CASTLEGAR & NELSON – New Democrat MLAs Brittny Anderson and Katrine Conroy say people in the West Kootenays will be able to re-skill or upskill to prepare for high-demand jobs, thanks to new micro-credential programs being offered at Selkirk College. The courses are part of B.C.’s economic recovery efforts to help more people find their place in the post-COVID-19 economy.

“Keeping skills relevant and up-to-date means good jobs for the people in our communities who are either looking for work or making sure their business is staying current.” said Katrine Conroy. “Selkirk College is doing excellent work building local capacity for employees and employers, and it’s great to see that goal being supported.”

Brittny Anderson said “Offering these courses online means that people across the Kootenays can upgrade their skills or develop new ones. With more diverse education opportunities being made available at Selkirk College, we’re helping to ensure there’s a local workforce that fulfills everyone’s needs.”

Micro-credentials are short courses that help people gain specific skills for high-demand careers. The short duration makes it easier for people to fit in learning around their work and family commitments.

Micro-credential courses being offered at Selkirk College include Core Skills for Facilities Maintenance and Core Skills for Refrigeration Occupations. The new courses are some of 24 new micro-credential programs being offered at 15 of B.C.’s public post-secondary institutions, supported by a total investment of $4 million ($2 million from the Province and $2 million from the Canada-BC Workforce Development Agreement).

MLAs Anderson and Conroy say people whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19 will particularly benefit from these opportunities, designed to help them upskill in their current field or reskill to embark on a new career path.

This announcement is in addition to a new Short-term Skills Training courses to be offered at Selkirk College. This course, Design for Additive Manufacturing, is designed to meet the needs of people who lost their jobs due to COVID-19, particularly youth, women, and low-skilled individuals.

These investments are part of B.C.’s Economic Recovery Plan, to help people, businesses and communities recover and come out of COVID-19 stronger and better prepared. B.C.’s total provincial response to the COVID-19 pandemic exceeds $8.25 billion.

Learn more about micro-credentials: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021AEST0012-000225

Learn more about Short-term Skills Training: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021AEST0010-000211