Participants People from rural, remote, and northern communities; People with essential skills gaps

North Coast skills hub

This virtual platform will serve as a skills training and career development tool that is accessible and relevant to people in small and remote northern communities in British Columbia.

This engaging online resource emphasizes soft skills and computer skills to build confidence and ultimately career success for participants. It treats training and career development as lifelong activities and strives to be relevant to the local labour market, helping people develop their skills by using it. This hub is unique, with low- and high-bandwidth options so that it can reach and serve people regardless of their location in this dispersed region.

Women in construction gear standing infront of a building frame.

This new tool is designed to help reduce uncertainty, adapt to the future and catch those falling through the cracks. It will make skills development accessible. Northwestern BC is made up of small communities with little access to services. It has some of the lowest rates of high school and post-secondary completion, the highest attachment to government transfers, long-term attachment or recidivism in employment programs, and low connectivity/computer literacy.

Future Skills Centre is investing $182,935 in this 1-year project. The Hecate Strait Employment Development Society operates centres in over 15 communities. Key activities for the project include: reviewing virtual successes since the pandemic shock; creating a platform; digitizing existing assessments; delivering employment and life skills seminars, workshops, and industry skills training; creating online career development and skills pathways; and integrating the new hub with the online job board.

Evaluation Strategy

This project is evaluated using tools and approaches aligned with its goals, context, and stage of development. The evaluation focuses on generating the right evidence at the right moment to move the intervention forward. Read more about our evaluation strategy.