Province Announces Major Investment to Expand Skilled Trades Training in B.C.
Categories: BC, IBEW, Local 993
Posted on December 17, 2025 1:26 pm
British Columbia says it is ramping up skilled-trades training across the province so more people can qualify for the family-supporting jobs being created through major construction, clean energy, mining, and advanced-technology projects.
For IBEW 993 members, the message is simple. Projects are moving ahead, and the Province is signaling it wants more trained, certified workers available so those jobs can be filled by British Columbians, not delayed by labour shortages.
Premier David Eby said the goal is to create opportunity by expanding training so people can access better-paying, more secure careers, while keeping major projects on schedule. Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Minister Jessie Sunner said the investment is meant to strengthen the trades training system so working people can access good-paying jobs and be first in line for new opportunities.
What the Province says this funding will do
Over the next three years, the Province says it will double trades-training funding, backed by a $241 million fund, and permanently strengthen B.C.’s trades-training system. The investment is intended to:
- Increase per-seat funding for apprenticeship programs
- Reduce wait lists for critical industrial trades so people can get into training faster
- Advance skilled-trades certification, starting with crane operators
- Make it easier for workers to move between industries as opportunities change
BC Building Trades executive director Brynn Bourke said the funding will help union training schools and joint boards deliver more training and support industry needs, and that BC Building Trades welcomes the investment and looks forward to partnering with government to develop the next generation of skilled trades workers.
Why this matters to IBEW 993
IBEW 993 is built on the idea that training creates opportunity. When apprenticeship seats expand and wait lists shrink, it helps working people get certified sooner, supports safer and more professional job sites, and helps keep major projects staffed with properly trained tradespeople.
As more projects ramp up across B.C., the ability to train, certify, and dispatch skilled workers quickly is key to protecting standards in our industry and keeping good union jobs in front of British Columbians.
Quick facts from the Province
- B.C. reports nearly 50,000 registered apprentices and more than 11,000 high school participants
- SkilledTradesBC oversees nearly 90 trades programs and funds nearly 28,000 apprenticeship and foundation-training seats across public, union, and private institutions
- Since 2017, seven trades have been introduced as skilled-trades certification trades
- Nine more have been identified for future introduction, including tower and mobile crane operators
- The Province says this is the first major increase in skilled-trades training in nearly two decades