The provincial government has provided Okanagan College with $766,560 for 152 critical trades seats to reduce wait times for students entering an in-demand trade profession.
The funding will go towards the following programs:
Welding: 16 Foundation seats
Carpentry: 32 Foundation seats
Electrical: 36 Foundation seats
Heavy Mechanical Trades: 18 Foundation seats
Professional Cook: 18 Level 1 seats
Welding: 32 Level B seats
“There are one million jobs opening up in B.C. by 2022, and 44 per cent of those will be in the trades alone – that’s more than four times the total population of Kelowna,” said Premier Christy Clark, MLA for Westside-Kelowna. “More trades training seats at Okanagan College means more students getting the skills to be first in line for those jobs here at home.”
This 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. expects one million job openings by 2022. More than 78 per cent of jobs will require some form of post-secondary education, and 44 per cent of jobs will be in skilled trades and technical occupations. Approximately 12 per cent of the one million projected job openings are for in-demand trade occupations in B.C.
