Submitted. The provincial government has provided the University of the Fraser Valley with $462,000 for 132 critical trade seats to reduce wait times for students entering an in-demand trade profession.
The University of the Fraser Valley funding will go towards the following programs:
Welding: 16 Foundation seats
Heavy Mechanical Trades: 20 Foundation seats
Welding Level B: 16 seats
Electrical: 48 Level 2 seats
“For people looking for an exciting opportunity to work in the trades, this funding will help get more students into their desired program much “For people looking for an exciting opportunity to work in the trades, this funding will help get more students into their desired program much sooner,” said Abbotsford MLA Simon Gibson.
UFV’s 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.