By 2016 there will be more jobs than qualified people

By Amara Janssens
Photos by Vaikunthe Banerjee

Six BC universities released the BC Labour Market Profile, projecting a massive labour deficit in jobs requiring a post secondary education by 2016. The Research Universities’ Council of BC (made up of the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria, the University of Northern BC, Royal Roads University, and Thompson Rivers University), based its findings on the provincial government’s labour figures and found thousands of jobs will lack qualified individuals and will subsequently go unfilled.

According to the report released Jan. 29, 2013, the skills deficit will grow until 2020 when approximately 18,800 jobs could go unoccupied because too few British Columbians will have the necessary training. The report identified that of these thousands of jobs, 8,400 jobs will require a university degree, 8,100 a college credential, and 2,300 trades training.

The report set forth three recommendations for the provincial government, including adding 11,000 new student spaces for university, college, and trades training over the next four years. For the Lower Mainland specifically, this skills deficit will hit particularly hard since this region will see two thirds of the one million job openings projected from 2010 to 2020. “One of the big needs identified is in the Lower Mainland, with the greatest need south of the Fraser,” said SFU’s president Petter.

With increased populations, Petter noted that it is increasingly difficult finding space in a university in this region. SFU has submitted an application to the province to double the capacity of SFU Surrey campus from 2,500 students to 5,000. Petter stated that the province must take action in order to address this student deficit. Currently, BC is facing a trades deficit, but Petter cautions the province against focusing on only this sector of post secondary education stating. “We have to look past the short term,” said Petter.

What the study released today shows is the need will be even greater for university.” The other two recommendations set forth by RUCBC include a guarantee for students in need (more grants, scholarships and improvements to student loans) and the launch of the Innovate BC initiative, to build on BC’s research and innovation potential, advance new opportunities, and
help drive economic growth. University of British Columbia president Stephen Toope said in a Jan. 29 press release, “To secure our economy, we need to continue to build on our excellent post-secondary system and
deepen our commitment to education, innovation and research.”

However, the provincial government has not increased funding to post secondary institutions in recent years. Petter commented that funding has been “frozen for the last four years,” in both the amount of funds given to institutions and the amount of money provided for each student. This lack of increased funding not only influences the amount of students a university can admit, but is also leading to rise of graduate students pursuing their studies in other provinces where funding and scholarship programs are present. Petter said “we are losing students from BC,” stating BC is having a “brain drain” as students are heading to Alberta and Ontario where funding programs exist.

Lucia Orser, director of external relations at the UVic Students’ Society said in a press release, “BC’s major political parties need to think carefully about this when they draft their policy platforms going into the May 2013 provincial election.”