Trades trailers at NVIT (Image credit: CFJC Today/File photo).

By Brittny Anderson, MLA for Nelson-Creston

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AN IMPORTANT PART OF RECONCILIATION with Indigenous peoples in B.C. is making sure Indigenous youth have every opportunity to learn, thrive, and succeed.

For many young people, post-secondary education is one part of that pathway. But too often, there are barriers that prevent Indigenous youth from getting the education, skills, and experience they need.

We need to knock those barriers down and make investments in programs and resources that make learning accessible for all.

That’s why we recently invested $3.4 million towards Nicola Valley Institute of Technology’s (NVIT) mobile health care and technology training units.

These innovative units will allow Indigenous and other remote learners to access public post-secondary education and training without the need to leave their remote and rural communities.

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One mobile training unit will be a dedicated health care training lab, supporting the Health Care Assistant and Access to Practical Nursing training programs. It will allow students to complete these programs remotely.

The second mobile unit will be a dedicated computer lab, equipped to provide technology training using satellite internet for remote communities. It will allow remote delivery of NVIT’s Foundations in Innovation and Technology program.

The third mobile unit will be used for general education and trades training. The mobile training units are anticipated to be ready to deliver programs by late fall 2023.

Allowing more students to stay in their community to complete their training reduces several barriers, including the cost of travel, accommodation and living expenses in a city. It also allows Indigenous youth to maintain strong connections with their family and community members and take part in meaningful cultural activities.

Students who graduate from these programs, equipped with career-ready skills, may choose to work in the region they are from, using their skills to strengthen their communities.

Experts tell us that 80 per cent of the one million new job openings we will see in B.C. over the next decade will require some post-secondary education.

We’re committed to investing in these programs and others to equip British Columbians with the skills they need to fill the jobs of the future – from health care to technology and other in-demand industries.

NVIT is B.C.’s only Indigenous-governed public post-secondary institute, with a mandate to service Indigenous students across B.C. I’m so excited about the new possibilities that will be created by these mobile training units, and the new horizons that will be possible for Indigenous youth. They are not only future leaders but the leaders of today.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.