Key Issue: Skills & Training

The BC Chamber is looking for exceptional leaders whose values align with that of the Board  – show dedication, grit and passionate for the people who power BC. The Board is seeking qualified candidates with expertise in the area of Policy Governance, Government Relations, Human Resources, Information Technology, Risk Management and Strategy, Region and Sector […]

Pay gaps between four designated groups (women, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples and visible minorities) and men remains a consistent problem for the Canadian economy. One reason attributed to this gap is that fewer individuals in designated groups are employed in high-paying occupations, which are dominated by men.[1] Ensuring that there is training, hiring and […]

British Columbia’s economic growth depends on having enough skilled and qualified people to meet labour market needs. The BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) supports BC employers to attract and retain needed talent. It acts as a critical tool to meet BC’s labour market and economic development needs and priorities. British Columbian employers will require […]

BC is expected to have 861,000 job openings between 2019 and 2029 and the government has acknowledged that this cannot be filled with local, domestic labour.  Immigration is and will continue to be a major source of our workforce in BC.  However, we are selling our businesses, our newcomers, and our economy short if we […]

The Government of British Columbia is delivering significant measures to improve access to more affordable childcare. However, currently only 60% of women over 25 are members of Canada’s labour pool – a number that has improved little over the past decade.[1] This untapped economic output could be unleashed with further supports for Early Childhood Education. […]

BC’s growing tech industry is a key source of innovation, GDP, job growth and economic diversity.  While the BC Tech sector is growing and challenged to find staff, there are other sectors and demographics in BC that have technical people who are underemployed. New economic immigrants with technical skills cannot get access to job opportunities […]

In April 2018, the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training released the Adult Education Policy Framework;[1] however, considering the policy objectives, which include accessibility, sustainability, transferability and accountability, there is a need to broaden its scope and make the framework implementable. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it apparent that enhancing the scope of e-learning […]

There has never been a better opportunity to help the trucking industry obtain the skilled professional truck drivers it needs and improve public safety at the same time. The Humboldt tragedy has focused public attention on the training and certification of commercial vehicle operators as never before. Ontario and Quebec have had mandatory training requirements […]

Physician Assistants/Physician Extenders make health care more accessible. There is clear evidence that availability of primary care has significant implications for British Columbia’s economy both in terms of overall population health and the impact of employee productivity and absences on business. Though our government has made expanding availability of primary care a key priority, British […]

English is the language of business in BC, and to fully participate in our economy people need the ability to read, write and speak comfortably in English.  However, newcomers to BC and Canada may not, understandably, be proficient in English and this may undercut their integration into the community and delay their success in the […]