The BC Labour Market Outlook 2010-2020 projects the highest growth for skilled workers in BC is in the northern regions.

Much of this growth is driven by the anticipated liquefied natural gas (LNG) export industry, which according to the recent BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy Committee report, will need more than 75,000 permanent skilled workers once projects are fully operational. 

The Industry Training Authority (ITA) is committed to helping to meet the labour demand, in the North, as well as across BC.

ITA works with partners in industry, training, government, and labour to provide programs that offer the right training, in the right places, at the right time.

One such program is the Industry Training Authority’s Immigrants in Trades Training (ITT) initiative. ITT helps skilled New Canadians who are unemployed or employed in low-skilled jobs overcome barriers to entering the trades.

The initiative supports New Canadians who already have technical skills from their home countries, but need Canadian certification.

“This program helps us provide support to underrepresented groups in trades, who have the desire, background, and skills to do the job and who can be a key part of a strategy to meet the demand,” says Erin Johnston, Director of Training Delivery, ITA.

The UA Piping Industry College of BC (UAPICBC), one of the Industry Training Authority’s four Immigrants in Trades Training (ITT) initiative service providers, is committed to harnessing the potential of skilled New Canadians to help fill the demand for skilled tradespeople.

“With three fully operational campuses, one in the Lower Mainland, and two in the North, we regularly come into contact with immigrants who have the in-demand skills and experience, but have abandoned their trade because they lack the necessary credentials,” said Al Phillips, Executive Director, UAPICBC.

“These are extremely dedicated and motivated workers, who are keen to pursue any opportunity that will enable them to practice their trade in Canada so it’s nice to be able to support them.”

Through a number of key programs and a variety of funding opportunities, UAPICBC has been able to assist skilled New Canadians with the training necessary to gain Canadian qualifications.  “We recently developed and offered an IP Challenger refresher course specifically for those skilled immigrants,” said Phillips. “We had our first intake in February 2013 of this year which was highly successful and we will be delivering our second intake of this program next month.”

In total, more than 1,500 skilled immigrants have completed training or introductory training courses through the Immigrants in Trades Training (ITT) initiative since it first started in 2008. Programs offered through the initiative provide skilled New Canadians with hands-on experience, financial assistance, safety training, English courses, and career counseling to help them become valuable, well-rounded employees.

 

The Immigrants in Trades Training initiative is funded through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Agreement and is overseen by ITA. To learn more and to find a list of ITT Service Providers visit www.itabc.ca/immigrants-trades/overview