A recent report from British Columbia (BC) reveals that the province anticipates adding 1 million jobs to its workforce by 2033, as outlined in the Labour Market Outlook report.
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Job Opportunities In British Columbia (BC)
This report forecasts the demand for careers, skills training, and education, along with the industries expected to hire in the coming ten years.
The key findings of the report indicate that 65% of the new job opportunities will emerge as replacements for retiring workers in BC. It is estimated that by 2030, around nine million Canadians will have retired.
The remaining 35% (345,000) of the jobs will contribute to expanding the provincial workforce. The BC government predicts an annual average employment growth of 1.2%, leading to a workforce of 3.1 million people by 2033.
New immigrants are projected to constitute 46% of the job seekers in BC, a notable increase from the report released five years ago. The government expects 470,000 new immigrant workers, including both permanent and temporary residents, to arrive in the province over the next decade.
Higher-than-expected immigration levels and increased labor force participation in key age groups are factors contributing to a balance between job seekers and new job openings.
The report emphasizes that 75% of the anticipated job openings will require some form of post-secondary education or training.
Read More: New Minimum Wage in British Columbia Coming for Gig Workers
Occupations and Training
The report includes a list of occupations with the highest number of job opportunities in BC’s labor force, categorized by the level of education needed:
Degree:
- Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- Elementary school and kindergarten teachers
- Software engineers and designers
College diploma or apprenticeship:
- Social and community service workers
- Early childhood educators and assistants
- Police officers (except commissioned)
High school and/or occupation-specific training:
- Letter carriers
- Couriers and messengers
- Mail and parcel sorters, and related occupations
To ensure residents have the required skills, BC is expanding access to training in various fields. Initiatives include funding new nursing seats, creating a medical school, increasing early childhood educator spaces, adding tech-relevant spaces, and investing in a new Centre for Clean Energy and Automotive Innovation at Vancouver Community College.
BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP)
BC invites candidates to apply for provincial nomination through the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) to support workforce expansion. The program enables the province to select economic immigration candidates likely to integrate successfully into the local economy.
Reports like the Labour Market Outlook inform the BC PNP on specific attributes to focus on when issuing invitations.
BC conducts regular draws for candidates in various occupations, including tech, healthcare, and construction. The BC PNP offers pathways for skilled newcomers through streams such as Skilled Workers, International Graduates, Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled streams, entrepreneurial streams, a tech stream, and a stream for Express Entry candidates, each with unique eligibility criteria.
