BURNABY, B.C. — British Columbia is launching a post-secondary training program that aims to put students on the fast track to high-demand jobs.
Advanced Education Minister Anne Kang says the program focuses on short-term courses designed for students looking to update their current skills or acquire new ones for employment opportunities.
She says program participants will receive "micro-credentials" through courses for in-demand opportunities, including emerging technologies, health services and climate action.
Kang says the $4-million program, funded by the B.C. and federal governments, allows 15 post-secondary institutions to provide 24 micro-credential options, such as green technology training at the B.C. Institute of Technology.
The program offers opportunities to upgrade skills or change career paths without committing to a long-term post-secondary program.
Kang says over the next decade, about 80 per cent of job openings in B.C. will require some form of post-secondary education.
"Micro-credentials are a new way to learn in B.C.'" Kang said during a news conference Monday at the B.C. Institute of Technology campus in Burnaby. "They are focused on in-demand jobs so that British Columbians can access opportunities that put their new skills to work."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2021.
The Canadian Press
