Memo to B.C. students: Move to find a job

Minister urges grads to be 'flexible,' focus education on in-demand careers

Post-secondary students in British Columbia are being urged to think about moving to where the jobs are, and to tailor their education to match in-demand positions.

In an opinion piece, Amrik Virk, B.C.’s minister of advanced education, said residents “must be flexible” about moving to locations that have jobs — and that often means away from the heavily populated southern regions of the province.

“My advice to students is to look at where the jobs are based and tailor their education and training to match,” said Virk. “Our population is concentrated in the Lower Mainland and on southern Vancouver Island, but as a resource-based economy, many directly and indirectly related jobs are located elsewhere.”

The province said labour market forecasts predict an estimated one million jobs in B.C. by 2020, and 43 per cent will require trades or technical training.

Virk also said government and institutions have to ensure they “continue to adapt and respond when it comes to preparing students for the jobs of today, as well as the jobs of tomorrow, whatever they may be.”

The northwestern part of B.C. is expected to be an economic hot spot in coming years, said Virk, because it’s the heart of liquefied natural gas development.

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