There has never been a better time or a greater need for employers and apprentices to focus on training. Let’s use this recession as an opportunity to get ahead of B.C.’s labour shortage by skilling up now to be ready for better economic times ahead.

Why should we invest in training today for a more prosperous tomorrow?

Because Baby Boomer retirements are going to leave us with a deficit of at least 110,000 jobs by 2016. Retirement will open up 650,000 jobs by then, with only 540,000 replacement workers coming through the education pipeline. Shortfall: 110,000… and that does not include job growth associated with an economic upswing.
Because with B.C.’s declining birth rate - by 2011, immigration will be the province’s primary source of new skilled workers.
Because, by 2016, 30 per cent of B.C.’s population will be 55 years of age or older.
Because by 2018, $378 billion will be lost to our province’s GDP if the skilled labour gap is not filled.

As partners in industry training, we need to work together to ensure that B.C. has the skilled tradespeople required to assure our province’s future prosperity. This means keeping employers committed to retaining and hiring apprentices, and keeping apprentices committed to completing their classwork.