PROVINCIAL TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION STRATEGY (2007)

Many businesses throughout British Columbia are today facing a crisis situation in recruiting workers with the necessary skill sets to meet the needs of the economy. This is evident today in many sectors of our economy.

The business community of British Columbia is facing a critical shortage in our workforce. While this shortage is being felt in all sectors, chamber members have expressed serious concern regarding the severe shortage of technologists and technicians. Indeed, in its submission to Campus 2020, the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of British Columbia (ASTTBC) identifies this sector of the workforce to be facing a critical shortage in people to meet our technological needs in the workplace.

The business community of BC would benefit from a strategic focus of government, educational, and the private sector resources. The Chamber believes that a proactive approach is required to address this looming crisis. The development of a new post-secondary education strategic direction reflects the importance of technology education to British Columbians and to our economy.

The BC Progress Board has established an Accountability Framework which provides a structure and system for iterative planning, for setting educational priorities, for measuring results and identifying successes and problems, and for implementing new programs with an aim to improving overall results.

The Progress Board states:

“Given emerging economic demands for highly educated and skilled workers, the demographic forecast of a decade or more of declining enrolments in schools, and the intensification of competition for public and human resources, it is timely to examine the capacity of our educational organizations to meet the challenges we face.”

This statement supports the need for BC to establish a strategic direction for technology education and training, and address many of the issues and challenges related to technology education and skills shortages.

THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS

That the provincial government:

1. through the Ministries of Advanced Education and Economic Development, in partnership with key stakeholders in the private and public sector, develop a technology education strategic plan that ensures an integrated approach to maximizing business, educational, and government resources for an expanded range of technology education and training in BC; and

2. form a technology education council in partnership with the other key stakeholders to provide leadership to oversee and advise on the development of a strategic direction and other priorities associated with the pending skills shortage in this sector.