Links

Apprentice Links

Through apprenticeship, you can earn certification to work in more than 100 trades in BC.

Apprenticeship combines paid on-the-job training (about 85 percent of most programs) with technical training in a classroom or shop setting. Apprenticeships range from one to five years in length; most programs take four years to complete.

In BC, apprenticeship training is delivered through a partnership of the Industry Training Authority (ITA), public post-secondary and private training institutions, and employers.

This section provides links to important information about apprenticeships in BC.  For information on Financial Supports while participating in the classroom technical training components of apprenticeship training, please visit the Apprentice Services page on our website.

  • Apprenticeship in BC - Learn about apprenticeship in BC and the financial support that may be available to you during training.
  • Industry Training Authority - In BC, apprenticeship training is delivered through a partnership of the Industry Training Authority (ITA), public post-secondary and private training institutions, and employers.  This website is the essential guide to becoming an apprentice in BC.
  • The 2016 Trades Guide - This guide offers a unique and highly visual overview of opportunities in the skilled trades across BC. Even though this guide primarily targets youth, it also offers information useful to anyone interested in apprenticeship.  This 2014 Trades Guide provides graphs and diagrams about how apprenticeship works in the province and the steps needed to get started as an apprentice.
  • Careers in Construction - This page is all about the more than 50 trades in Canada's Construction Industry.  It has information on which trades are in demand, sample education and career paths, an interactive Career Finder tool, and much more. 
  • BC Access Grant for Labour Market Priorities - This program provides grant funding to encourage eligible students to attend targeted high priority programs leading to becoming an apprentice.  If you are planning to attend full-time studies in a foundation or pre-apprentice program at an eligible BC Post-Secondary institution, and you qualify for BC Student Loan funding, you could be eligible for further grants to help with the purchase of Tools, Relocation and Grants.
  • WorkBC Apprentice Job Match Portal - The WorkBC Apprentice Job Match portal is designed to connect apprentices and employers throughout British Columbia. This tool allows job seeking apprentices go onto WorkBC’s website and search for registered employers in this province who are looking to sponsor an apprentice.  Employers can use this tool to add apprentice information into job postings.
  • Apprenticeship Grants - The Government of Canada provides up to $4,000 in federal apprenticeship grants to help you progress in or complete your apprenticeship training.
  • Canada Apprentice Loan - The Government of Canada has an Apprentice Loan program which provides up to $4,000 in interest-free loans per period of technical training. 

BC Government Links: Income Assistance & Related Services

Alberni Valley Employment Centre and other all WorkBC Employment Services Centres in the province operate under contract with the Government of British Columbia's Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation.  The links below provide access to other Ministry services related to Employment and Income Assistance.

  • Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation - The Ministry's main page, with information about and links to Employment and Income Assistance, services for people with disabilities, housing and rental assistance and more.
  • Apply for Income Assistance (BCEA) - If you are interested in applying for BC Employment and Assistance (BCEA), this page provides important and useful information you will need to proceed, including a Self Serve Assessment and Application.
  • My Self Serve - An online portal specifically for income assistance and disability services and programs in BC.  Access your file information 24/7, including monthly cheque amount and payment method, status of monthly report, earnings exemption limits, and receive important reminders and messages from the ministry.
  • Information for People With Disabilities - This page provides a complete listing of all supports provided by the B.C. government for people with disabilities.
  • Supporting Affordability, Portal to Services - This site provides easy access to a range of federal, provincial and community-based programs and services for low-income individuals and families in British Columbia.  The main page provides links to a multitude of service areas, such as Health Care, Transportation, Taxes, Housing, Child Care, Income Supports and Skills Training.
  • WorkBC - WorkBC is the website of the Employment Program of British Columbia, with job postings, up to date Labour Market Information, Career and Education guides, and information on services and programs to help British Columbians find and keep employment.
  • BCeID - BCeID is an online service that makes it possible for you to use the same user ID and password to sign in securely to participating Government Online Services.  The Basic BCeID is a required first step in order to use services such as My Self Serve and Apprentice Training Supports.

Career Planning & Education

Where are the Jobs in Our Area?

A good knowledge of the local Labour Market can improve your chances of finding work, by providing information about who and where potential employers are, and what the demand is likely to be in specific occupations.  We have summarized some information about local Labour Market conditions below, and will be adding new information in the future.  Learn more... 

Career Planning Resources:

  • WorkBC Career Profiles - Provides detailed career information on over 500 occupation profiles, with information on the nature of the work, wages and working conditions, employment outlooks, and educational requirements.

  • WorkBC Top Occupations - Lists BC's top occupations based on the projected job openings over the outlook period to 2022.  This page also contains useful links to additional Labour Market Information.

  • WorkBC Blueprint Builder - Get started on your Career Plan by looking into occupation options, find the right education and funding sources, and how to target jobs in your selected filed.

  • Career Compass - This career planning tool from WorkBC provides you with three different paths to help you explore career options and opportunities with useful information: assess yourself, browse regions or browse careers.

  • WorkBC Cost of Living Calculator - compares the cost of living in over 150 B.C. communities, and gives you labour market information for the same places.

  • Job Bank Career Tool - High Paying Programs - Lists the 25 highest-paying careers in each of four categories according to level of education: Diploma, Bachelors, Masters and Trades.  For each career listed, there is information on where to go to school, grants & bursaries available, job postings and additional occupational information.

  • Asia Pacific Gateway In-Demand Occupations - Learn about the highest demand occupations requiring skilled workers in key industries involved with British Columbia's Asia Pacific trading partners.

  • Job Bank Career Tool - Explore Careers by Essential Skills - Select an occupation from the hundreds listed, and learn which essential skills (such as reading, writing, numeracy, communication) are required for that job.

  • Job Bank Career Tool - Explore Careers by Occupation - Find available jobs, wages, outlooks, and job requirements specific to an occupation and location.  From the "Explore Careers" menu on this page, you can also search careers by Education, Wages, Outlook, and Skills & Knowledge.

  • Alberta Learning Information Service - Alberta's version of WorkBC Career Profiles, "ALIS" has lots of useful information about working in Alberta.  Their "Publications" section has a large selection of downloadable pdf publications on all aspects of job searching and career planning.

  • OCCinfo - Alberta Occupational Information - Check out over 500 occupations and get all the details, from duties, working conditions, salaries and advancement opportunities to personal characteristics and educational qualifications.

  • National Occupational Classification Codes (NOC Codes) -  Useful for researching skills required for hundreds of different job titles.  Scroll down to "Quick Search".

  • Industry Training Authority - Apprenticeships - The Industry Training Authority (ITA) leads and coordinates British Columbia’s skilled trades system. ITA works with employers, employees, industry, labour, training providers and government to issue credentials, manage apprenticeships, set program standards, and increase opportunities in the trades.  The ITA website is a good place to start for those considering learning a trade.

  • Coastal Chronicles - A Vancouver Island publication providing information on job opportunities, labour market information, projected employment demand, etc. for Alberni-Clayoquot and the North/Central Island area.

  • Career Cruising - An interactive Canadian career guidance resource that provides in-depth profiles on hundreds of different careers, detailed info on colleges and universities, and interviews with real people in every career. Click on Matchmaker and do a 93 question Career Interest Inventory. 
    Ask your Case Manager or one of our Resource Centre Advisors how you can receive the Username and Password that will allow you access to the Career Cruising program.

  • Career Key Canada - Provides an assessment tool to analyze what you like to do, what you value and what your abilities are. Based on your input, it then assigns you one or more personality types and provides advice on occupations that best fit each personality type. Based on John Holland's theory of personality types.

  • TypeFocus - Discover your personality type and how it relates to careers. Average time for questionnaire is eight minutes. A shortened version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

  • Keirsey Temperament Sorter - A personality test that can help you with self awareness and career exploration.

  • CanLearn - Canada's one-stop resource for the information and interactive planning tools you need to explore learning and education opportunities, research occupations, and create the financial plans to achieve your goals.

  • The Ultimate Guide to Passing Any Interview - It really is!  This website has everything you need to know about how to do well in a job interview. (If you want some great one-on-one instruction and advice though, come and see us about our Interview Intelligence workshop).

  • Top 10 Interpersonal Skills to Land You That Dream Job - Open Colleges in Australia provides this summary of the top 10 Interpersonal Skills that all employers look for when they are hiring.  Open Colleges also offers a useful Career Quiz Personality Test which follows up with career and education possibilities based on your personality.

  • Jobboom.com - Access a variety of information regarding job searching, career planning, work/life balance, workplace issues.

  • Relocating For Work in Canada - An excellent resource for new Canadians, from the North Island Employment Foundations Society (NIEFS).

Education Planning Resources:

  • Education Planner - Education Planner is a publicly funded resource that allows you to compare post-secondary programs in BC.  It helps you to make well informed decisions about your education and career options.

  • BC Course Transfer Guide - An easy to use guide to help you figure out what credits are worth between BC post-secondary institutions.

  • Courses BC - A directory of online/distance courses offered by B.C.'s public post-secondary institutions. The site contains course names and descriptions, course codes used by the institutions that teach the courses, and transfer credit information.

  • Employment Skills Access Programs - Vancouver Island University - VIU offers training programs that are specifically selected to help unemployed, non-Employment Insurance clients and employed individuals requiring skills-upgrading to gain or improve employment.

  • British Columbia Council on Admissions & Transfers - The BC Council on Admissions & Transfer (BCCAT) oversees the BC Transfer System, enabling important links between the BC post-secondary institutions, the education ministries, and the public and private education sectors.

  • Canada Student Loans Program - Government of Canada website with detailed information and resources for applying for student loans and grants.

  • Scholarships Canada - A large and comprehensive database for students looking for scholarships, bursaries, grants and student awards.

  • School Finder - Provides detailed information on schools, programs, perquisites, costs and application deadlines for post-secondary programs across Canada.

Schools & Training Centres:

  • Find an Institution - The government of British Columbia's directory of all the public and private post-secondary institutions in the province - plus tools and information for helping you plan your education.

Public Institutions:

  • North Island College - With campuses in Port Alberni, Campbell River, Comox, Port Hardy, and a satellite centre in Ucluelet, North Island College offers a full range of post-secondary programs, including university transfer & degrees, trades, nursing, business, distance education, and more.  NOTE: Follow this link to NIC's Online Learner Guide.

  • Vancouver Island University - Vancouver Island University has campuses in Nanaimo, Duncan, Powell River and Parksville.  It provides a wide range of university degrees and college diploma and certificate programs.

  • University of Victoria - The University of Victoria faculties of study include business, education, engineering, fine arts, graduate studies, human and social development, humanities, law, science and social sciences, as well as medicine in conjunction with UBC.

  • University of British Columbia - The University of British Columbia is the third largest university in Canada. UBC is a global centre of research and learning with state-of-the-art facilities on campuses in Point Grey and downtown Vancouver, as well as UBC Okanagan in Kelowna.

  • Simon Fraser University - SFU has eight faculties, including applied sciences, art and technology, arts and social sciences, business administration, communication, education, faculty of environment, health sciences and science, with campuses in Burnaby, downtown Vancouver and Surrey.

  • Thompson Rivers University - Thompson Rivers University has a regional focus, with its main campus in Kamloops, but it also has a provincial mandate to provide open learning access, including distance education and flexible degree-completion options.

Private Institutions:

  • Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences - Located in Port Alberni, PCU-WHS is the world's only university specializing in workplace health sciences.  The university is a statutory not-for-profit post-secondary degree granting education and research institution for the special purpose of creating and disseminating new knowledge including applied research in the fields of workplace safety, health promotion, return to work and disability management, comprehensive rehabilitation and disability leadership studies. It is committed to excellence in teaching and research, scholarship, and service to the broader community.

  • Excel Career College - Located in Courtenay BC, Excel College offers courses in everything from Aquaculture, Security and Marine Training to Business Management, Healthcare Assistant and IT Network and Repair.

  • Private Career Training Institutions Agency - The PCTIA website provides students with information on how to choose a properly accredited school, and provides a list of all private career training institutions in the province of BC.  PCTIA is a Crown Corporation under the Ministry of Advanced Education of British Columbia.  It carries out the important role of student protection and sets basic education standards for registered private career training institutions in British Columbia, and establishes standards of quality which must be met by accredited institutions.

Short Term Occupational Training Certificates:

  • WorkSafe Occupational Health & Safety Training Providers - A listing of service providers in BC for occupational health and safety training, provided by WorkSafe BC.
  • Enform H2S Alive Training - Canadian Critical Sour Safety offers regularly scheduled, certified H2S Alive training in Victoria, Courtenay and Nanaimo.  Visit the "Upcoming Courses" page of their website for a list of course dates and locations.
  • Serving It Right - Online self-study course required for serving alcohol in BC.
  • FoodSafe - Resources and information on food safety training, including where to take courses and how to register for online training.
     

Where are the Jobs in Our Area?

The Alberni-Clayoquot region was founded on Forestry and Fishing, industries which for decades provided residents with well-paying jobs. Today, though, it's a different story. With these traditional industries in decline due to diminishing resources and economic factors, the Alberni-Clayoquot region is having to diversify its economy in order to stay afloat.

You can see this trend reflected in our monthly job postings. Most of the job ads in this region come from three fields, namely Sales/Service, Trades, and Health. Here are some reasons why:​

  • Due to the pleasant climate and natural beauty of the region, its communities -- particularly Tofino and Ucluelet -- are highly dependent on Tourism jobs. Opportunities in Retail (such as sales staff, cashiers or management), Food Services (cooks, dishwashers, servers), and Hospitality (front desk clerks, housekeeping staff) are among the most frequently advertised. The majority of these jobs are for the peak summer tourist season, but others may last year-round.
  • A large number of people, many of them senior citizens, are moving into our area from other parts of BC and Canada. They are coming here to take advantage of Port Alberni's lower cost of living, mild climate, and affordable housing compared to neighbouring regions. These new residents need services such as retail, recreation, and restaurants, as well as health and social services, to support them in their new community.
  • New residents mean increased construction, to support higher demand for both housing and services. New residential and commercial projects are popping up across the region, which spells jobs for tradespeople such as carpenters, roofers, and electricians.

 

The Highest-Demand Jobs in Alberni-Clayoquot

​(according to job postings at the West Coast Career Centre and AVEC, 2004-2011)

  • Registered Nurses
  • Cooks and chefs
  • Sales positions
  • Housekeeping staff in hospitality
  • Servers, bartenders
  • Drivers
  • Reception and clerical support
  • Labourers
  • Customer service
  • Guest services in hospitality
  • Dishwashers and other kitchen help
  • Child care

 

Community Resources

Job Postings Links

Job Postings - General

  • WorkBC Find Jobs - The official job listings website of the government of British Columbia, with thousands of jobs in every region of province.
  • Service Canada JOB BANK - The Canadian government job posting site, with searchable listings from all across Canada.
  • Alberni.ca - Help Wanted ads (for the Port Alberni area).
  • Ha-Shilth-Sa Careers and Training page (Port Alberni postings).
  • Island Job Shop - postings for Vancouver Island communities.
  • Local Work.ca - Search for jobs by keyword, province, city or postal code.
  • BC Jobs.ca - Job listings for western Canada, with links to featured employers.
  • Indeed - Search jobs across Canada.
  • WowJobs - Job search engine across Canada.
  • Neuvoo - Job search engine, with easily defined search terms.
  • CareerJet - Search jobs by province/area and job keyword.
  • Workopolis - Large job search site, with job finding resources and the ability to upload resumes for employers.
  • Monster.ca - Large, searchable job listings database.
  • IntheWorx.ca - A BC job site with job postings, links, and the ability to register and submit profiles for employers and recruiters.

 

Job Postings by Field

BC Hydro Site C Dam Construction Job Listings

  • WorkBC - The WorkBC job posting page has a special tool for searching for Site C construction jobs: type "site c" (with quotation marks, no hyphen) into the job title search box, press Find Jobs, and it will return all jobs on the Site C construction project.
  • BC Hydro Job Opportunities - This BC Hydro page lists all the jobs available through the various contractors who will be working on Site C.
  • Employment Connections - This WorkBC Centre in Fort St. John lists Site C jobs on a dedicated page on their website.

Communications

Construction/Trades

Finance

Forestry

Government

Health

Oil and Gas/Northern BC and Alberta

Protective Services

Tourism

Transportation and Utilities

Job Searching Out of Town

Depending on the type of work you're looking for, finding a job in Alberni-Clayoquot can be tough. If, after a great deal of effort, you find you're still not making headway in the local market, it may be time to look at other alternatives... like extending your job search to other areas.

Commuting

Working in another community doesn't necessarily mean moving out of town. Commuting may not be everyone's ideal choice, but it is an option... even if only for the short-term, until a more desirable job comes along.

Before you decide to become a commuter, make sure to work out a realistic picture of the costs involved. It's more than just the cost of gas (though that can be scary enough!) and wear and tear on your vehicle. It can include expenses like extra hours of child care while you make your commute, or the possibility of lost wages -- or even accommodation costs -- if you can't travel due to road closures or poor weather conditions .

Even with all these factors to consider, there are still job opportunities over the Hump offering wages and benefits that would make commuting worth your while. Coombs, Whiskey Creek, Errington, Qualicum, Parksville, Nanaimo, even Courtenay and Ladysmith are within reasonable commuting distance if the right job opening presents itself.

These websites can help you plan your route, calculate distances, and how much you will spend on fuel per trip:

Relocating

Relocating for work is obviously a bigger deal than commuting, especially if you are moving a long distance away. But like commuting, it doesn't have to be a long-term commitment. Many workers choose to relocate temporarily to a new community, and plan to return when a comparable (or better) job becomes available closer to home.

As with commuting, there are many factors to consider before you commit to moving out of town. Is housing readily available? Are housing or rental costs within your budget? Will you be moving alone, or taking family members along with you? For help with answering these and other questions, you may want to consult the handy online tutorial available through the North Island Employment Foundations Society website.  Another useful tool is the Cost of Living Calculator available from WorkBC

If you're looking for job opportunities posted outside of the Alberni-Clayoquot region, start with our "Job Postings Links" from our Links page. It will connect you with nationwide job listings categorized according to occupation type  There is also a section called "WorkBC Employment Service Centres on Vancouver Island" on the Links page, listing Employment Services Centres in several regions of Vancouver Island.

Newspapers

Service Canada Links: Employment Insurance and Related Links

Service Canada is the place where Canadians go—whether online, by phone, or in person—to access the programs, services, and benefits they need from the Government of Canada and its many partners.  The following links provide access to some of Service Canada's online services that might be useful for job seekers.

Service Canada - Main website

Service Canada JOB BANK - The Canadian government job posting site, with searchable listings from all across Canada.

My Service Canada -  secure access to view and update your Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan, and Old Age Security information online.

EI Internet Reporting Service - Employment Insurance Internet reporting service allows you to submit your EI report using the Internet.

Application for Employment Insurance Benefits Online

Frequently Asked Questions about Employment Insurance

If you wish to contact Service Canada regarding Employment Insurance, their Toll-Free number is 1-800-206-7218.

Service Canada's office in Port Alberni is located next door to Alberni Valley Employment Centre at 4805-A Mar Street, V9Y-8J5.  To search for other Service Canada locations, CLICK HERE.

WorkBC Employment Service Centres on Vancouver Island

To find WorkBC Employment Services Centres elsewhere in the province, use the search tools on the WorkBC website: WorkBC



  Employment Program of BC Partners:

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The Employment Program of British Columbia is funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia