Coralee Oakes, former post-secondary shadow minister and independent candidate for the BC Legislature, is advocating for the introduction of a targeted operating grant for rural post-secondary institutions.
In a press release, Oakes highlighted the pressing challenges faced by rural communities, including significant labour shortages affecting sectors like healthcare and skilled trades. She emphasized that many individuals are finding it increasingly unaffordable to leave their communities for training opportunities, saying local training is essential for creating an inclusive workforce that offers well-paying jobs aligned with local labour market needs.
She said relying on recruitment from other areas has proven ineffective.
Oakes underscored the vital role of rural colleges in fostering community resilience, particularly in light of recent mill closures. These institutions also serve lower-income families, contributing to educational equity. As well, 90 per cent of students from these colleges remain in their home regions after graduation, which she argues could significantly benefit local healthcare systems. One idea would see post-secondary programs that allow licensed practical nurses to train to become registered nurses without having to leave their rural communities.
Rural BC needs sustainable, targeted funding to support small, rural post-secondary institutions, which often face higher operational costs due to their geographic remoteness and smaller populations, she said, pointing to provinces like Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, which provide similar funding to offset the challenges faced by rural campuses.
Oakes is running against Sheldon Clare of the Conservative Party of BC, Randy Thompson of the BC Green Party and Denice Bardua of the BC NDP.
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