Recruitment and training initiatives are underway for the coming school year to get more certified teachers into B.C. classrooms and build B.C.'s K-12 workforce.
"We know that the record numbers of newcomers moving to B.C each year means we need more teaching staff in schools," said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. "We're actively working with our education partners on K-12 workforce initiatives to support the recruitment and retention of more certified teachers and build a sustainable education workforce for years to come."
Through the Province's StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan, $12.5 million over three years is supporting provincewide recruitment and training initiatives for teachers. This year, almost $4 million is going toward recruitment and training programs, with a focus on supporting teacher retention in the sector, improving flexibility in teacher education programs, and recruiting more teachers in rural and remote communities.
"Training the next generation of certified teachers is an important part of our Future Ready Action Plan," said Lisa Beare, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. "Building flexibility in education programs supports more people in choosing teaching as a career and helps to fill in-demand positions, providing good-paying jobs for British Columbians."
A provincial hiring incentive that brought 50 new certified teachers to rural and remote schools in 2023 is on track to hire almost 60 more teachers for the coming school year. Supported through $1.5 million in provincial funding over three years, this program provides cash incentives of as much as $10,000 for teachers to work in areas with the highest need. This initiative has supported hiring needs in several remote communities in B.C., including northern B.C., Vancouver Island and the Thompson-Okanagan region.
"When looking at opportunities this spring, a position with Peace River North District stood out for a number of reasons," said Kylee Campbell, primary teacher, Upper Halfway Elementary school. "I wanted something in a rural setting where people know each other better and I can personalize my instruction for each student. Working in such a remote setting does have challenges that the generous incentives offered by the Province helps to offset."
Since 2023, certification standards were updated so that more internationally trained educators could work in B.C.'s classrooms, with the application fee reduced from $395 to $245. These initiatives have helped to double the number of international teacher applications over the past year, setting record application levels to become part of B.C.'s future K-12 workforce. The Province also provides $100,000 in scholarships each year to high school students in B.C. who want to pursue teaching as a career, with the goal of growing the number of local educators in B.C. schools.
With B.C.'s continued enrolment growth, these are just some of the workforce initiatives underway to support recruitment and retention in the K-12 sector. The Province is continuing to work closely with education partners to explore more ways to build a sustainable and skilled K-12 workforce in B.C.
Other provincial initiatives underway include:
- In partnership with the First Nation Education Steering Committee, a research project was conducted in 2024 to hear directly from First Nations teachers about their experiences working in the sector and better understand school districts' human-resources practices to attract, recruit and retain First Nations teachers.
- As part of the Province's commitment to build a sustainable and engaged K-12 workforce, the ministry will support the implementation of a new provincewide teacher mentorship program with several K-12 education partners, including the BC Teachers' Federation (BCTF) and the BC Principals' & Vice-Principals' Association (BCPVPA).
- Under a new program in 2024, $8,000 will be given to more than 30 student teachers to complete their practicum in a northern B.C. school this year. These awards will be offered to students relocating to rural communities, such as Haida Gwaii, Peace River South, Cariboo-Chilcotin and Nechako Lakes, helping to support northern school districts, while building partnerships with teacher education programs for the future.
The Province is investing $800,000 to make teacher education programs more flexible for students who want to become certified teachers:
- UBC's Rural and Remote Teacher Education Program supported 24 students in 2022, who live and work in a rural or remote areas to become certified teachers without having to move to a new community to attend university. With $300,000 in provincial funding, a second student cohort has been created through this program that will support 43 more students to become certified teachers by 2026.
- As part of the provincial K-12 workforce plan, the Province is providing $500,000 over two years to increase the availability of hybrid and online-learning options so more people in B.C, including those in remote areas, can better access teacher education programs to become certified teachers in their communities.
Quick Facts:
- Since 2018, the provincial government has added more than 400 new seats in teacher education programs.
- The Province expects approximately 1,700 international teacher applications in 2024, an increase of 145% since 2021.
Learn More:
- To learn more about UBC's Rural and Remote Teacher Education Program, visit: https://teach.educ.ubc.ca/bachelor-of-education-program/rural-and-remote-program/
- To learn more about the StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/jobs-and-training
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