The Province’s new Look West: Jobs and Prosperity for a Stronger BC and Canada strategy lays out an ambitious plan for B.C.’s economic future. It highlights major project investment, expansion of key sectors such as life sciences, maritime, aerospace, and tech, and a strong emphasis on building the workforce needed to fuel this growth.

What’s missing, however, is recognition of the essential role community-based employment service providers play in making any of this possible.

Although the strategy speaks at length about training seats, micro-credentials, immigration pathways, and attracting global talent, it overlooks the first interventions of workforce development: helping people prepare for, enter, and stay in the labour market. ASPECT members support British Columbians every day with career exploration, readiness, skills development, barrier removal, and employer connections. These services are vital for trades, tech, and all the targeted sectors identified in the strategy.

Major projects such as LNG, critical minerals, port expansions, and clean-energy infrastructure will require strong local hiring pipelines. Community-based providers are already doing this work, but are missing in the plan. Similarly, as BC seeks to double employment in tech and life sciences, we must ensure people can access these opportunities, not just through training, but through wraparound supports and guided pathways.

In short, we cannot achieve BC’s economic goals without the foundational work of the employment services sector.

ASPECT will continue advocating for greater recognition of community-based employment and career development services as essential partners in BC’s economic strategy. Our sector is ready to help the province meet its goals, and we want to be fully at the table as this work moves forward.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO