Strategic Context

This section of the Service Plan Report provides an overview of the environment within which both post-secondary education, and research and innovation, function in the province. Specific strategic context pieces are provided in each Ministry objective section.

Strong economic growth, low labour force participation and growing demographic pressures have presented, and will continue to present, challenges and opportunities for the post-secondary system, and research and innovation in B.C. over the next several years. As such, the performance results should be considered in the context of these factors.

Demographic Pressures

British Columbia is experiencing demographic pressures related to population growth and aging. Population growth is driven by natural increases, and international and inter-provincial migration. In particular, positive net migration remained the key driver of provincial population growth in 2005, accounting for an estimated 75 per cent of total growth. By the year 2023, net migration is projected to be the sole driver of population growth in B.C. due to declining birth rates.

As the provincial population ages due to the long term decline in fertility rates, there have been changes to the age structure of the population. Reflecting the shift in the age structure, the prime post-secondary cohort (18–29 year olds) grew by 2 per cent over the past year. The cohort will continue to grow at a modest pace, driven by growth in the 25 – 29 year age group. The demand for post-secondary education is expected to increase due to overall growth in the size of the provincial population and the trend towards lifelong learning. The Ministry will need to work with post-secondary institutions to ensure that barriers to learning do not impede post-secondary participation of various age groups.

The Aboriginal population represents an increasingly important segment of the provincial population. The Aboriginal population grew by 22 per cent between 1996 and 2001, and represented five per cent of the total provincial population. As it is expected that the Aboriginal population will continue on an upward trend, post-secondary programming will need to be responsive to the cultural and education needs of their student population.

Shifts in the age structure and composition of B.C.'s population will present challenges for the Ministry in ensuring barriers to learning do not impede post-secondary participation of various population groups. In particular, post-secondary programming and student assistance policies and programs will need to be responsive to the evolving needs of an older and more diverse population.

Strong Economic Growth

British Columbia's real GDP grew by 3.5 per cent in 2005, slightly faster than the 3.4 per cent growth rate forecast in the September Budget Update. Strong consumer spending and investment helped make B.C.'s growth second in the country, behind Alberta's 4.5 per cent expansion. B.C.'s economic growth was accompanied by a marked drop in the unemployment rate and strong labour income growth, supporting consumer spending and residential construction growth.

To support sustained economic growth, the Ministry will need to continue to develop policies and programs that raise the education and skill qualifications of the working age population, increase the number of graduates in targeted program areas, and stimulate efficiency and quality in research and innovation.

Growing Labour Market Pressures

The provincial economy generated 68,000 new jobs over the past year due to the rapid pace of economic growth. The provincial unemployment rate, at 5.9 per cent, was at its lowest level in 30 years.

With high employment demand and low unemployment rates, skill shortages were more prevalent in construction, health care, and high technology industries.

Improved labour market conditions have an impact on the participation rates for post-secondary education. As demand for labour increases, potential students may choose to postpone or leave post-secondary education to take advantage of improved labour market conditions.

Low Labour Force Participation

The size of B.C.'s labour force grew by 41,500 over the year, exceeding the level of growth in 2004 (31,200). An estimated 66 per cent of the working age population participated in the labour market in 2005, which was virtually unchanged from 2004 (65.6 per cent). B.C.'s participation rate was lower than Alberta's (72.7 per cent), and tied Quebec for sixth place overall among the provinces. The low rate of labour force participation provides an indication that there was still a significant segment of the population who were unemployed and not looking for work, an indication that some may not meet the increasing skills and education requirements of employment.

Employers are increasingly seeking highly educated and skilled workers due to the higher knowledge and technology requirements of the workplace. It is projected that in the next 10 years, 70 per cent of job opportunities will require some post-secondary education. The Ministry will need to work with institutions to remove barriers to post-secondary education by continuing to design proactive approaches that meet the challenges of addressing skills shortages, and support increased labour force participation of lesser skilled individuals.

Ministry Support for Government's Five Great Goals

The Government of British Columbia has identified Five Great Goals for the years ahead. These goals guide activities and focus efforts across all ministries and government organizations. The Five Great Goals are listed below, each followed by a short description of how the Ministry's work supports the goal.

1. Make British Columbia the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.

This goal is the cornerstone of all activities of the Ministry of Advanced Education. The Ministry's contribution to reaching this goal is primarily made through increasing opportunities for post-secondary students. Ongoing activities include:

  • expanding the public post-secondary system, by adding 25,000 student spaces by 2010;
  • devoting some of the 25,000 spaces to programs linked to government's key economic and social priorities, such as health care, oil and gas, research and innovation, and the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games;
  • developing strategies to increase graduate student enrolment and research;
  • reducing barriers to post-secondary education by expanding student financial assistance programs, including debt reduction, interest relief and loan forgiveness programs;
  • broadening efforts to improve post-secondary participation and success of Aboriginal learners;
  • enhancing existing programs designed to improve adult literacy and basic skills;
  • supporting on-line learning in British Columbia by expanding cross-institutional connections and student services via BCcampus;
  • support partnerships between post-secondary institutions and local industry for building regional innovation capacity; and
  • encouraging internationalization of our post-secondary institutions by promoting British Columbia as a destination for international students and supporting study abroad by domestic students.

2. Lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness.

The Ministry's contribution to reaching this goal is primarily through increasing training in health care professions. The Ministry dedicates funds to increase the number of student spaces in selected health care programs, and to provide student financial aid incentives for students in health care. The Ministry also provides incentives to graduates of these programs to practice in underserved regions of the province. In 2005/06, funding was provided for a research leadership chair in Aboriginal environmental health and for projects on childhood diabetes and cognitive impairment.

3. Build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk, and seniors.

The Ministry's contribution to reaching this goal includes providing student financial assistance and Adult Special Education programs and services that help people with disabilities participate in post-secondary education. The Ministry also supports public post-secondary institutions' efforts to offer a variety of programs that prepare students for positions in child protection, mental health services, hospitals, schools, youth correction agencies, infant development programs and other related areas. The Ministry funds capital construction in public post-secondary education institutions that are designed to be accessible to students with physical disabilities.

4. Lead the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality, and the best fisheries management, bar none.

The Ministry's contribution to reaching this goal is made by supporting researchers at public post-secondary institutions in their efforts to develop clean energy options, fuel cell technology and improve environmental management and conservation practices. University research is supported through general operating grants provided to the universities, and all public post-secondary institutions are eligible to apply for research infrastructure funding from the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund. The Ministry has also established the Leading Edge Endowment Fund to create endowed research chairs at public post-secondary institutions.

5. Create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

The Ministry's contribution to reaching this goal is made by supporting partnerships between post-secondary institutions and industry, and by ensuring post-secondary education is responsive to the needs of the economy. The Ministry analyzes labour supply data and research to develop relevant training and education strategies. Specific ongoing activities include:

  • developing strategies to increase graduate student programs at post-secondary institutions, such as scholarships to support university-industry linkages and research;
  • exploring options for building regional innovation capacity to support partnerships between post-secondary institutions and local industry;
  • supporting programs and efforts at post-secondary institutions to train students in high-demand fields, such as health care professions, and to impart the knowledge, skills and training that entrepreneurs need to open businesses and create jobs; and
  • supporting consortia linking industry, government and post-secondary institutions to meet the training needs of key areas such as oil and gas, hospitality and tourism, and aerospace. Respectively, the consortia are: a partnership to develop a comprehensive and coordinated approach to B.C.'s training strategy for oil and gas; a group to provide overall strategic direction and facilitate communication and planning among all parties to ensure the education and training requirements of tourism and hospitality are met; and an advisory body to government on aerospace training issues.

Cross Ministry Initiatives

The Ministry of Advanced Education cooperates with other ministries and government organizations to achieve outcomes and meet government priorities in areas of overlapping responsibility. Our top priorities in these areas are identified below.

First Nations/Aboriginal People

The Ministry worked with the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation to achieve the goal of closing the social and economic gap for Aboriginal people, including development of a proposed Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education Strategy to improve participation and success for Aboriginal learners. The Ministry along with the Ministry of Education collaborated on a project to link data about students in the province's public post-secondary education system, including Aboriginal students, with information from the K–12 education system. As well, financial and project management support was provided to the Ministry of Education on Aboriginal teacher training initiatives.

Literacy

The Ministry works with the Ministry of Education and other ministries to help make British Columbia the most literate jurisdiction on the continent. Our activities include supporting programs to improve adult literacy, including community-based literacy, adult basic education, adult special education and English as a second language training.

Trades Training

Responsibility, including funding, for working with the Industry Training Authority (ITA) has been transferred to the Ministry of Economic Development. However, the Ministry of Advanced Education maintains an active interest in trades training, as the majority of training in B.C. is delivered through public post-secondary institutions. AVED remains responsible for capital funding for public post-secondary institutions, and works with the ITA and the Ministry of Economic Development on capital requests for trades as well as on other industry training related issues.

Asia-Pacific Strategy

The Ministry began working with the Ministries of Economic Development; Education; Tourism, Sport and the Arts; and Attorney General, building partnerships and linkages to the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The Ministry is working to increase the profile of B.C. as a study destination through promotional activities to potential students and working on immigration issues, as well as developing coordinated approaches to building linkages with the Asia-Pacific region.

2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

The Ministry is working with the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, and other ministries to showcase British Columbia through the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Our activities include supporting the British Columbia Hospitality and Tourism Education and Training Consortium in its efforts to address education and training needs in British Columbia's hospitality and tourism industries. The 2010 Olympics are profiled in the Ministry's presentation material to foreign delegations discussing international education.

ActNow

The Ministry works with the Ministry of Health and other ministries to examine and promote health and wellness activities. The Ministry provides leadership within the post-secondary education sector to advance the goals, objectives and initiatives of ActNow. Related to another aspect of health, the Ministry provides funding and support to public post-secondary institutions to increase student spaces in programs to train health care professionals.

Children's Agenda

The Ministry works with the Ministries of Education, and Children and Family Development to improve outcomes for British Columbia's children. Our activities include expanding British Columbia's public post-secondary system so institutions can respond to student and community demand for relevant programming, such as early childhood education and social work. The Ministry also improves access to education through student financial assistance programs, supporting family literacy projects in communities across the province, and working with the Ministry of Education on strategies to promote transition from K–12 to post-secondary education.

Mountain Pine Beetle

Through public post-secondary institutions, the Ministry funded genomic research on the Mountain Pine Beetle developing new research tools that may assist in control and prevention.

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