B.C. residents looking to upgrade their skills or develop new ones for jobs in high-demand areas can still access up to $3,500 in provincial grants to help cover tuition costs.
The province’s StrongerBC future skills grant program, launched last year, is accepting applications for grants that may cover most of the tuition of short-term training programs at public post-secondary institutions.
More than 300 training programs are available that start in September, the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills said Wednesday, adding registration for the fall semester is now open.
The grants can be used for training in fields ranging from emergency medical responder to electric-vehicle repair, wildfire fighting and cybersecurity training.
Camosun College said Wednesday that more than 550 people have used the grant to take skills upgrading at the college, which it says offered the most eligible training opportunities out of all post-secondary institutions in the province.
Forty courses at Camosun have been renewed for funding under the StrongerBC future skills grant, the college said, including micro-credentials in everything from arc welding to film production assistant and foot-care nursing.
“This grant gives people in our community a wonderful opportunity to upskill without the financial burden,” says Michelle Brown, director of professional studies and industry training at Camosun.
“The goal of all of our programming is to improve the lives of our learners. We are so grateful to the return of this funding. It will make a huge difference in our community.”
Premier David Eby said in a statement that because B.C.’s economy is growing, there are more job openings than people with the training needed to work in high-demand fields.
“We need to give people the opportunity to build a good life — and help employers find the people to drive our economy forward and deliver the services we all rely on.”
B.C. residents 19 and older are eligible for the grants, which will help people boost their skills, succeed in their current jobs and get better-paying jobs, said Lisa Beare, minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.
Last year, more than 7,000 people in B.C. accessed the grant.
For more information, go to: workbc.ca/find-loans-and-grants/students-and-adult-learners/strongerbc-future-skills-grant
