Just as it did last year, this year...

Just as it did last year, this year's BC Check-Up identifies the ne to educate our young the public for the jobs of the futurity as one of British Columbia's greatest in number imminent challenges. Consider the following statistic: Although EC's on a level of educational attainment increased slightly (04%) in 2004 to 593% (for 25 to 54 year-olds), we continue to trail the Canadian average of 616%

In our batch submissions to the Select Standing Committee upon Finance and Government Services above the past two years, we've approveed that the government focus forward ensuring an adequate population of trained employee within a focus on developing post-secondary graduates.

This beg for was reflected in the government's 2004/05 stock which promised an additional 25000 of recent origin postsecondary seats by 2010-the largest postsecondary expansion in 40 years. After applauding this initiative, the ICABC went further, suggesting that surplus currency be spent to accelerate increases in the number of post-secondary seats in BC

Current stock vs. future needs

In 2004 230% of the population aged 25-54 had a university rank 36.0% had non-university certification, and 410% had post-secondary certification.1 Comparing these numbers with the shoot forwarded labour market requirements for BC between 2003-201 5 there is clearly a ne to increase the number of population with postsecondary certificates/diplomas and university standings and decrease the number of British Columbians with no post-secondary certification (see graph, page 15)

Determining which skills will be in the highest demand requires an examination of occupations that are likely to extend and of the education they require. The increasing use of technology in all sectors means workers in each occupation will need higher skill levels

By combining the projections from the Canadian Occupational Projection combination of parts to form a whole (COPS) and the labour demand projections freshly completed for the 2010 Olympic Committee, it's estimated that BC will descry the highest level of piece of work growth in the occupational areas listed in the table below (specific occupations that will be in high demand are highlighted within the occupational group)

Interestingly, many of these occupations will require post-secondary training if it be not that not university degrees; in fact, the greatest majority of openings (44%) will be for nation with post-secondary certificates or diplomas. Unfortunately, many of these occupations go through from perception problems or a lack of awareness from BC's scholars and parentsboth groups share a bias toward university education. In particular, 69% of parents want their children to attend university, despite the fact that solitary 35% of BC students commonly do, and only 29% of the work at jobss require university credentials.2

In order to combat this puzzle a number of initiatives to raise the profile of these career options are underway, including the BC Business Council's "Third Option" initiative, which is creating awareness of 47 careers in 10 industries, and the Industry Training Authority's Accelerated Credit Enrolment in Industry Training (ACE-IT), which enables high-school bookish mans to receive college-level credit towards an apprenticeships or industry training programs.

The message present the appearances to be getting throughthe Industry Training Authority registered a 37% increase in industry trainees in the fiscal year fall of the curtained March 31, 2005.'

Overall shortage of workers

With the anticipated work at jobs growth over the next decade, BC faces not merely the problem of educating workers for these fresh jobs, but of finding workers in the first place. Based upon the impending retirement of the "Baby Boom" generation, BC is facing a shortage of workers.

In fact, it's exhibited that by 2010, for the first time at any time more people will be leaving the workforce than entering it4-this despite the potential removal of the mandatory retirement age and the number of persons working later in life. Between 2003 and 2015 it's schemeed that BC will require 913000 workers to fill work at jobss created through retirement and piece of work growth; over 60.0% (558,000) of these openings will be created as a be derived of retirements.' With a existing workforce of 2,060,000, these retirements delineate the loss of more than a quarter of EC's generally received workers. In addition, it's estimated that 130000 piece of works will be created by the 2010 Olympics and related projects6 When these piece of works are added in the total intended openings for 2003-2015, BC will have to fill 1043000 recent jobs.

The number of BC scholars (K-12) numbers only 680,000. calm if all of these learners are properly trained and set down the workforce, BC will still be 363000 workers short of drawed demands.7 It's likely, therefore, that BC will have to increase its number of workers between the sides of in-migration from other parts of Canada and other countries. Considering that 81% of CAs who accorded to the CA Business prospect survey (2002) already believe that attracting and retaining high-calibre employee is a significant hurdle for BC businesses, our province is clearly facing a vast challenge to ensure that it has the workers it necessitys to continue moving forward.