Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­

VANCOUVER — The Government of B.C. has announced Vancouver Community College (VCC) will receive 224 new skilled-trades training seats, and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) will add 272 new seats as part of the Look West strategy to deliver 5,000 new trades-training seats in 2026-27.

This will bring the total number of trades training seats available at VCC to more than 1,770 this year.

In addition, nearly 900 seats have been added at BCIT in response to demand, a release reads.

The new training at BCIT is part of a regional expansion that is adding more than 2,000 new trades-training seats in the Lower Mainland in 2026, with more to come.

B.C. says the new trades training seats will:

• reduce wait lists for in-demand apprenticeship programs
• introduce more young people to the trades
• increase training capacity in high-demand occupations, including automotive service technician, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ electrician, heavy mechanical trades and refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic.

With major projects in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­, clean energy, mining, transportation and advanced technology being planned, demand for skilled workers throughout British Columbia, including in the Lower Mainland, is increasing.