Students and industry to benefit from more tech programming in Victoria

Students can look forward to the addition of hundreds of tech-related seats in Victoria, which will provide them with the relevant education and training needed to succeed in B.C.’s rapidly growing tech sector.

“People throughout B.C. will have increased access to good-paying jobs in the booming tech sector with our government’s investment in tech seats throughout the province,” said Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training. “Victoria is a great place to thrive in a tech career and by funding a range of engineering, computer science and information technology programs, we are opening doors for people to reach their full potential.”

The University of Victoria (UVic) will receive $400,000 in startup funding in 2017-18 to expand its undergraduate computer science and engineering degree programs. Prospective UVic students can look forward to an additional 500 undergraduate degree spaces in computer science and engineering – including electrical, computer, software, civil, mechanical and biomedical – by 2022-23. This is expected to result in 125 additional tech graduates per year by 2023.

“UVic’s engineering and computer science programs are well known for being a destination for B.C. high school grads and college transfer students, providing a great education with lots of hands-on learning, and a pathway to personal success and good jobs upon graduation,” said Jamie Cassels, president of UVicCamosun College will receive $200,000 in startup funding in 2017-18 to support increased access to technology-related certificate programs in web technologies programming and engineering graphics, to get to a total of 40 new spaces by 2019-20. With continued government funding, Camosun will produce an additional 40 graduates per year by 2020.

Of the 83,400 job openings in tech-related fields in the next decade, 10,700 will occur in the Vancouver Island/Coast region. This provides opportunities closer to home for graduates of the expanded tech programs at UVic and Camosun, should they choose to stay.