Cloverdale, B.C. — The Government of British Columbia announced today an investment of $3 million at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) for skills training in high-priority trades seats.
Stephanie Cadieux, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale, announced the funding today on behalf of Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour, at KPU's Tech campus in Cloverdale.
The investment, through the Industry Training Authority (ITA), will fund 1,238 seats at KPU’s Tech Campus in Cloverdale through to March 31, 2017, in various trades, including welding, electrical, automotive service technician, millwright and carpentry.
The funding is part of the ITA’s annual allocation to B.C. post-secondary institutions and training providers to run various training programs throughout the province.
In response to the objectives outlined in B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint and the McDonald Report, the B.C. government has worked in partnership with the ITA to begin building a demand-driven trades training system with funding aligned to specific high-priority trades.
The provincial government invests more than $94 million annually in industry training through the ITA. The ITA leads and co-ordinates British Columbia’s skilled trades system by working with employers, employees, industry, labour, training providers and government to issue credentials, manage apprenticeships, set program standards and increase opportunities in the trades.
Cadieux also highlighted the 2025 B.C. Labour Market Outlook, which provides a forecast of a wide range of occupations that will be in high demand in British Columbia in the next 10 years.
The outlook is a valuable resource for educators, counsellors, students and their families in making decisions regarding education and skills training. It also helps those who are unemployed or underemployed find jobs that are currently in demand. Post-secondary institutions also use this data to ensure their programming aligns with high-demand occupations now and over the next decade.
View photos from the event on Flickr here.
In other news from KPU Tech, plumbing student Paul Protasovitski recently competed and won a bronze medal at the Canadian National Skills competition held in Moncton, New Brunswick. Competitors from across Canada competed in 40 different technical and trades events. Protasovitski was given a drawing and asked to create an isometric and make a material list of what he would need. The competitors had 12 hours over two days to complete their projects. The projects are marked for their dimensional accuracy, workmanship, safe working practice, and adherence the national plumbing code, and an air test was applied.
Protasovitski missed the silver medal by .17 of a point and was the youngest of the 12 competitors in his event.
"The Canadian national skills competition is like nothing I have ever experienced, a truly competitive atmosphere," he said. "I plan to continue on in my trade, to prosper and achieve, ultimately becoming a red-seal tradesperson. But it does not stop there, I hope to become a leader and a driving force in my industry."
Kwantlen Polytechnic University has served the Metro Vancouver region since 1981, and has opened doors to success for more than 200,000 learners. Four campuses—Richmond, Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley—offer a comprehensive range of sought-after programs in business, liberal arts, design, health, science and horticulture, trades and technology, and academic and career advancement. Over 19,000 students annually have a choice from over 120 programs, including bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates, citations and apprenticeships. Learn more at kpu.ca.
Media contact:
Corry Anderson-Fennell
Manager, Media and Communications
t: 604.599.2840
c: 604.828.5232
corry.anderson-fennell@kpu.ca
For more KPU news:
@KPUmedia
kpu.ca/newsroom
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