Labour Market Information, Career & Education Planning

Labour Market & Career Planning Resources:

  • Job Bank Labour Market Information & Career Tools - Canada Job Bank has easy to use career exploration tools, to research occupations by wages, outlook, fields of study, and skills & knowledge.

  • National Occupational Classification Codes (NOC) -  Every occupation in Canada has a NOC code, and this site is useful for researching the skills and education requirements for each of them.

  • WorkBC Explore Careers -Use the Career Search Tool, Transition Tool, Discovery Quizzes and Career Videos to help you choose your own career path.

  • WorkBC Labour Market Outlook - The BC Labour Market Outlook provides a 10-year forecast of supply and demand for labour in the province.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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 Employment Counsellor 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Four Great Tips for Employment Success - There is no shortage of advice on the internet, but this page provides a nice brief summary of how to focus your job search, and project the right message to employers.

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.

  • StrongerBC Future Skills Grant - Education Planner BC has a page dedicated to explaining opportunities available to apply for up $3,500 per person for over 400 short-term training courses.

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

  • 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 Grants & Loans Program - Government of Canada website with detailed information and resources for applying for student loans and grants. Everything you need to know about student loans, grants, and scholarships, with tools and advice for financial planning.

  • Student Aid BC - Information on Grants, Scholarships and other financial supports available to British Columbians, including Adult Upgrading Grant application.

  • 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:

  • Post-secondary Education Guide - 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.

  • Private Training Institutions Branch - Private career training and language training institutions meeting prescribed minimum requirements are certified with the BC Ministry of Advanced Education, and listed on this page. 

  • BC Council on Admissions & Transfers - A guide to the Post-secondary system in BC, including directories of public colleges, universities & institutes, and private institutions that are within the BC Transfer System.

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.

  • 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.

  • Discovery Community College - Discovery Community College has seven campuses on Vancouver Island and the lower mainland including Campbell River, Courtenay, Parksville, Nanaimo, Maple Ridge & Surrey.

  • 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.

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.