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2 clusters · 19 sources · 5 days · First seen · Last updated

Categories: POLITICS · BUSINESS

British Columbia trades training expansion

Entities: Kwantlen Polytechnic University · Jessie Sunner · David Eby · British Columbia · British Columbia government

Overview

In late July 2026 the British Columbia government announced the first phase of its Look West strategy to increase skilled‑trades capacity. On 24 July the province added 64 new training seats at Vancouver Island University, split between RV‑technician and carpentry apprenticeships, raising VIU’s total trade‑training capacity to 1,550.

Four days later, on 28 July, the government unveiled a much larger addition of 462 seats at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey for plumbers, electricians, millwrights and other trades. This brought Kwantlen’s capacity above 1,700 seats. Both announcements are part of the province’s $241 million investment aimed at creating 5,000 new skilled‑trades seats for 2026‑27 to support upcoming construction, housing and energy projects and to reduce apprenticeship wait‑lists.

Timeline

  1. 2 days ago

    [POLITICS] 6 sources
    British Columbia adds 462 skilled‑trades seats at Kwantlen Polytechnic University

    British Columbia will add 462 skilled‑trades seats at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, part of a $241 million investment to boost training capacity to over 1,700 seats and support upcoming infrastructure jobs.

  2. 7 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 14 sources
    British Columbia adds 64 skilled‑trades seats at Vancouver Island University

    BC adds 64 new trades training seats at VIU—48 for RV technicians, 16 for carpentry—under the $241 M Look West plan, raising total capacity to 1,550 and aiming to cut apprenticeship wait‑lists.

Sources

alltechnerd.com · campbellrivermirror.com · castanetkamloops.net · cheknews.ca · chemainusvalleycourier.ca · lakecowichangazette.com · mapleridgenews.com · nanaimobulletin.com · news.gov.bc.ca · oakbaynews.com · peninsulanewsreview.com · surreynowleader.com · theprogress.com · todayinbc.com · vancouverislandfreedaily.com · vicnews.com · victoriabuzz.com · voiceonline.com · westerlynews.ca