall productivity and competitiveness. Across the economy, our capacity for innovation relies upon a steady supply of specialized graduates with masters and doctoral degrees. We are preparing our next generation of talent right here in B.C. by expanding the merit-based graduate scholarships for students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and other disciplines.

Providing families in B.C. with the child care they need by making investments in our early childhood education workforce.

As we expand access to child care for parents, more than 10,000 new early childhood educators will be needed in B.C.’s workforce in the next decade. With funding for training, and new seats in post-secondary programs, there is no better time to train to be an early childhood educator. 

Giving B.C. students more opportunities to find and explore in-demand careers that match their interests and pursuits is a core component of the StrongerBC Future Ready Action Plan. These initiatives help more students graduate from high school equipped and ready to transition to post-secondary studies, as well as gain the skills needed to find jobs in in-demand fields.

Work-integrated learning opportunities provide a great chance for students to gain relevant work experience, while also helping employers close the skills gap and train the next generation of workers. More students in every corner of B.C. can access co-op education, internships, clinical placements, service learning, and practicums.

This government believes students’ sole focus should be on their studies, not on finding housing that works for them and their budget. Since 2017, our government has built or begun construction of nearly 9,095 new beds on postsecondary campuses in every region in B.C. All in, our province is on track to add 12,000 new post-secondary beds for students.

Giving thousands of people new skills and opportunities through short-term training options. The grant is up to $3,500 to cover the cost of micro-credential training for in-demand jobs delivered by public post-secondary institutions throughout the province. 

Tradespeople in British Columbia build the foundation of the province that we all benefit from. It’s their growing expertise, skill and innovation that contribute to B.C. now and will continue to contribute in the future. Tradespeople in British Columbia now have access to new and specialized training opportunities through TradeUpBC, an online hub that supports experienced trades professionals and employers.

Changes and downturns can be hard on communities that rely on the forestry sector, and our government is there for them. More employment opportunities are underway for contractors and forestry workers throughout rural B.C. under the Province’s Forest Employment Program (FEP). 

Manufacturing is a growing part of our economy with 49,000 new job openings coming to the sector over the next 10 years. Now is the time to introduce young people to the sector so they’re ready to fill those jobs. Secondary school students and recent graduates have access to short-term, paid work placements at local manufacturers through a new program designed to help build a future workforce.

Employers and workers in the construction sector have better support as the Province launched the Workplace Innovation Fund, a program focused on labour supply and inclusion, along with new ways of improving productivity and employee retention. The Workplace Innovation Fund centres around developing sector-wide solutions that can help increase construction productivity and prepare a talented workforce for the challenges that lie ahead.

No more age limits for former youth in care to get the costs of post-secondary tuition covered. Removing the age limit will break cost barriers and support people to get good-paying and meaningful jobs. The Provincial Tuition Waiver Program covers many options: certificate programs, diploma or undergraduate degrees, non-credit courses, apprenticeship programs and continuing education courses.

Education and skills training is a great equalizer that can help transform lives. With the right supports, we can help people overcome their challenges to entering the workforce, and help them to thrive in a new, promising and meaningful job. People who want to get into the workforce but are facing multiple barriers to employment will have greater opportunities as the B.C. government significantly expands skills training for employment programs.

We’re taking action to help people moving to B.C. use their skills in their professions faster. This builds on the progress we have already made to make it faster and easier for internationally trained health care workers to fill the worker shortage in the health sector. This will help B.C. meet current and future needs for in-demand jobs and strengthen the economy.

B.C. is anticipating almost one million job openings in the next decade. The new Find Your Path digital tool is designed to assist employers, workers, and students in exploring and crafting educational pathways for over 250 in-demand careers. Curious about where your education can lead you? Unsure how to reach your dream job? Get started today and chart your course toward a successful future.

We’ve partnered with the federal government to close the digital divide in B.C. by 2027 – meaning every community in B.C., including the most rural and remote, will have access to high-speed internet before the end of this decade.

We’ve funded over 37,000 new licensed child care spaces, the single largest action to create new child care spaces in B.C.’s history – giving parents the ability to rejoin the workforce.

We introduced the new B.C. Access Grant helping more than 71,000 low- and middle-income students to date with up to $4,000 yearly to pay for tuition, textbooks, lab supplies, and other items needed for their program of study. The grant was launched in 2020, the first new grant program in 15 years.

For too long, B.C. has been the only province in Canada without a skilled trades certification system, putting workers and employers at a disadvantage. By bringing back and enhancing skilled trades certification, we’re turning that around – supporting better-paying, steadier work to attract more people to the trades and helping employers find the workers they need to build stronger communities and a stronger B.C.

B.C. is a clean energy powerhouse. We’re leveraging B.C.’s clean energy strength by investing in solutions such as the $36-billion expansion of B.C.’s electricity system, creating upwards of 12,500 good jobs and ensuring businesses and communities have access to clean, affordable electricity to grow, and to attract investment.