The Minister of Advanced Education was in the Cariboo on Friday.
Amrik Virk says he was happy to be back in his hometown of Williams Lake as he toured the Thompson Rivers University campus for his 1st time.
“A bit nostalgia but at the same time you always have a soft spot for your hometown.”
“I wanted to listen to my colleagues, the community educators, students, faculty, what can we do as we move forward.”
Virk also says he is pleased with the 16 additional seats in trades now offered at the campus, although he admits that more seats may have to be offered in the near future.
“Saw filer program that’s a neat program. We have students coming from all over BC and actually other parts of Canada to Williams Lake to do that program, and you have the Level II heavy-duty mechanic that’s going to start in several months.”
“We’re going continue to assess the demands in the Cariboo and to respond to those demands.”
1 million new skilled job positions are expected to be created within the province between now and 2022, according to Vrik.
He estimates that 70% of those will require some level of post-secondary education
Virk says he plans to continue visiting Campuses throughout the Cariboo and adds that his colleagues, MLAs Coralee Oakes and Donna Barnett will be strong advocates in ensuring that he remains engaged in issues affecting the region.