Making the most of economic recovery post-pandemic will take training and growing the work force, says B.C.B次元官网网址檚 premier.
Premier John Horgan addressed delegates during the first day of the Vancouver Island Economic Summit on Wednesday, Oct. 27. He spoke on a range of topics, but part of the focus was on labour shortages limiting the growth potential for companies on the Island and across B.C.
Horgan said B.C. is B次元官网网址渓eading CanadaB次元官网网址檚 economic recoveryB次元官网网址� with a comparatively low unemployment rate, and said more British Columbians are working today than when the pandemic hit. The job recovery rate on Vancouver Island is 104 per cent, he said.
However, Horgan said business owners are continually telling him that B.C. B次元官网网址渘eeds to up its gameB次元官网网址� with skills training.
The premier lauded the provinceB次元官网网址檚 partnerships with post-secondary institutions on the Island in educating and training the next generation of workers. Horgan said thousands are being trained now in the health-care sector, and said 500 Island-based grads will soon be ready to start careers in that field.
He pointed to a new engineering building coming to the University of Victoria which will help create hundreds of spaces for science, technology, engineering and math students, and said 20 new B次元官网网址榤icro-credentialB次元官网网址� programs are launching in B.C. with more on the way. Horgan said the province is also trying to make education more accessible for Indigenous people, with 1,700 new spaces provincewide for skills training B次元官网网址渋n high-demand fields.B次元官网网址�
Immigration will be another part of the solution, the premier said, adding that he will be working with the federal government on that front.
B次元官网网址淢any people, businesses and communities are still feeling the effects of the pandemic, but we are well-positioned to seize the opportunities ahead,B次元官网网址� Horgan said.
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The premier also spoke about his governmentB次元官网网址檚 efforts to recognize the pandemicB次元官网网址檚 impacts on peopleB次元官网网址檚 mental health. He said while the provincial government had contingency plans for dealing with a virus pandemic, the people of B.C. didnB次元官网网址檛 have those same contingencies.
B次元官网网址淧eople at home or people in small businesses, theyB次元官网网址檙e not preparing for these things B次元官网网址� theyB次元官网网址檙e preparing to get through the week, to meet payroll, to meet their mortgage payments. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what people are doing,B次元官网网址� Horgan said. B次元官网网址淪o we are very concerned about the mental health impacts of not just the pandemic, but all of these other variables.B次元官网网址�
He said the government is taking action through its Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and said he was glad to see the federal government create the same sort of ministry. The premier said he will continue to advocate for increased federal health transfers which can fund not only mental health care, but other improvements to B.C.B次元官网网址檚 health-care system.
Horgan also noted that mental health continues to generate more talk and less stigma.
B次元官网网址淗ow do we all come together to make sure weB次元官网网址檙e caring for each other, that government is doing what it can to put in place programs, but also that communities are identifying where we need to fill gaps,B次元官网网址� he asked.
The Vancouver Island Economic Summit continues today, Oct. 28. For more information, visit .
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