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VICTORIA — Applications for the future skills grant are open for 2026-27 with the aim of helping more British Columbians get access to affordable training.

Since launching in 2023, the grant has supported more than 16,500 learners throughout the province, explains a release.

The program provides up to $3,500 for eligible short-term training at B.C.’s public post-secondary institutions.

“The StrongerBC future skills grant gave me the opportunity to take the BCIT construction operations program and improve my knowledge of the B.C. Building Code and construction industry practices,” said Alireza Nikseresht, a BCIT student and grant recipient, in a statement. “It was a great experience and has encouraged me to continue upgrading my skills and knowledge in the future.”

The future skills grant is open to people 19 years and older who live in B.C. There are more than 250 training programs to choose from, which support provincial labour-market needs in sectors aligned with the province’s Look West strategy, including:

• Clean energy, including training in clean-energy engineering, emissions management and forest health management;
• construction, including construction management, electrical trades and mass-timber construction-related training;
• health care, including health-care assistant, paramedic and nursing-related training;
• mining, including mineral exploration, mining technology and environmental monitoring training;
• maritime industry, including marine supply-chain management, naval architecture and marine technician training; and
• life sciences, including biology, biotechnology and biomedical engineering.