Table of Contents
*Details of the StrongerBC economic recovery plan can be found here:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/StrongerBC_BCs-Economic-Recovery-Report.pdf
Backgrounders on specific aspects of the plan are here:
https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/StrongerBC_BCs-Economic-Recovery_Backgrounders.pdf
Of potential interest are the projects listed on page 21 of the plan, with some details of expenditure on page 32 and 33.
- Help create 500 new jobs in wildfire protection;
- Increase skills training and education programs in Indigenous communities by $15 million to help more Indigenous people upgrade their skills and access new employment opportunities;
- Fund short-term training to allow up to 2,800 people to get the skills they need to work in high-demand fields;
- Add over 1,000 new short-term jobs to protect our natural spaces and help prepare for the effects of climate change;
- Provide an additional $46 million to enhance health and safety in our childcare programs, and speed up our plan to build and open up to 1,200 more child care spaces;
- Spur the creation of good-paying, clean-tech jobs with a new Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy – a part of CleanBC;
- Invest in new opportunities for young forestry workers, while helping older workers move into a comfortable and dignified retirement;
- Create new grants to support non-profits who hire British Columbians living with disabilities.
**As noted above, the CleanBC Workforce Readiness Plan is not completed yet but public engagement continued through 2019 and early 2020. This link to a report from March 2019 gives an indication of the plan’s assumptions and possible content, see page 47 onwards:
https://blog.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/436/2019/02/CleanBC_Full_Report_Updated_Mar2019.pdf
Highlights #
- Work with post-secondary institutions to support students to succeed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery.
- With support from the Minister of Health, lead work to launch BC’s second medical school to expand our healthcare workforce.
- Expand the BC Access Grant program by increasing eligibility to reduce barriers and make sure more people are able to access the skills they need for the jobs of the future.
- Create an additional 2,000 new tech-relevant spaces in public post-secondary institutions.
- Conduct a funding review of post-secondary education operating grants to make sure public post-secondary institutions have the resources they need to support economic recovery and student success.
- Work to expand on the investment that our economic recovery plan, StrongerBC*, is making in scholarships for people pursuing online courses to re-skill for the digital economy.
- Complete and implement the CleanBC Workforce Readiness Plan** to train people for jobs in the low-carbon economy and help us meet our CleanBC commitments.
- Support the work of the Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation to invest in innovation clusters, with a focus on emerging industries where BC companies have developed the early lead – such as life sciences, emergency management technology, engineered wood, clean tech, artificial intelligence, and quantum and virtual reality technologies.
- Support the work of the Minister of State for Child Care to implement and enhance the Early Care and Learning Recruitment and Retention Strategy.
- Regulate compulsory trades and red seal certifications across various occupations adding job security, wages, and credibility to various trade workers.
- Increase minimum wage to $15/hour by 2021, connecting it to inflation
- Add 2000 technology training spaces to public post-secondary institutions.
- Create pensions and benefit plans for self-employed and gig economy workers.
- Work on a plan to support 15,000 SMB, mostly in the accommodations, hospitality, tourism, and service sector in BC – 300 million.
- Create a 15% refundable tax credit to businesses that have created a new job in their organization.