NEW MEASURES TO TRAIN, ATTRACT AND RETAIN WORKERS

VICTORIA – The Province will launch aggressive new strategies to train, attract and retain skilled workers and provide young British Columbians with the education and support they need to work and succeed in the Pacific Century, Premier Gordon Campbell announced Saturday.

“A critical component of our Pacific Leadership Agenda is to improve British Columbia’s competitiveness and productivity through education, skills training and immigration,” Campbell stressed. “That agenda is also aimed at capitalizing on our potential as Canada’s Pacific Gateway, building a new relationship with First Nation, and building vibrant, connected communities.”

“Over the next 12 years, we’re expecting to create more than one million job openings in B.C.,” Campbell noted. “Only 650,000 young people are in our school system today. That’s a shortfall of 350,000 workers. So we will do more to help young British Columbians get the education and training they need to take full advantage of those opportunities.”

“We will invest in new measures to help British Columbians get a strong start in school and to help them graduate with the skills they will need in the Pacific Century,” Campbell continued. “We will do more to retain existing workers and to help them upgrade their skills, while also acting to address skills shortages in critical areas by attracting new workers from across Canada and from other countries.”

Starting in 2007, a Children’s Education Credit of $1,000 will be put in trust for every newborn in B.C. for when they are ready for post-secondary education. The credit will grow with interest through their lives and contribute to their choice of learning after high-school graduation.

Other competitiveness and productivity initiatives aimed at educating young British Columbians, and training, attracting and retaining skilled workers announced by Premier Campbell include:

Developing Strong Start Centers in 16 pilot communities for early childhood learning in schools that have underutilized space, at no cost to families.
A new Education Guarantee to provide high-school graduates with free access to any K-12 courses they need through LearnNow BC
A new Pacific Leaders Fellowship to provide university students with new financial incentives to work in the public service and to provide public servants with new opportunities to upgrade their skills.
Creating 2,500 new graduate spaces for master’s and doctorate degrees, and creating 7,000 more apprenticeship spaces by 2010, by working with universities and colleges to better utilize the 25,000 post-secondary spaces that are being added across British Columbia.
Substantially increasing the number of industry training organizations in partnership with the private sector and Industry Training Authority.

Greater tax relief for B.C. families within this mandate, to build on British Columbia’s current competitive advantage as having the lowest average provincial personal income taxes in Canada on the first $80,000 of income earned.
A dramatic expansion of the Provincial Nominee Program and an expanded focus on immigration strategies aimed at addressing skills shortages.
An aggressive new marketing campaign to attract skilled workers from across Canada and the United States as a fundamental part of B.C.’s skills recruitment strategy.
New measures to attract foreign trained professionals and help them meet provincial standards in areas where skilled workers are needed.
A concerted effort to increase the participation of Aboriginal British Columbians in B.C.’s workforce, by closing the gaps in education, health, housing and economic opportunities for First Nations.
New measures to increase participation in our workforce for persons with disabilities, and to keep existing workers in the workplace.

“Personally, I see no reason whatsoever why we should force any able-bodied person in B.C. to stop working against their will,” Campbell stressed. “Fact is, we need their help and we should be removing the barriers to getting it. The new world we live in demands more flexibility – not less.”

“The world and the new modern economy are not going to wait for us,” Campbell said. “It is time for British Columbia to lead and we must earn our competitive edge to realize our full potential as Canada’s Pacific Gateway in this Pacific Century.”

-30-

1 backgrounder(s) attached.
Media contact:	Mike Morton Press Secretary Office of the Premier 250 213-8218

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca.