VICTORIA, BC- The Alliance of BC Students is pleased to see $68 million in investments through BC Budget 2021 towards skills training and employment opportunities for students, young people, women, and Indigenous people. The Budget includes an investment of $36 million to increase job placements and co-op opportunities for students and recent graduates, an additional $5 million for micro-credential programs, $6 million for work-integrated learning placements, and $4 million for short-term skills training programs. $17 million is also allocated to increase access to skills training for Indigenous peoples. The Alliance is also supportive of new investments in mental health, including $8 million towards suicide prevention and the establishment of 12 additional Foundry Centres to provide free services to youth aged 12 to 24.
“We are glad to see access to post-secondary education and employment for students and young people being prioritized through this budget,” said Anna-Elaine Rempel, Executive Director of the Alliance of BC Students. “Students have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, particularly in job losses and reductions to their work hours, leading to high rates of stress and anxiety.”
Students are more likely to work in sectors that have been the most directly impacted by the pandemic. Student employment in Canada reached a peak in the summer of 2020 with women students’ unemployment reaching 41% and men students’ unemployment at 37%, which are currently sitting around 15% and 11.5% respectively. Job losses and financial strain have significantly contributed to declines in mental wellbeing since the beginning of the pandemic, particularly for women, gender-diverse folks, and Indigenous people.
While these investments are necessary and appreciated, the Alliance hopes to see additional future investments in student financial aid and ongoing free- to low-cost, multi-session counselling services for students, especially those over the age of 24. The Alliance also notes that international students continue to not have access to most pandemic financial supports and programs, including some of the investments included in today’s budget. The Alliance will continue to advocate for inclusion of international students in recognition of their immense contributions to the economic and social wellbeing of BC.
"Today’s budget recognizes many of the challenges that students and young people are facing in this pandemic and takes meaningful steps to address them," Rempel continued. “We will continue to advocate for supports for graduate education, international students, and age-inclusive, ongoing student mental health services"