B.C. government accepts federal apprenticeship funding, then cuts funding to agency

The B.C. Liberal government has accepted federal apprenticeship dollars while burying the news that they've cut funds for the agency which oversees apprenticeships, the BC Government and Service Employees' Union said today.

On September 16, the B.C. government issued a press release broadcasting a $15 million federal funding increase for apprenticeship support - including extra funds for tuition, EI recipients and living expenses for students enrolled in apprenticeship programs.

However, the government quietly posted a revised service plan on the agency's web site a week earlier, showing a $5.898 million cut in provincial funding to the IndustryTraining Authority (ITA) over the next three years. The new service plan also removes the authority's obligation to provide a "sufficient and timely supply of skilled labour," as well as "efficient and effective program development and delivery."

In addition to cutting funding and removing the obligation to provide services, the ITA service plan also scales back the authority's obligation to assess and report on student completion rates and the level of under-represented group participation in ITA programs - including women, aboriginals and visible minorities.

"This government was first elected, in part, on a public promise to be open, transparent and accessible," Walker said. "Now they are removing basic reporting mechanisms that allow the public to compare their performance against ministry objectives."

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Click to download PDF copy of Revised 2009/10 2011/12 ITA Service Plan

Click to download PDF copy of Original 2009/10 2011/12 ITA Service Plan