The most recent report from Statistics Canada shows that apprenticeship students in B.C. have been struggling under the Campbell Liberal government says North Coast MLA Gary Coons.
The report, which shows that 43 per cent of apprentices in B.C. hit financial barriers during their training, as opposed to 12.6 per cent in Quebec is bad news for the north, says the North Coast MLA.
“The industries that are vital to our economy in northern and rural communities are industries that thrive when there is a good pool of skilled tradesmen in the area,” said Coons. “Our young people depend on trades to stay in our communities.”
It is estimated that in 2010 there will be more people leaving the workforce than entering it. Organizations like the Canada West Foundation, the B.C. Federation of Labour and the B.C. Business Council have been sounding the alarm about a shortage of skilled labour in British Columbia for several years now.
“We need to make training affordable and accessible for students in British Columbia,” said Coons. “Whether we are talking about doctors, nurses, and childcare workers, or about plumbers, millwrights and carpenters, if we don’t open these doors for people now, our economy is going to suffer. Companies simply won’t come here; the cost of doing business will be too high.”
The average student-debt load for a four-year program in British Columbia is now $27,000, the highest in the country. Coons says that financial barriers for students come in many forms.
“Young people today don’t have the same ability to save for college and university that they once did,” said Coons. “The six dollar training wage, and a minimum wage that has been stagnant since 2001, combined with rising tuition fees and a lack of affordable housing is putting trades training out of reach for a lot of people leaving school.”
Coons says it is no easier for mature people who would like to upgrade their skills to afford to enter the trades.
“The fact of the matter is that most mature students who would like to get this training are trapped in low wage situations,” said Coons. “People living on the minimum wage have seen their incomes decline over the past seven years, and now tuition fees are more expensive than ever, as is rent, gas and food. Even with co op programs and the like, students face a huge financial barrier to upgrading their skills.”