British Columbia is expanding its skilled-trades training capacity, with Vancouver Community College (VCC) and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) set to receive hundreds of new training seats as the province continues its broader labour push.
Under the Look West strategy, the Government of B.C. has announced that VCC will add 224 new skilled-trades training seats, while BCIT will receive 272 additional seats. The expansion forms part of a wider plan to deliver 5,000 new trades-training seats across the province in 2026-27.
For VCC, the latest expansion will bring the college’s total number of available trades-training seats to more than 1,770 this year.
BCIT is also significantly increasing its capacity. According to the provincial release, nearly 900 seats have been added at BCIT in response to growing demand.
The latest BCIT expansion is part of a broader regional effort across the Lower Mainland. More than 2,000 new trades-training seats are being added in the region in 2026, with additional capacity expected to follow.
The province says the additional seats are intended to address several pressing workforce needs. The expansion will help reduce wait lists for in-demand apprenticeship programs, give more young people an opportunity to explore careers in the trades, and increase training capacity in occupations where demand is particularly strong.
Among the high-demand occupations identified by B.C. are automotive service technicians, construction electricians, heavy mechanical trades, and refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics.
The push comes as British Columbia prepares for a growing pipeline of major projects across several sectors. Construction, clean energy, mining, transportation and advanced technology projects are all contributing to increased demand for skilled workers.
That demand is being felt throughout the province, including across the Lower Mainland, making expanded access to trades training an increasingly important part of B.C.’s workforce strategy.
