Courtesy of Coralee Oakes - Independent Candidate for MLA, Prince George-North Cariboo Former post-secondary shadow minister and independent candidate for the BC Legislature, Coralee Oakes is calling for the establishment of a targeted rural post-secondary operating grant. Today, rural communities are struggling with labour shortages that are impacting everything from health care, education to accessing skilled trades people. With the very real affordability challenge it is becoming cost prohibitive for many people to leave rural communities to access training.  “Local training is critical to providing an inclusive and balanced workforce that provides people access to well-paying full-time employment that also meets the local labour market needs.  Recruitment from other jurisdictions is not working,” said Oakes.   Rural colleges help communities reach their full potential and with the impacts from mill closures, they help support community transition and resilience.   Colleges also serve many lower income families which supports building equity through education.  90% of learners remain working in their home region following college. “Imagine the impact that increased health care training can have on a community that continues to struggle with ER closures due to staffing shortages.  Imagine a redesign of training that would allow an LPN access bridging training to become an RN, at the same time as they are working in community.  Other jurisdictions are doing this, why is British Columbia not?” continues Oakes.   We need to provide sustainable targeted funding for small, rural post-secondary institutions where the geographic locations and large number of satellite campuses results in higher program delivery costs.   Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick provide targeted funding to small campuses to account for their higher costs due to their geographic remoteness and smaller population.   “Rural colleges support the most vulnerable learners yet have the most vulnerable budgets.”

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