The transportation-related sectors within British Columbia include the Road; Rail; Marine and Aerospace industry, which are among the longest established and largest sectors of the economy, accounting for 1 in 7 jobs in British Columbia.

Collectively, they account for over 140,000 jobs and almost $20 billion in economic activity in the Greater Vancouver Gateway alone.

Without the necessary human resources and skills, our ability to move people and freight, and build and maintain transportation infrastructure and equipment will be seriously hampered.

There has never been a better time or a greater need to focus on training. Let’s use this opportunity to get ahead of British Columbia’s labour shortage by skilling up now to be ready for the times ahead.

Why should we invest in training today for a more prosperous tomorrow?

• Baby Boomer retirements are going to leave British Columbia with a deficit of at least 110,000 jobs by 2016.
• Retirement will open up 650,000 jobs by then, with only 540,000 replacement workers coming through the education pipeline.
• We will be faced with 110,000 vacant positions - and that does not include job growth associated with an economic upswing.
• With British Columbia’s declining birth rate - by 2011, immigration will be the province’s primary source of new skilled workers.
• By 2016, 30 per cent of British Columbia’s population will be 55 years of age or older, and
• By 2018, $378 billion will be lost to our province’s GDP if the skilled labour gap is not filled.

As partners in industry training, we need to work together to ensure that British Columbia has the skilled workers required to assure our province’s future prosperity.