Funding for industry trades training and apprenticeships has increased by 42 per cent since 2001, with some 47,000 registered apprentices and trainees expected this year – more than triple the number under the NDP’s last year in office. Our plan dedicates $105 million per year to the Industry Trades Training Authority (ITA). By year end, we will have funded an additional 7,000 new apprenticeship spaces since 2007/08.

To stimulate new jobs for trades workers, we introduced a BC Training Tax Credit in 2007. It provides refundable income tax credits for employers who employ apprentices enrolled in any of the 100-plus apprenticeship programs covering over 140 careers administered through the ITA. The cost to government is about $20 million a year.

A BC Liberal Government will build on its 2009 Budget by doubling the BC Training Tax Credit, effective July 1, 2009. Employers will be eligible for a tax credit of 10 per cent of salary and wages paid, to a new maximum of $4,000 per apprentice, for any tax year in which the employee is still in the first 24 months of apprenticeship. This will be financed from savings in the contingency budget. It will create new incentives for job creation that will help trades workers and employers alike in these challenging economic times.

Each year, more than 40,000 immigrants move to BC. Our plan includes new investments to help support them through WelcomeBC and enhanced ESL programs. It includes $16 million over the next three years to help remove barriers to employment through the Skills Connect for Immigrants and the International Qualifications programs. Those programs will help immigrants get new skills, language support, credential recognition and workplace experience to overcome barriers to employment.

The Provincial Nominee program will also be enhanced to accelerate immigration for qualified skilled workers, designated health professionals, international graduates and experienced entrepreneurs. We will continue to push for the expansion of the federal Temporary Foreign Workers program. Skilled immigrants are key to meeting our labour force needs in health delivery, construction, information technology and new media, film and television production, life sciences, clean energy, engineering, and other vocations.