Highlights of the Year

The following is an overview of major developments and achievements in British Columbia's post-secondary system in 2004/05:

• Improved student access by increasing system capacity through the first stage of an ambitious plan that will see 25,000 student spaces added to the public post-secondary system by 2010.
• Increased student spaces and opportunities for students to train in strategic skill programs such as nursing, medicine, engineering and skilled trades.
• Introduced the B.C. Loan Reduction Program to ease financial barriers facing post-secondary students.
• Doubled the funding for the adult literacy cost-shared program from $700,000 to $1.4 million as part of a new strategy to make British Columbia the most literate jurisdiction in North America by 2010 and beyond.
• Provided support and helped identify priorities for the Premier's Advisory Panel on Literacy and the November 2004 Premier's Literacy Summit.
• Increased education choices available to students through a new degree quality assessment process, which expands the range of degree programs offered in the province and provides consumer protection for students enrolled in private post-secondary degree programs.
• Worked with employers and educators to improve student employability and meet labour market demand in fields such as aerospace, oil and gas, and hospitality and tourism.
• Boosted participation in industry training through the new Industry Training Authority, which was established in 2004 to expand and improve B.C.'s industry training system.
• Improved opportunities for students to study in their home communities by expanding online learning, increasing spaces at existing institutions across the province, and by establishing the new Thompson Rivers University, the University of British Columbia Okanagan and Okanagan College.
• Continued to bolster research capacity at B.C. public post-secondary institutions through direct and leveraged funding for research projects and capital financing for construction and renovations of research facilities.
• Enhanced accountability in the public post-secondary system under the Accountability Framework as the first annual three-year service plans were issued by B.C. public post-secondary institutions.
• Eased B.C. student loan repayment options with the introduction of online and telephone banking.
• Supported efforts to help Aboriginal students access and complete post-secondary programs through a range of projects under the Aboriginal Special Projects Fund.