Thursday, December 3rd was the Vancouver Island Education and Career Fair. There were a variety of representatives from schools and training institutes in BC, Alberta, USA and even Switzerland, as well as people from the Department of National Defense, Corrections and the Victoria Police Department. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the multitude of training that is available. Some interesting labour market tidbits from the fair:

-China has recently approved Canada as a vacation destination. This could mean an increase of millions of dollars a year in tourism. It could also mean opportunities for those people that have training in tourism fields and/or have a working knowledge of Mandarin or Cantonese.

-The Roofing Contractors Association of BC (RCABC) offers free apprenticeship training to students if they have a connection to an employer and have registered as an apprentice. The RCABC has a list of employers that members of the Association and are open to providing you with the employer contact information so you can approach them to discuss employment and apprenticeship opportunities. In January they will be also offering a month long entry-level roofing course in Langley free to women. To find out more about this program contact Carolynn Jones at the Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver at 1-888-879-9593.

-Interested in working in the resource sector as an apprentice? The Resource Training Organization (RTO) was established in 2007 to oversee the management and development of apprenticeship training for the resource sector in BC. RTO represents a cross sectoral group of employers in the mining and smelting, oil and gas, pulp and paper, solid wood, and heavy shipbuilding and repair sectors.

-With environmental sustainability being a major concern in our world today, local food production and agrotourism are growing industries (BC Stats reports in November there was a 20% employment growth in Agriculture). The University of Fraser Valley is one instution that offers various courses in Agriculture Sciences and Technology.

If you missed the fair visit the Resource Room at the Career Centre to browse the most recent catalogues from the schools that were present. As well feel free to make an appointment to speak with an Employment Consultant about your career goals and education plan.

British Columbia will pay up to 750 unemployed workers to take wildfire suppression training to enhance the Province’s capacity to fight and contain forest fires. According to officials, the fire season has hit harder and earlier than average and our fire crews have been working extremely hard to put the flames out.  The Emergency Firefighter Training program is taking an opportunity to be proactive and provide unemployed workers with the skills to help fight fires should we face the need in the coming months. 

The program will pay qualified individuals $15 per hour to take the S-100 Basic Fire Suppression and Safety training course that prepares individuals to become emergency firefighters. The two-day course is a comprehensive introduction to wildfire suppression work and combines classroom theory with a hands-on field component. 

Once trained, individuals with a valid S-100 certificate can be placed on an availability list to assist fire centres and fire suppression contractors in the event that existing resources are fully deployed and additional contingency firefighting resources are needed. When deployed, emergency firefighters earn $15 per hour and typically perform mop-up, patrols, camp demobilization and other support functions under the supervision of experienced personnel. 

While applicants are encouraged to apply quickly, some of the training has already begun. Training will be delivered in regions across the province, with the most likely locations near the existing fire centres in Parksville, Kamloops, Castlegar, Prince George, Smithers, and Williams Lake. The list of communities will be adjusted to best accommodate the number and location of applicants. Additional course dates and locations will be considered if there is sufficient demand.  The training program is expected to cost $250,000 and will be coordinated by the Wildfire Management Branch. Further details and application information for the Emergency Firefighter Training program are available at www.bcwildfire.ca 

 

 

Vancouver Island University Centre for Continuing Studies is offering Occupational First Aid courses for any VIU students that require them as prerequisites for their program or their summer jobs.  VIU students are entitled to special rates for these upcoming courses.  Students just have to fill out the attached form and and fax it  to (250) 740-6425.