BCITSA Council Minutes 17th Nov

Executive Meeting Monday November 17, 2014 Minutes Executives:

Dylan Smith, President Allen Depa, VP Finance & Administration Bradley Lindsay, VP Campus Life Tyra Bermudez, VP External Affairs Evan Findlay, VP Student Affairs Nav Bhatti, Computing & Academic Studies Chair (Acting) Tony Atkins, Transportation, Construction & the Environment Chair Joseph Prophet, Business Chair Jamie Haakons, Energy Chair Amanda Ding, Health Sciences Chair Daniel Sumano, ATC Chair Emilio Da Silva, DTC Chair

Staff:

Caroline Gagnon, Director

Councillors:

Anya Besharah Kelsi Carleton Michael Tchen Andrew Pham Kaeli Ayers Ariela Badenas Darshan Gill Arvin Nikseresht Morgan Latremouille Jennifer Nguyen Andres Aguilar Michael Hui

Absent:

Lindsay Howe

Guest:

Justin Bargiacchi, Assist to Executive Director & HR Generalist Ang Samuel

Joseph Brini Shubhi Singh Justin Deddens Ivan Koshcheev Vinicius Melo Nirvair Grewal Mandeep Jaswal Vanessa Leo Sabirin Tutuncu Trevor Matthews Brett Harrison Daniel Yen Sarah Thomasen

9.1.

Meeting Called to Order The Chairperson, Dylan Smith, call the meeting to order at 6:28 pm. (36 members).

9.2 Acceptance of the Agenda It was moved that the agenda be accepted as with the following addition: Old business: 9.8.1 Staircase Project Update Moved by: Bradley Lindsay Seconded by: Trevor Matthews 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby BC, V5G 3H2 | Phone: 604.432.8600 Fax: 604.434.3809 | www.bcitsa.ca/careers

36/0/0

Carried

(2 more members join in – 38 voting) 9.3 Approval of the Minutes: Monday, November 3rd, 2014 Be it resolved that the Council Meeting Minutes from November 3rd, 2014 be accepted as distributed.

Moved by: Daniel Sumano Seconded by: Justin Deddens 38/0/0 Carried 9.4 Progress Reports and Updates: Executives Student Executives have submitted their progress report.

Joseph:  Will be meeting with BCIT to talk about the set reps recruitment process.

9.5 Question Period  Why did the Chair of Energy not submit a report? There is no excuse, besides being too busy.

9.6 Councillors’ Forum No comment 9.7.

Old Business: 9.7.1 Stair case Starting at the end of November, the construction of the new staircase going to SE2-3rd floor will start. There will be some disruptions, but we will ensure that the flow of students is respected. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of January.

9.8 9.8.1

New Business External Policy Initiatives

After talking to numerous stakeholders, Tyra presents three areas that BCITSA should concentrate their efforts towards in respect to external lobbying. The goal is to create position papers and different campaigns that would push these issues forward.

1) Transportation Policy: It would include topics such as bus loop, Upass, and other transportation related issues pertinent to students.

2) Deferred Maintenance Policy: This issue would be more related to BCIT and BC Government.

3) Materials Funding Policy: Using BC’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint document, we can look at aligning the needs to BCIT students to the government’s goals.

All policies will be approved by Council before going forward. If any Council members have an interest or question, contact Tyra directly.

Questions:  The Broadway Corridor, how could we link it to BCIT? This was only an example. The reason for not being part of this report is that we have not been involved in lobbying for students’ needs. Although some of these initiatives may take long time, it is better to do something rather than nothing.  If a position is put in place regarding transportation, we would make sure to market it to students.

3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby BC, V5G 3H2 | Phone: 604.432.8600 Fax: 604.434.3809 | www.bcitsa.ca/careers

 

Could BCIT benefit from the external funding as stated in the BC Blueprint document? This is what is being investigated. Trades programs are in line with this report. Although the focus will be on trades and technology programs, there will be an impact on other programs.

Which policy will be the first one to be dealt with? Transportation and Deferred maintenance simultaneously.

9.9 Next Meeting: Monday, December 1st, 2014 Next Council Meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 1st, 2014, in the Council Chamber SE2 – Rm 283 at 5:30pm.

9.10

Bi-Weekly Riddle

9.11 Meeting Adjournment It was moved by Nav Bhatti and seconded by Daniel Yen that the meeting be adjourned at 6:52pm. Carried

3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby BC, V5G 3H2 | Phone: 604.432.8600 Fax: 604.434.3809 | www.bcitsa.ca/careers

Council Meeting Agenda Monday, November. 17, 2014 5:30-8:30pm

9.1

Meeting called to order

9.2

Acceptance of the Agenda

9.3

Acceptance of the minutes, November. 3rd, 2014

9.5

Progress Reports and Updates: Executives (5 min)

9.6

Question Period (10 min)

9.7

Councillors’ Forum

9.8

New Business 9.8.1 External Policy Initiatives: Tyra (10 min)

9.9

Next Meeting: Monday, Dec. 1st, 2014 Council Chambers 5:30 – 8:30

9.10 Bi-Weekly Riddle 9.11 Meeting Adjournment

BCITSA Executives - Progress Reports (Oct. 31 - Nov. 13)

Name & Position

Relative Priority Objective Description

Objective Status

1

Investigate the long-term future of BCIT food services, the potential for change to the existing system and BCIT's process for food service review

2

Increase student engagement and awareness of their social impact through the establishment of an annual TEDxBCIT event targeted at BCIT students

Dylan Smith - President

Started Food Services - Second meeting with BCIT is scheduled for next week. Discussion is still very high level.

Ongoing

3

Position Update

Reform and revise electoral process in order to strengthen integrity of elections

TEDxBCIT - Vistied ATC to do a venue walkthrough and begin to plan venue layout. Met with several speakers to work on their talks. Met with the organizing team to futher the plan for the event and nail down more logistics details.

Electoral Process - Objective postponed until the completion of TEDxBCIT in January.

Not Started 4

Work with BCIT and external partners to bring a carsharing program to BCIT to provide students another transportation option

Postponed 5

Review and appoint new contract for student health and dental plan

In Progress 1

Investigate into a possible collaboration with the BCIT Recreation Centre in the funding and expansion of student recreation services

In Progress

Create a Finance and Budget Committtee for student members to have the oppurunity to review the Associations financial statements and reveal a layer of transparency.

Completed

Design process(es) to improve part-time representation at the governance level

Data Gathering/Lobbying

Review the current instructor feedback processes; and develop recommendations to better promote continuous improvement and accountability

Data Gathering

1

Orientation Day 2014

Completed

1 2

FroshFest 2014 Completed Collaborate with Rec Services, to increase the level of student involvement and engagement with wellness opportunities on campus In progress

3

Promote health and wellness on campus

Allen Depa - VP of Finance & Administration 2

Health & Dental - Met with committee. Set timeline for reaching out to insurance vendors and will begin putting together package to send out to vendors shortly. Council will receive updates via the committee.

Misc - Had first of monthly meetings with Stephen Lamb, BCIT's CIO to discuss IT and issues students are having. Had first of monthly meetings with Dawna Mackay, Interim AVP Student Services. Discussed what's happening with Student Services and what is coming. Made a trip out to the Annacis Island campus with the Chair of Transportation, Construction & the Environment to tour the campus and assess what is available for students. Judge the World Showcase Showdown event in the great hall.

Held our first Finance and Budget committee. With the committee we reviewed our comparative financial statements and the current position of the Student Association. Furthermore we created a structure for the committee and presentations that we will be presenting to council in regards to showing everyone how we stand financially. That includes drastic changes that may occur, how money is allocated and the general growth of the Association. I also met with the controller to discuss information about the AGM and the financial presentation that

1 Evan Findlay - Vice President Student Affairs 2

Bradley Lindsay - VP of Campus Life

In progress

1

Formed by-election committee and am handling the election for the new chair of computing and acedemic studies. One candidate made it through the requirements verification and voting will conclude next week, after which the new chair will be determined. Also working on various student initiated miniprojects with BCITSA and BCIT staff.

2) There has been no significant progress on the collaboration with rec services.

3) Progress with promoting health and wellness have been put on hold for the time being, as a result of a humar resources movement within the BCITSA. 4) I have sourced a BCIT alumni to help plan the end-of-the-year party for BCITSA. This person has experience and sway within the party planning community, which will help with the logistics behind the event. Talks have started, even though the event is a significant

BCITSA Executives - Progress Reports (Oct. 31 - Nov. 13)

4

Continue to promote student engagement, through the development of an end-of-the-year event

amount of time from this In progress, but nothing new to report. point.

2

Review/ Research U-Pass Appendix A for 2016 contract renewal

In progress

Further develop governmental efforts related to student matters.

In progress

Tyra Bermudez - VP of External 1

3

Joseph Prophet - Chair of Business

Jamie Haakons - Chair of Energy

1 3 2

Met with Student Associations from U-Pass Advisory Committee. Discussed matters in regards to inviting the Deputy Minister and Minister of Transportation to a UAC meeting. In the works of creating a U-Pass video with Dan Stevens from BCITSA's "Streeters" for the presentation. Met with Tiffany, Director of VCC's Student Union and Caroline, to discuss UPass negotatiations in 2016. Highlighted major issues with the current contract, and the predicted climate for negotations in 2016. Starting to review current U-Pass agreement to find correlations between the BC Skills for Jobs Blueprint and Mayor's Council Transportation Vision.

Met with Tiffany and Caroline to discuss external advocacy practices. Met with Vince Vaxton, director of purchasing at BCIT, to discuss procurement practices at BCIT for material funding policy for ABCS. Vince provided us with some insight on the actual needs of students at BCIT. He highlighted deferred maintenance and technologically savvy equipment for more efficient teaching practices at our school. In regards to ABCS, we (BCITSA at the Burnaby Campus) will be hosting a bylaw meeting on November 28th.

Create collegial relationships with unions on campus In progress

No progress.

Implement, review, and refine the new set representative training and communication methods In Progress Champion career services to the School of Business and work with BCITSA Career Services staff on refining their services In Progress Research and record co-op and internship opportunities for first year business students, with a plan of action or implementation for the end of the year In Progress

- Setup meeting with Barry Hogan to review Set Rep due date for program heads, and Set Rep feedback communication methods - Creating a review system among Business Set Reps to use our services and fill out an anonymous form for constructive feedback - Organized a team of 3 students (llooking for a fourth). Will be organizing a meeting with students to split external research which will be brought together for mid January to create a business plan.

Investigate re-naming of the School of Energy

Started

Improve campus involvement in engineering competition Promote inter-disciplinary co-operation between School of Energy and School of Business

In Progress Ongoing

Chair of Computing & Academics

1 Amanda Ding - Chair of Health Sciences 2 3

Increase student health and wellness, including both physical and mental health In Progress Facilitate opportunities that would build a collaborative community within the School of Health Sciences On going Provide opportunities for students to build their professional portfolio On going

2

Met with student pilot group for IPE Leadership, students excited about events happening, connected students with IPE Simulation Leader from BCIT to explain significance as well as opportunities throughout the year for professional development.

Promoted White Rose Event to students and student leaders to raise awareness on mental health issues and anti-violence; Met with mentor to plan other events for SOHS; Planning 2 other

BCITSA Executives - Progress Reports (Oct. 31 - Nov. 13)

1

Tony Atkins - Chair of Transportation, Construction & Environment

Improve student representation at the set level

No Progress

2

Improve students engagement with the development of shared community space on all campuses In Progress 3

Investigate the needs of satellite campuses outside the classroom In Progress 1 Emilio Da Silva - Chair of Downtown Campus 2 3

Work to reduce infrastructure-related issues at the downtown campus Improve service delivery to students downtown Work with career services to gain awareness and visibility with downtown students

In progress In progress In progress

Met with Joseph Prophet, Justin Bargiacchi and Dan Close and discussed effective communication with Set Reps regarding platforms, frequency and effectiveness. Justin is setting up a new google calender accessible through the BCITSA website. Verified adequate timing for information delivery in order to avoid overwhelming the Set Reps with information. Joseph is meeting with Barry Hogan to push the Set Rep List dates forward within 2 weeks of school starting.

Sat in on interior design campus improvement presentations which were very helpful in identifying areas on campus in need of improvement. It was also very helpful to brainstorm and gather student ideas of how the campus could be improved. Met with the rest of the space planning comitee and discussed the possibility of the Eh Pod expansion project, toured the facility with proposed expansion drawings and have had several meetings since to discuss budget and viability.

Met with BMC students and discussed their lack of student space at the BCIT Marine Campus. Also discussed the possibility of increased library hours and U-pass machine access Toured the Annacis island campus with Dylan Smith to check in on facilities and student spaces. Assessed wants and needs of the students and the campus itself.

Supported Confucius Institute event on the 8th, contributed to their year end report as per requirements. Have Industry events in planning for the next Tuesday and following Tuesday.

Partnered with School Of Computing downtown as well as BCITSA marketing and creer services, Will also be bringing students interested from School of Energy within the specific

1

Daniel Sumano - Chair of Aerospace Technology Campus

Provide additional career services specifically for ATC students

Finalized dates for potential employers to visit the ATC and speak to student regarding “What does an employer look for in your resume?”

2 Collection of monthly event posters has begun. Satellite Co-Ordinator transfer documentation has begun.

Student inquiries have begun to be documented for future reference Create a permanent ATC Chair portfolio 3 Tool Auction date has been finalized.

Logistics for Rock Paper Scissor Tournament has been finalized. Planning for January Foosball/Pool Tournament has begun.

Monthly campus-wide peer bonding activities

3

(i) Meeting with Chartwell’s representative has been set and Class Rep’s look forward to having him as our guest. (ii) New gym equipment enquiry has been made. (iii) “Life of a student”/tour was given to a Trade Discovery Program student.(iv) Address student issue with Advocate.

IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY ON THE HORIZON: 1 MILLION JOBS. WE ARE RE-ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND TRAINING SO THAT B.C. STUDENTS AND WORKERS HAVE THE SKILLS TO BE FIRST IN LINE FOR JOBS IN A GROWING ECONOMY.

C O P Y R I G H T © 2 01 4 , P R O V I N C E O F B R I T I S H C O LU M B I A .

A L L R I G H T S R E S E R V E D.

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

Contents Premier’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Ministers’ Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: Re-engineering Education and Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 A head-start to hands-on learning in our schools

9

A shift in education and training to better match with jobs in demand

12

A stronger partnership with industry and labour to deliver training and apprenticeships 16 Applying the blueprint to industry need

23

Applying the Blueprint to LNG: The Right Skills, in the Right Place, at the Right Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 The LNG opportunity

24

The Premier’s LNG Working Group roadmap for an LNG workforce

25

Labour projections of the LNG sector

28

Top 10 LNG occupations required in 2018

29

Maximize British Columbia’s workforce

32

Recruit from across Canada

38

Utilize skilled international workers

38

Conclusion 40 Appendix 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Summary of ITA Review Final Report recommendations

41

Appendix 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Province of British Columbia on a Strong Resource Economy 45

R E - E N G I N E E R I N G E D U C AT I O N A N D T R A I N I N G

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Premier’s Message Building a bright future for our province means building a strong economy. When I launched our BC Jobs Plan in 2011, I acknowledged that the foundation for our growing economy is a skilled workforce that is ready to meet the challenges of our expanding industry.

Honourable Christy Clark Premier of British Columbia

One of those challenges, and a key opportunity for our province, is the LNG sector. This sector alone has the potential for nearly $175 billion in industry investment over the next decade. This in turn will support up to 100,000 jobs: 58,700 direct and indirect construction jobs, 23,800 permanent direct and indirect jobs for operations, and thousands more of induced jobs as a result of households having more income. This economic activity will contribute up to a trillion dollars to the province’s GDP. I have stated our government’s commitment to actively pursue the opportunities presented by growing our LNG sector here in B.C. I have called together representatives from government, industry and labour to work together to map out how we can solve some of the complex challenges associated with developing this sector. This Premier’s LNG Working Group has delivered a report with 15 recommendations on how to move forward. I have accepted all of these recommendations on behalf of government, and this plan reflects much of their best thinking.

By 2022, we are looking at a million job openings in all sectors and in all parts of the province. Filling these job openings is a significant challenge, and our ability to provide the right workers with the right skills in the right places will call for resourcefulness, innovation and a common purpose. These are qualities that British Columbians have in abundance.

Our primary goal will always be to put British Columbians first in line for job openings – something that can only happen if we ensure British Columbians have the training they need to take those jobs. However, because the challenge is so large, there will be a need, especially during peak construction periods, when we will need to attract workers from the rest of Canada and, when necessary, permanent and temporary workers from other parts of the world.

As part of our goal to maximize the potential of our existing workforce and our young workforce of the future, we have developed a plan that will give our young people a seamless path right from school through to the workplace.

B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: Re-engineering Education and Training is that plan. It sets out the fundamental changes and shifts we must undertake

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B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

to make the most effective use of our existing resources and future investments in education and training.

It calls for a more targeted focus on training for high-demand jobs, providing all partners with more up-to-date and useful labour market information, encouraging innovation in how we provide education and training to better meet the needs of British Columbians and giving employers and industry a stronger role and voice in shaping and evaluating our skills and training funding and program delivery.

We recognize that some British Columbians such as at-risk-youth, Aboriginal people and persons with disabilities face unique challenges in finding their place in the workforce. Helping these British Columbians take full advantage of training and development that leads to jobs is an important part of meeting our broader objective of putting British Columbians first in line for job opportunities.

This Blueprint reflects our shared goals. It respects the perspectives, strengths and needs of all partners but also calls on all of them to break down barriers and collaborate.

By 2022, we are looking at a million job openings in all sectors and in all parts of the province. Filling these job openings is a significant challenge, and our ability to provide the right workers with the right skills in the right places will call for resourcefulness, innovation and a common purpose.

Our Blueprint for government, industry, labour and Aboriginal partnerships is also our commitment – a commitment to deliver the skilled workforce B.C.’s growing LNG and other sectors need, and create the opportunity for long-term, well-paying jobs that strengthen our families and communities.

Honourable Christy Clark Premier of British Columbia

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Ministers’ Foreword Employers should have the highest confidence in the skills and employability of youth emerging from our education and skills training system. Our greatest competitive advantage will be in developing a highly trained and educated workforce.

All British Columbians deserve the opportunity to access education and skills training. They need to be first in line for the the one million job openings we are expecting by 2022.

Honourable Shirley Bond Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training

By 2022, more than 78 per cent of job openings will require some form of post-secondary education and training. Today, only 50 per cent of our young people have that level of training. Too many youth are still struggling to gain a foothold in the labour market. Too many British Columbians remain unemployed or under-employed – they represent huge untapped potential that can be realized with the right training and support programs.

Government is working with our partners in education and industry to make sure education and training programs are aligned with the demands of the labour market.

Honourable Peter Fassbender Minister of Education

Honourable Amrik Virk Minister of Advanced Education

[ 4 ]

Every person in British Columbia should be equipped so they can realize career opportunities most in demand by industry. This means exposing students to the full range of options and opportunities available to them in the workplace starting in elementary school and getting them excited about those options. We must also help students find their best fit in the workplace and give them a broader range of graduation options in high school. We need to develop more flexible options for training, regardless of geographic, technological or other barriers, and we must support young people in moving through post-secondary skills and trades training as efficiently as possible. Overall, we need to make sure we are matching the skills we are graduating with the skills we need.

Our Ministries have been working closely together in the development of this Blueprint. We know that our success relies, not only on all partners sharing a common vision, but also on developing closer collaboration among schools, post-secondary institutions, industry and labour. Our planning and funding decisions must be based on solid information, and our entire education and training system should become more targeted and outcomes focused. Our entire system should be more regularly and rigorously measured and evaluated to make sure we are getting the best results for our investments.

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

We believe it is important to ensure all students have a clear path on their journey from elementary to high school, on to post-secondary education and then as they transition to the workforce. The B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint will provide the foundation for success.

Honourable Shirley Bond Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training

All British Columbians deserve the opportunity to access education and skills training. They need to be first in line for the one million job openings we are expecting by 2022.

Honourable Peter Fassbender Minister of Education Honourable Amrik Virk Minister of Advanced Education

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IN B.C., WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY ON THE HORIZON: 1 MILLION JOBS. WE ARE REENGINEERING EDUCATION AND TRAINING SO THAT B.C. STUDENTS AND WORKERS HAVE THE SKILLS TO BE FIRST IN LINE FOR JOBS IN A GROWING ECONOMY.

1

Double ACE-IT

A HEADSTART TO HANDSON LEARNING IN OUR SCHOOLS

• 5000 spaces, extra recruitment and enrollment, relocation subsidies for up to 100 students, Aboriginal outreach

Expand WorkBC.ca • Expand web tools and resources to help youth find work

If you’re in elementary, middle or high school, we want to give you an earlier headstart to hands-on learning so you’re ready for the workforce or more advanced training when you graduate.

Encourage partnerships • School districts, municipalities, industry, post-secondary, and Aboriginal communities create at least 10 new programs together

Fund Trade Ambassadors • Provide real-life info about careers in the trades

Reform Gr 10 – 12 high school graduation • Personalized graduation plan

Review K – 9 curriculum • Relevant hands-on training for students

Qualify more teachers • 60 teachers per year qualified to teach foundation courses

Increase skills training scholarships • 25% more scholarships

2

A SHIFT IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO BETTER MATCH WITH JOBS IN DEMAND

Target grants for students • Student aid grants (approx. $40M) to support students to study for jobs our economy needs

Invest in programs • Align $270M in post-secondary funding to programs supporting in-demand jobs • $6.6M for critical trades seats

If you’re in a college, university or institute, or are thinking about attending, we’re matching training with jobs in demand, and maximizing the spaces available to provide the programs you need to compete successfully in the workforce.

Invest in programs for persons with disabilities • $1.5M to support people with disabilities to access technical and trades training

Invest in labour market programs for youth • $3.5M for programs like Youth Skills • $3M to train youth in high-demand jobs

Invest in initiatives for Aboriginal people • Aboriginal Youth Worker support networks • Funding for community-based skills training • Engage with Aboriginal youth • Support skills training for urban Aboriginal people through the Off Reserve Aboriginal Action Plan • Engage Aboriginal people in LNG opportunities

Find training spaces • Easy to access info about waitlists and available spaces at post-secondary institutions

Invest in infrastructure • $185M targeted for skills and trades training infrastructure and equipment

3

A STRONGER PARTNERSHIP WITH INDUSTRY AND LABOUR TO DELIVER TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS If you’re looking to move into or up in the workplace, we’re building stronger partnerships with industry and labour to better connect you with the onthe-job and classroom training you’ll need to boost your skills or achieve certification.

Publish important info • Easy to access info about which jobs will be in demand

Refocus the ITA • Enhance the Industry Training Authority, B.C.’s trades training system

Create more apprenticeships • Hire 10 more Apprenticeship Advisors • Continue to harmonize apprenticeship training across Canada • ITA to hire 5 Aboriginal Apprenticeship Advisors • Industry to share equipment and facilities • Increase participation of sponsors by allowing multiple sponsors to train one apprentice

Harness Innovative Solutions • In-class simulators • E-learning modules • Remote learning sites/mobile training facilities • Video conferencing • Classroom training at the beginning of an apprenticeship

Connect youth with the workplace • Up to $1M for research, updating curriculum

Harness Employment Program of BC • Tools and supports for finding a job, including case management, training, and financial support • Targeting $7.4M to support apprentices during their training

Invest in Community Employer Partnership Program • $8M for creating local training and employment opportunities with a focus on persons with disabilities, youth, Aboriginal people and LNG

Invest in Canada Job Grant • Maximizing employer investments up to $19.5M

Train for the jobs we need • Sector Advisory Councils will make sure that industry gives feedback • Industry-validated, up-to-date information will drive programming and funding decisions, Labour Market Priorities Board established

#FINDYOURFIT

PLEASE VISIT US FOR MORE INFORMATION: WORKBC.CA/SKILLS

B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: Re-engineering Education and Training Being prepared to take advantage of opportunities in our growing economy and ensuring that British Columbians are first in line for jobs that meet the needs of industry, means taking steps now to re-engineer education and training in B.C. To make the most effective use of our education and training resources and develop responsive and meaningful targets, we will rely on the best data and labour market projections. The most up-to-date labour market information will be used to guide government decision-making and to determine spending priorities.

Reliable and up-to-date information will support our goal to better match training and education with industry needs and provide the best information on labour market trends to educators, counsellors, students and their families.

We also need to make sure our programs are effective, so we will track and report on performance and outcomes.

Government currently funds education and training in excess of $7.5 billion per year. This is a lot of money from taxpayers. Re-engineering training and education doesn’t mean spending more, it means targeting more of the substantial resources already available to meet labour market priorities. So starting this fiscal year, we’re targeting over $160 million to do just that. In four years, this will ramp up to nearly $400 million per year. Over the span of our 10-year plan, this represents about $3 billion redirected towards training for high-demand occupations. That’s in addition to our capital plan, which over the next three years is targeting $185 million towards trades training infrastructure and equipment.

Since our actions are data-driven, in partnership with industry and responsive to the economy, this amount can scale up or down to match labour market requirements.

Matching labour market requirements with the skills we are graduating will mean that British Columbians can take advantage of our growing economy.

By 2022, there are expected to be a million job openings in British Columbia. These jobs openings will be created by major new opportunities, including expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) development in Northern B.C., increased trade with Asia, new mines and mining expansions, growing forestry exports as well as increased activity in the resource sectors, transportation, industry and business. These openings will also be created by retirements.

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About 530,000 young people will enter the job market over the next ten years. Our goal is to make sure that British Columbians have a seamless plan that takes them from elementary to high school through post-secondary education and right into the workforce. We also need to provide more support to those who are struggling to gain a foothold in the job market or who face unique challenges – such as youth-at-risk, Aboriginal youth and persons with disabilities.

, young people

 Million

job openings

That’s why we have created a Blueprint to guide our education and training system to help British Columbians successfully navigate their educational and career journey. It’s why you can visit WorkBC.ca/skills and find resources and programs tailored to you – your own Blueprint to #FindYourFit. Learning is an activity, not a classroom. By introducing students to a wide variety of hands-on experience at an early age, we can help kindle a passion they may otherwise never have discovered.

As we continue to transform B.C.’s education and training system, more of today’s students will have an increasing variety of career options, including exciting, well-paying careers in the growing skilled trades and technology fields.

Our Blueprint outlines important improvements to better tailor programs and opportunities to meet their needs and lays out three primary objectives – fundamental improvements to make education and training more effective and more relevant to the needs of industry and today’s workplace.

These objectives are: 1. A head-start to hands-on learning in our schools.

2. A shift in education and training to better match with jobs in demand.

3. A stronger partnership with industry and labour to deliver training and apprenticeships.

What will this mean for British Columbians?

For students in elementary, middle or high school Students in elementary, middle or high school will get a better, earlier head-start to hands-on learning so they’ll be ready for the workforce or more advanced training when they graduate.

For students in a college, university or an institute For students in a college, university, or an institute, or those thinking about attending, we’re better matching training with jobs in demand and maximizing the spaces available to provide the programs they need to compete successfully in the workforce.

For people entering the workforce or already on the job For those looking to move into or upward on the worksite, we’re building stronger partnerships with community, industry and labour to better

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connect them with the on-the-job and classroom training they’ll need to boost their skills or achieve certification.

Our Blueprint is designed to get our growing economy working for all British Columbians by making it easier for British Columbians to get working.

A head-start to hands-on learning in our schools For young people and their families to make informed choices about future career paths, they need the best possible information about their options as well as an education that will support their choices. Students need first-hand knowledge and experience and more pathways to in-demand careers. This means more hands-on learning experiences while in school and more opportunities for apprenticeships in the workplace.

We are committed to expanding choices and supports for students in our K-12 system because we know the better prepared they are, the more successful they will be in finding meaningful jobs and careers.

Our Blueprint for action includes:

▨▨ Doubling the number of ACE-IT spaces to 5,000 over the next two years

The Accelerated Credit Enrolment in Industry Training (ACE-IT) program works in two parts. It lets high school students take their first level of technical training in certain trades, which could qualify them for apprenticeship or industry training programs, while at the same time giving them high school credits needed for graduation. Doubling ACE-IT spaces will not only increase student choices but also encourage more students to pursue skills and trades training.

»»

The Ministry of Education will work with all school districts to increase their skills training and recruitment capacity, starting with on-the-ground support for northern districts in the LNG corridor.

»»

Relocation subsidies will help up to 100 students who need to relocate to another community to participate in ACE-IT programs.

»»

Rather than just the one intake period currently available for registering for ACE-IT, in 2014-15 funding will be provided to allow for additional enrollment during the year.

▨▨ Expand WorkBC website and web tools to focus on youth WorkBC (workbc.ca) is an online access point to the world of work in British Columbia. The WorkBC website helps people find jobs, explore career options and improve their skills. It also helps employers fill jobs, find the right talent and grow their businesses. The website offers a comprehensive database of B.C. job postings, career tools, job-search tips and R E - E N G I N E E R I N G E D U C AT I O N A N D T R A I N I N G

Doubling

ACE-IT spaces

5,000

2,500

EXPAND

WorkBC.ca New and improved web tools to help you find work

[ 9 ]



information on employment programs. The popular and valuable online resource will be expanded to include a section specifically dedicated to youth. This section will include a skills training micro-site housing B.C.’s Blueprint tool which helps British Columbians create their own custom skills training blueprint. It will also include video success stories to show how young people are meeting the challenges to find work and job satisfaction.

▨▨ Expanding dual credits in our schools to get students trained more quickly

Dual credit programs are developed in partnership with school districts and local post-secondary institutions. They let students take relevant courses and programs and help them move into post-secondary studies or the workplace faster and with the skills they need. Students taking these programs are graduating from high school with credentials and skills that are in demand and are going on to work in manufacturing, hospitality, high-tech, healthcare, construction and business. Dual credit programs appeal to students of all academic levels, including those with special needs and disabilities.

Encourage

Partnerships



new programs

Reform Gr. 10-12 High School

Graduation Personalized graduation plan

▨▨ Encouraging partnerships Incentives and tool kits will be offered to school districts. This will encourage them to partner with industry, municipalities, post-secondary and Aboriginal communities to create at least ten new programs to get more students into jobs, including high-demand jobs in specific sectors and regions. Work sites are the classrooms of the future.

▨▨ Funding for apprenticeship Trades Ambassadors Students look to people already in the workforce or with experience in a particular career or trade for information and guidance when making career choices. Providing funding for apprenticeship Trades Ambassadors to visit students in their schools and communities will promote trades careers and provide students with first-hand information and examples to guide their own career choices.

▨▨ Reforming Grade 10-12 graduation requirements to allow personalized graduation plans

Graduating from high school is an important milestone for students.

We need to make changes to recognize a broader range of hands-on learning and work experiences that allow students to meet graduation requirements. As a result, we’ll be graduating more students with skills and knowledge that apply both to academic studies and trades and technical training – students who have more options and are better able to find the right fit after high school.

▨▨ Applied Skills Curriculum in Grades K-9 should excite and prepare students

We know that the earlier we can expose students to information about the full range of career options and hands-on work-related experience, [ 10 ]

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

the more successful they will be in developing successful career paths and finding work after school. We need to provide more and better information about skilled trades and improve school district capacity to support and deliver relevant and exciting programs to students. The curriculum review is underway and will be completed in 2015.

▨▨ More teachers qualified to teach skills foundation courses in high schools

Our high schools need more teachers who have the qualifications and skills to teach foundation courses for skills and apprenticeship training.

We will develop innovative ways to allow and encourage teachers to upgrade their existing skills.

▨▨ Suggest making it faster and easier for qualified tradespeople to earn teaching certificates

Qualified Red Seal tradespeople have a lot to offer students in terms of work experience and as role models. We are suggesting that the education and the training sectors look for ways to help qualified tradespeople more quickly and easily acquire teaching skills and credentials so that we can use their experience and skills to improve our school programs.

▨▨ More skills training scholarships We will increase scholarships dedicated to skills training by 25 per cent.

This will help students facing financial barriers to skills training.

▨▨ Raise awareness on full range of options Students and their parents need to be informed about the broadest range of career options in our growing economy. Helping students find their fit means recognizing that not all students want to pursue the same career paths. Information should expose students to the full range of employment opportunities from professionals and managers to skilled technicians and tradespersons.

Increasing

Skills Training scholarships

Up 25%

▨▨ Inform and engage parents, teachers and counsellors Students rely on the support and guidance of their families, teachers and counsellors to help them make the right career choices. Providing up-todate education, training and labour market information to all involved will help students explore and pursue a full range of training and career options, that match the in-demand labour opportunities emerging in the province.

▨▨ Involve education-sector leaders in a skills outreach strategy We will involve leaders in our education sector, such as the British Columbia School Trustees Association and the British Columbia Principals’ and Vice-Principals’ Association, in designing and developing a skills outreach and promotion strategy. This will include the work of the new Superintendent for Careers and Student Transitions to support and promote skills and trades in our school system as part of the outreach strategy.

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A shift in education and training to better match with jobs in demand We want to make sure that we are giving British Columbians the right skills for the right jobs. This means making changes to better match training and education with the jobs that are in demand. Making the most efficient use of our investments in education and skills training means targeting funding to the areas that will deliver the best results.

For the first time in more than a decade, funding for post-secondary training will be significantly overhauled. By 2017-18, twenty-five per cent of provincial operating grants to public post-secondary institutions ($270M) will be aligned to training that matches with high-demand occupations and jobs.

We are encouraging more students to choose training that leads to high-demand jobs and to consider relocating to areas of the province where work and training are readily available. We’ll do this by focusing student financial aid grants and loan forgiveness programs to meet industry and regional needs.

We are increasing funding for trades training seats by $6.6 million. This investment will significantly reduce waitlists for the top LNG trades training spaces and high-demand trades.

Our Blueprint for action includes:

▨▨ Using student financial aid to support labour market needs and priorities

Student loan forgiveness and loan reduction programs benefit students who finish their studies by helping them get out of debt faster.

We will re-engineer our student financial aid programs to target $40 million per year in student aid grants to support occupations that are in high demand.

The BC Access Grant for Labour Market Priorities will be expanded to provide up-front money to cover the costs of relocation for training and tools for students who enrol in targeted priority programs at specific public post-secondary institutions. The Loan Reduction Program will be rebranded as the BC Completion Grant to better reflect the program purpose of rewarding students who complete a year of study in a program of two years or longer, with a focus on programs that are in high demand.

Loan forgiveness has been used successfully in the past as an incentive to get graduates such as doctors, nurses and other health providers to work in underserved or designated communities.

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B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

The Loan Forgiveness Program will be refocused to make sure that it aligns with broader provincial labour market priorities, including health-related professions.

▨▨ Re-engineering operating grants to support high-demand occupations

This year, government will be re-engineering an additional $40 million of the operating grants for public post-secondary institutions to target training in high-demand occupations and programs for Aboriginal persons and persons with disabilities. This aligned funding will increase to $90 million next year, and over the next three years, it will increase until it reaches $270 million or 25 per cent of total operating funding. These funds will be redirected if student demand is less than anticipated. Funds will also be re-directed if programs do not meet measurable outcomes.

Not only will the new system be data-driven, it will be outcome driven.

As the economy evolves, we will adjust funding and programming.

Investing in Programs

.M

$

for critical trade seats

▨▨ Providing more funding for trades training seats Government is providing an additional $6.6 million this year for critical trades seats – a ten per cent increase over the current Industry Training Authority funding to public institutions. This funding will significantly reduce waitlists by adding spaces starting September 2014 for the jobs needed in our economy such as: heavy equipment operators, heavyduty equipment mechanics and electricians.

▨▨ Programs for persons with disabilities We will direct $1.5 million to support persons with disabilities to access technical and trades training.

Skills Development for Employment Benefit funding from the Canada-BC Job Grant Labour Market Development Agreement will be used to test innovative training and initiatives at public post-secondary institutions to increase the success of persons with disabilities in technical and trades programs.

Through the Labour Market Agreement for Persons with Disabilities (LMAPD), the government of B.C. will invest $61 million each year over the next four years for a range of employment supports aimed at assisting persons with disabilities to gain employment. Examples of LMAPD-funded programs include: Employment Program of BC $4.3 million (2013-14 baseline investment) Community Living BC Employment Services $11.5 million (2013-14 baseline investment) Ministry of Advanced Education Services $17.9 million (2013-14 baseline investment).

▨▨ Labour market programs for youth $3.5 million will be committed each year to get youth into the workforce through the renewed Canada-BC Job Fund. Programs like Bladerunners, Youth Skills and a potential Bladerunners for the

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[ 13 ]

emerging LNG industry give youth a hand getting into the workforce and in getting on-the-job experience and training.

Each year, $3 million will be available for training providers to offer project-based youth training. This training will be targeted to meet the job-training needs in priority trades and skills and in regions with a high demand.

Create

LNG

opportunities for

Aboriginal people

▨▨ Engaging Aboriginal youth and focusing on their needs Aboriginal youth experience challenges in getting from school to the workplace. They are a huge pool of new talent because they are the youngest and fastest growing population group in the province – almost half of all the Aboriginal people in the province are under the age of 251.

At 59.6 per cent, school completion rates for Aboriginal students in B.C. are amongst the best in the country and have increased significantly over the past decade. However, this remains below the provincial average of 83.1 per cent . We remain committed to working with the First Nations Education Steering Committee and other education partners to ensure Aboriginal students have access to high-quality educational opportunities enabling them to take advantage of skills training and economic opportunities in their communities and throughout B.C. We are taking innovative measures to reach out to Aboriginal youth in their communities and work with them to make sure they have the education, training and support they need to find their place in our economic future.

Some steps we are taking include:

»»

Establishing and supporting networks of Aboriginal youth workers at the regional and provincial level to provide better support to Aboriginal youth in all parts of the province.

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Funding projects through the Labour Market Partnerships that work with Aboriginal youth to help them find education and training services to meet their specific training needs.

»»

Working with Aboriginal youth to get their advice on how to develop skills-training programs, policies and support services to help Aboriginal youth.

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Linking the Industry Training Authority’s (ITA) Aboriginal Advisory Council with Aboriginal youth and other partners to provide advice on innovative ways to address the challenges facing Aboriginal youth.

»»

Working with the Ministry of Education, FNESC and the First Nations Schools Association to ensure skills and trades information is available to students attending band-operated

1

[ 14 ]

Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey, Statistics Canada Catalogue no.

99-011-X2011026 B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

schools. B.C., together with the federal government and First Nations as represented by FNESC, is implementing the Tripartite Education Framework Agreement, which includes a focus on ensuring smooth transitions for Aboriginal students moving between the First Nations and B.C. public school systems.

We need to work with the broader Aboriginal community to realize the potential of Aboriginal youth and under-employed Aboriginal people to help meet our economy’s workforce challenges and realize its emerging opportunities.

»»

We will continue to implement the Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education and Training Policy Framework and Action Plan to increase participation and success for Aboriginal learners.

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We will support skills training for urban Aboriginal people through the Off-Reserve Aboriginal Action Plan.

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Through the ITA we will provide five new Aboriginal Apprenticeship Advisors to work specifically at recruiting and supporting Aboriginal apprentices.

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Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation (MARR) is engaging with First Nations and Aboriginal organizations to gather information on barriers and best practices that will be shared across government to help in the development and delivery of skills training programs to Aboriginal people.

»»

We will, through MARR, provide ongoing research that supports skills training for Aboriginal people.

»»

We will set achievable targets for increasing Aboriginal workforce participation. We will add 15,000 new Aboriginal workers over the next ten years.

»»

We will support community-based delivery of training for Aboriginal youth and under-employed Aboriginal people.

▨▨ Finding training spaces Providing up-to-date and easy-to-access information on waitlists and vacant seats available in colleges and institutes for programs leading to high-demand jobs will help students make better education and training choices and offer them a broader range of options.

▨▨ Increasing our investment in infrastructure and equipment for skills and trades training

Up-to-date training facilities with the latest technology and equipment are critical to making sure students have the right skills for high-demand jobs. Over the next three years, government will spend $750 million for infrastructure and equipment at our post-secondary institutions, including $185 million targeted toward trades training infrastructure and equipment.

R E - E N G I N E E R I N G E D U C AT I O N A N D T R A I N I N G

185M

$

for

targeted

skillsand

trades

training

infrastructure and equipment [ 15 ]

A stronger partnership with industry and labour to deliver training and apprenticeships We have to make sure we have the skilled workers we’ll need to respond to the opportunities and challenges of a growing economy. Our trades training system must change to keep up with the growing demand for skilled workers and put British Columbians first in line for new job opportunities.

We are re-engineering our apprenticeship system to better match industry needs, provide the highest level of training for our apprentices, and get students from study to the workplace more quickly.

We are working closely with employers, industry, labour and the ITA – the provincial body responsible for apprenticeship training – to target skills training to high-demand occupations, remove barriers that limit labour mobility and increase the participation of industry and labour in the skills training system.

[ 16 ]

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

Our Blueprint for action includes:

▨▨ Getting and using better data to drive decisions To make the most effective use of our education and training resources and develop responsive and meaningful targets, we will rely on the best data and labour market projections. A solid base of information is the critical foundation for all our education and training programs and actions.

Reliable and up-to-date information will support our goal to better match training and education with industry needs and provide the best information on labour market trends to educators, counsellors, students and their families.

Data

Drives Decisions System Alignment

Data

Action

Recalibrate

We also need to make sure our programs are effective, so we will track and report annually on youth performance by measuring rates of participation, completion and transition to the workplace.

The Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training will expand its current team of professionals who obtain and analyze labour market information.

The most up-to-date labour market information will be used to guide government decision-making and to determine spending priorities.

Labour market projections are based on available labour market data from Statistics Canada and other sources, industry growth and population projections and consultations with employers, industry partners and representatives from key sectors. This data helps guide our decisions on what programs we need to develop, how to target funding and to identify high-demand occupation trends.

Each economic quarter we will publish up-to-date labour force projections for each industry sector. These projections will be made available online and through other communication vehicles. We’ll use detailed workforce data from major project employers and proponents in preparing these projections.

A Labour Market Priorities Board has been created to regularly review projections and make recommendations on how to improve them, make them more useful and relevant, and ensure they are up-to-date.

The Labour Market Priorities Board will also ensure that government funding in key skills training and educational areas is aligned and allocated to labour market priorities that will promote the economic growth of B.C.

▨▨ Refocusing the ITA Today, B.C. has twice as many apprentices, and is issuing around three times as many credentials compared to 2004. But the ITA was created almost ten years ago, and since then B.C.’s economy has changed considerably.

In order to ensure that B.C.’s trades training system continues to meet the demand for workers, we are re-engineering our apprenticeship system to better match industry needs, provide the highest level of training

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for our apprentices, and get students from study to the workplace more quickly.

To achieve these priorities, government undertook an independent review of the ITA. The final report was submitted to government in February, 2014 and sets out 29 recommendations to enhance and strengthen B.C.’s trades training system. The key trades training shifts include:

»»

Moving the system to be demand driven to meet the needs of workers and employers.

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Unifying cross government decision-making with funding allocated based on labour market information and workforce targets (demand driven).

»» »»

Reconstituting the ITA board of directors.

Holding the ITA and post-secondary institutions accountable for system results.

»»

Bringing the functions of Industry Training Organizations inside the ITA.

»»

Establishing Sector Advisory Councils.

These shifts will set out a clear path that will ensure:

»»

There is accountability in the system for outcomes that are evidence-based and demand driven.

»» »» »»

A high performing ITA with strong leadership.

A meaningful role for industry and employers, including labour.

An increased supply of skilled trades people in the right trades for the right times.

We are committed to making these changes and working with all partners in B.C.’s industry training system to meet the demand for skilled workers in LNG and other critical sectors, now and over the next decade.

Government continues to provide the ITA with a core budget of over $94 million dollars annually to support trades training in B.C. This investment has remained consistent since 2010.

To view the full report: http://www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/ITA_Review/docs/ITA_ Review_Final_Report.pdf A summary of the ITA Review Final Report Recommendations can be found in Appendix 1.

▨▨ Increasing employer sponsors for apprenticeships Employers play a central role in apprenticeship training. Without the participation of employer sponsors, apprenticeships are not possible.

We need to do more to actively encourage employers to step up and become sponsors. [ 18 ]

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

We will use online tools like WorkBC to make it easier for employers to post apprenticeship jobs and opportunities and to enrol as sponsors. We will recognize the changing needs and circumstances of employers and enable apprentices to train under more than one employer during the term of their apprenticeship.

We’ll use industry Sector Advisory Councils to involve industry in taking a stronger role in apprenticeship planning and promoting employer sponsorships within their sector.

▨▨ Developing innovative solutions to make trades training work better

Mobile training facilities give students access to equipment and training in locations where jobs are located and where specific skills are needed.

Working with industry and post-secondary institutions, we’ll identify short-term needs in remote communities that will benefit from having mobile training facilities.

We will work with employers and the training sector to develop and deliver in-camp training to better help working British Columbians upgrade their skills, and acquire new skills and qualifications to take advantage of emerging opportunities. Work sites are the classrooms of the future.

Changes can be made that make it easier and more attractive for employers to take on apprentices in their workplace. One example of a flexible approach is front-end loaded apprenticeship courses where all the classroom course work is taken at the beginning of the course of study rather than being spread out throughout the program. This lets apprentices have uninterrupted time at work and means that employers are getting young employees with all the classroom and theoretical knowledge they need for the job once they start in the workplace. We will work with employers, industry and the ITA to identify more opportunities for this, and other types, of flexible programming.

The world of training and learning is changing. New tools and approaches are being made available that shrink distances for learners and instructors and provide the opportunity to create virtual classrooms.

We need to take better advantage of emerging technology and educational tools and materials to meet the needs of students.

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Some training innovations include:

»»

In-class simulators that give students hands-on, real-time practice and experience.

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E-learning modules that let students learn at their own pace and at the most convenient time for them from any location equipped with a computer or internet access.

»»

Remote learning sites that bring teachers and resources to students in remote locations through the use of technology such as video conferencing.

The training needs of industry are diverse and are not all achieved through apprenticeship programs delivered through the Industry Training Authority. Some non-apprenticeable trades, such as surveyors, are skilled trades we will continue to need. Other industry-led certifications are available through professional associations where people train for jobs in a variety of fields, including robotics, building design, environmental protection, aviation, mining, petroleum drilling, and reservoir engineering. Many of these programs are shorter in duration, offered at the work site, and are based on industry standards and regulations to ensure the certification reflects the current requirements of the workplace.

We’ll continue to engage with the employers and associations in priority sectors to ensure the standards and certification are relevant to industry and available for British Columbians.

▨▨ Investing in connecting youth with the workplace We need to do a better job of connecting young people with the workplace. To encourage these connections, we will invest up to $1 million each year to:

Investing in the

Community and Employee Partnership Program

[ 20 ]

»»

Support research on new strategies to better connect youth with the workplace.

»»

Improve the delivery of up-to-date and relevant curriculum and course content.

»»

Create new tools aimed at attracting students to trades and technical careers.

▨▨ Creating more work-based training Students who have hands-on work experiences and opportunities to apply their learning and acquire employment-related skills are better prepared for entry into the workforce and better equipped to make training choices that fit with their interests and abilities.

We will work with employers, industry and education institutions to expand the opportunities available for students to gain work-based training.

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

We’ll also look for ways to give young workers access to additional training to build their skills while they are on the job.

▨▨ Preparing and matching British Columbians with jobs Through the Employment Program of BC and its 85 WorkBC Employment Service Centres across the province, we will offer British Columbians self-service and case management services tailored to their individual employment needs and interests. This includes targeting $7.4 million to support apprentices during their training if they are an EI eligible British Columbian.

We will ensure WorkBC Employment Service Centres have up-to-date information on training and career opportunities in priority sectors, like LNG, and that counsellors are able to assist individuals in taking advantage of employment opportunities. $8 million has been made available through the Federal Labour Market Development Agreement to increase employment-targeted training and work experience through community and employer partnerships, information sharing, technology and innovative practices. Projects funded under the Community and Employee Partnership program are focused primarily on persons with disabilities, youth and Aboriginal people and the LNG sector.

▨▨ Maximizing employer investment in Canada-BC Job Grant Our government has recently renewed its labour market agreement with the federal government. The new Canada-BC Job Fund, will work to directly connect skills training with employers and result in more jobs for Canadians. The centrepiece of the new agreement is the Canada-BC Job Grant. The Canada-BC Job Grant will provide government funds to match employer contributions to support employee skills training. Investments of up to $5,000 by employers can be matched by up to $10,000 in federal funding, resulting in as much as $15,000 per person for training. We will be looking to maximize employer investments through this program to as much as $19.5 million by year four of the six-year agreement in order to take full advantage of federal contributions.

Investing in

Canada Job Grant

▨▨ Formalizing the role for Sector Advisory Councils Most major industries and economic sectors are represented on industry forums that give advice to government and educational institutions.

The number of industry councils has been expanding in recent years because of the increased importance of skills training and development in all parts of the province.

We will rely on industry councils to validate labour market data and labour force projections. We’ll also ask their advice on how to use the information to better guide our investments in training, equipment and facilities to make sure we are meeting industry needs and taking advantage of all opportunities.

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▨▨ Increasing the number of apprenticeships in high-demand areas We will direct $10 million from the new Canada-BC Job Fund and Labour Market Development Agreement to increase the number of apprenticeships available in high-demand areas and in high-demand trades.

▨▨ Improving apprenticeship completion rates We are working to ensure that apprentices have the support they need to complete their training and become certified trades professionals. We will continue to improve apprenticeship completion rates annually starting with a two per cent increase by June 2015.

▨▨ Sharing equipment and facilities for training The technical needs, tools and skills requirements for industry are constantly changing. It is costly to provide students with state-of-the art equipment and facilities for training and ensure they have the most current knowledge and skills. By developing strong partnerships between post-secondary institutions, educators and industry, we can create innovative ways to share facilities, equipment and staff to make sure that training is more relevant for students, better meets industry’s changing needs and is available in more locations.

▨▨ Hiring more Apprenticeship Advisors We will work with our current Apprenticeship Advisors to learn how to improve our apprenticeship training system and increase the number of apprentices. We’ll also hire ten more Advisors to work throughout the province and support employers and apprentices.

▨▨ Work in partnership with the Government of Canada As a significant economic driver in rural and remote regions, the resource industry has the potential to create thousands of jobs in British Columbia.

And those jobs will require skilled workers. That’s why the governments of B.C. and Canada signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on a Strong Resource Economy at the end of March 2014.

This new partnership lines up directly with B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint.

The goals of the MOU are:

[ 2 2 ]

»»

Gathering the best possible workforce information to better track and project job needs.

»»

Harnessing the existing capacity of the education and training sector and the employer community to increase the number of skilled trade workers and professionals for the resources industry.

»»

Increasing training and job opportunities for Aboriginal people and groups under-represented in the labour market.

»»

Ensuring training investments are more responsive to employers’ needs.

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

»»

Reducing barriers to labour mobility and foreign credential recognition for workers who choose to move for jobs in the resources industry. To view the MOU, please see appendix two.

▨▨ Making it easier for workers to move between major projects We will bring major employers together to look at how we can develop processes that make it easier for workers to move from one major project to the next and maximize the employment opportunities available to B.C. workers. At the same time, we will work with apprentice training organizations across Canada to continue to harmonize apprenticeships so qualifications are consistent and recognized all across our country.

Removing barriers to mobility for skilled workers is a key to better meeting industry needs and getting the right workers where they are most needed, when we need them.

Through the New West Partnership with Alberta and Saskatchewan, we have committed to ensure labour mobility among apprentices in all three provinces so that we can meet our mutual labour market interests.

▨▨ Possibly increasing apprenticeship positions on public projects Government is considering the feasibility of increasing the number of apprenticeships on major, public projects. A review is being conducted based on information from similar programs in Canada and the world.

Based on the outcomes of this research, government will determine the best course of action for the province.

Applying the Blueprint to industry need Over the next ten years, B.C. will see the development of hundreds of major projects, three-quarters of which are slated to take place in Northern B.C. Large development initiatives rely on a skilled workforce. We need to give industry and investors confidence that we will be able to provide the right workforce, in the right place, at the right time.

We will meet the labour supply opportunity and challenge by:

»»

Making the best use of our existing workforce through re-training and relocation.

»»

Preparing the next generation of our workforce through re-engineering our education and training systems.

»»

Creating a welcoming and stable labour environment that is attractive to workers from across Canada and from around the world.

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Applying the Blueprint to LNG: The Right Skills, in the Right Place, at the Right Time The LNG opportunity2 In September 2011, our government announced its intention to aggressively pursue liquefied natural gas’ (LNG) potential to create jobs and boost our economy. To date, over $7 billion in investments have been made by industry to acquire natural gas assets needed to support the LNG industry and make acquisitions to provide the foundation for the development of pipelines and LNG plants. It is estimated that

2

[ 24 ]

Occupation projections in this section are based on the LNG Occupation Projections by KPMG, April 2014.

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

another $2 billion has been spent preparing for the construction of LNG infrastructure.

The Premier’s LNG Working Group a roadmap for an LNG workforce In 2013, Premier Christy Clark established the Premier’s LNG Working Group with representatives from organized labour, industry, First Nations and the provincial government to develop a road map to ensure British Columbia has the skilled labour force it needs to seize the opportunity of the LNG sector.

Between November 2013 and March 2014, the Working Group’s 18 representatives met and worked together to address some of the complex problems associated with LNG development. In April 2014, the Premier accepted all 15 of the recommendations contained in the Working Group’s Final Report.

The Final Report’s recommended strategies for LNG skills training in B.C. are: 1. Develop an ongoing structure with equal representation from industry (including contractor associations), organized labour, First Nations, and governments to participate and enable the skills training and workforce planning issues leading to employment in the LNG opportunity. The structure should be established in co-ordination with other LNG workforce activities already underway.

2. Begin planning and training British Columbians immediately for the LNG opportunity.

3. Training should be co-ordinated throughout B.C. and Canada to maximize the effectiveness of the existing labour pool and lead to employment.

4. Identify and remove barriers to entry into training while supporting literacy and essential skills development to support local and B.C. work-based training and employment.

5. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the investment in training by leveraging successful government, union, and private training programs.

6. In conjunction with recommendation #7, industry, governments, organized labour, and First Nations should partner to conduct campaigns and career fairs in high schools, colleges and cultural centres on the LNG opportunity.

7. Promote awareness of job opportunities in B.C., including workbased training with a focus in rural, northern, and First Nations communities.

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8. Establish an inventory of individuals currently in apprenticeship programs and other non-apprenticeship skilled workers seeking employment. Include in the inventory journeypersons who are available to provide mentoring and on-the-job training to apprentices.

9. Aspire to a goal of having 25 per cent overall of the apprenticeable trades workforce on LNG-related construction projects and whether funding for apprentices can come from industry and/or government.

In addition, government should consider having a minimum number of apprentices on public infrastructure projects.

10. Review the approach used by private-sector unions with respect to apprentices and by First Nations with respect to training to determine if their approach can be improved or applied more broadly.

11. Explore and analyze projects that have used a mobile workforce. In addition, it is important to identify and resolve the barriers to worker mobility in relation to trades qualification and certification.

12. Target areas of opportunity by focusing on workers finishing construction or other projects in all areas of the province.

13. Explore best practices within the LNG sector and other competing industries with respect to the conditions necessary to attract a mobile workforce.

14. Develop a plan to support workers from other jurisdictions to stay in B.C. 15. Further refine and develop a process for the use of Temporary Foreign Workers in the context of an overall strategy that identifies the workforce needs of the LNG opportunity and immediately begins a skills training plan to develop as many British Columbian and Canadian workers as possible to meet those needs. The structure contemplated in recommendation #1 will be seized with the responsibility to refine and develop a process for the use of Temporary Foreign Workers.

The recommendations from the Premier’s LNG Working Group will help to guide the efforts of government, industry, labour and First Nations in working together to address the workforce challenges for the LNG sector.

They are reflected in the B.C. LNG Workforce Plan.

To view the full Premier’s Liquefied Natural Gas Working Group: Final Report: http://www.labour.gov.bc.ca/pubs/pdf/lng_final_report.pdf British Columbia is committed to realizing the potential of the LNG industry to grow our economy and create good, family-supporting jobs.

We recognize that one of the commitments industry is seeking from us is to demonstrate our capacity to provide the skilled workforce they require to capitalize on the significant investment they must make.

We have developed a plan for meeting the LNG industry’s workforce challenges and we have engaged labour, industry, First Nations and government in the planning process. We will continue to work with these

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B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

partners moving forward and can assure industry that B.C. has the qualified and skilled workforce to meet the challenge.

We are committed to making sure British Columbians are first in line for the job opportunities associated with LNG development. This includes a particular focus on ensuring that Aboriginal people benefit fully from economic and labour market opportunities. It also means re-calibrating our apprenticeship system and re-engineering our education and training model to be more responsive to labour market demand.

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Labour projections of the LNG sector3

NORTHERN BC Natural Gas Supply

Extraction and Processing (UPSTREAM)

es elin Pip Transmission

(MIDSTREAM)

LNG Export Facilities

Liquifaction and Transportation (DOWNSTREAM)

To demonstrate how labour market data can be used to align skills training and education programming with high-demand occupations, we have contracted KPMG to develop up-to-date workforce projections based for the emerging LNG sector. The projected workforce demand was created based on direct input from industry proponents including: Pacific Northwest LNG, Fortis BC, Apache Corporation, Shell Canada, BG Group, Spectra Energy Transmission, Chevron, Woodfibre, Imperial Oil, Progress Energy Resources Corp., Petroleum Human Resources Council, Petroleum Services Association, Canada, and the BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy Committee.

The data provide detailed projections for specific occupations that will be in demand during the various stages of industry development. They provide multiple investment scenarios to provide greater latitude for policy and program planning purposes. Our latest data indicate that a scenario with five LNG plants constructed in B.C. between 2015-2024 would create a total industry investment of $175 billion creating up to 100,000 jobs: 58,700 direct and indirect construction jobs, 23,800 permanent direct and indirect jobs for operations, and thousands more of induced jobs as a result of households having Aggregate Construction Employment per Project Stream more income. This economic 60,000 activity will contribute up to a trillion dollars to the prov50,000 ince’s GDP. 40,000 30,000 20,000

¢ Direct Upstream ¢ Direct Midstream ¢ Direct Downstream

10,000

¢ Indirect Jobs

0

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

2023

Aggregate Operations Employment per Project Stream

As the LNG projects mature and refine their project plans, the labour market data will similarly be refined.

Adjustments to the skills training programming will continue to be modified to as needed based on new and updated data.

60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000

¢ Direct Upstream ¢ Direct Midstream ¢ Direct Downstream

20,000 10,000 0

¢ Indirect Jobs

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

3

[ 28 ]

2023

Occupation projections in this section are based on the LNG Occupation Projections by KPMG, April 2014 B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

Top 10 LNG occupations required in 2018 We’ve taken the Blueprint and applied it to the Top Ten LNG occupations in 2018, but these numbers are good for all industries that require these occupations.

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B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

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[ 31 ]

LNG upstream activity, which involves drilling and processing of gas for transport, is already employing 13,000 people. Another 5,300 direct new permanent jobs will be created to support operations across all LNG sectors.

Fully exhausting B.C.’s existing workforce supply is our first priority, but we know that even if we are 100 per cent successful in matching our existing labour force to job opportunities, we may still face a labour shortage at certain points in the LNG construction and development cycle.

To meet the job opportunities created by the LNG sector, we will need to fully utilize our local supply of British Columbia workers. We will also need to recruit skilled workers from across Canada, use new immigrant Canadians, and only when absolutely necessary, temporary skilled international workers for temporary jobs..

Maximize British Columbia’s workforce British Columbians will be first in line for job opportunities in B.C. At peak construction in 2018, we will require 58,700 workers.

We are making significant shifts in our education and training sector to make it more responsive to high-demand sectors like LNG. We are targeting funding and making strategic investments to increase our training capacity, adjust our program offerings to respond to employers’ changing needs and provide students with education and support at all stages from school to work.

We are re-engineering our apprenticeship system and breaking down barriers between our trades training and education sectors so that our students are able to explore a full range of workforce and training options.

A HEAD-START TO HANDS-ON LEARNING IN OUR SCHOOLS Giving students a head-start through earlier exposure to trades and making it easier for them to get started on training will get young workers [ 32 ]

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

from learning to earning more quickly and provide more skilled workers for the LNG workforce.

We will designate the $10.5-million BC Education Plan grant to districts for skills training and work with them to:

»»

Increase the number of seats in the ACE-IT program that lets students in high school get graduation credit for trades foundation courses taken in high school.

»»

Provide students with relocation subsidies so they can get training where seats are available.

»» »»

Support regional partnerships.

Doubling

ACE-IT spaces

5,000

2,500

Train teachers as trades foundation instructors.

We will expand WorkBC. WorkBC (workbc.ca) is an online access point to the world of work in British Columbia. Currently it serves over 650,000 users per month. WorkBC helps people find jobs, explore career options and improve their skills. It also helps employers fill jobs, find the right talent and grow their businesses. WorkBC offers a comprehensive database of B.C. job postings, career tools, job-search tips and information on employment programs. The popular and valuable online resource will be expanded to include a section specifically dedicated to youth. This world-class online resource will support our LNG workforce plan by providing expanded LNG sector information.

EXPAND

WorkBC.ca New and improved web tools to help you find work

Features include:

»»

orkBC offers employers a comprehensive job bank that lets W them post ads for free. It also has up-to-date information on labour laws and regulations and information on tax credits, loans and grants available to support them.

»»

The site features 18 detailed industry profiles including construction, oil and gas and transportation.

»»

The website features more than 500 detailed job profiles including LNG-related skills trades such as pipefitters, welders, heavy equipment operators, transport drivers and construction trades. These are kept up-to-date and added to in response to labour market trends and industry needs.

»»

Site users can access more than 60 CareerTrek videos that help bring occupations to life. These include a range of LNG-related skills and trades.

We will expand dual credits in our schools to get students trained quicker through partnerships between school districts and local colleges.

We will provide funding for apprenticeship Trades Ambassadors to visit students in their schools and communities to promote trades careers in sectors such as LNG and give students first-hand information.

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

Reform Gr. 10-12 High School

We will reform Grade 10-12 graduation requirements. As a result, we’ll graduate more students with skills and knowledge that apply both to academic studies and trades and technical training resulting in more students pursuing high-demand trades for the LNG sector.

Personalized graduation plan

We will increase scholarships dedicated to skills training by 25 per cent.

This will help those students facing financial barriers take skills training in high-demand occupations.

Graduation

A SHIFT IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING TO BETTER MATCH WITH JOBS IN DEMAND

Increasing

Skills Training scholarships

Up 25%

We will target our student financial aid programs and make available $40 million per year for student aid programs to target LNG and other occupations that are in high demand. The BC Access Grant will provide up-front money to cover relocation costs and tools, the BC Completion Grant will provide loan reductions for students completing training and the Loan Forgiveness Program will be expanded to include students entering high-demand occupations, such as LNG, who move to remote parts of the province.

This year, government will target $40 million of post-secondary operating grants to target training in high-demand occupations including the LNG sector. This aligned funding will increase to $90 million next year and over the next three years it will increase until it reaches $270 million, or 25 per cent of total operating funding.

Investing in Programs

.M

$

for critical trade seats

Create

LNG

Government will spend an additional $6.6 million to pay for more critical trades seats. This ten per cent increase will significantly reduce waitlists for the top LNG trades training spaces.

We will make $3 million available every year for competitive bids for training providers to offer project-based youth training. This training will be targeted to meet the job requirements in high-demand sectors like LNG. We will commit $3.5 million each year to get youth into the workforce through the renewed Canada-BC Job Fund with the federal government.

Programs like Bladerunners, Youth Skills and a potential Bladerunners for the emerging LNG industry will give youth a hand getting into the workforce to obtain on-the-job experience and training.

We are taking innovative measures to reach out to Aboriginal youth in their communities and work with them to make sure they have the education, training and support they need to find their place in our economic future by:

opportunities for

»»

Establishing and supporting networks of Aboriginal youth workers at the regional and provincial level.

people

»»

Supporting community-based delivery of training for Aboriginal youth. and under-employed Aboriginal people.

Aboriginal

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B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

»»

Using the Labour Market partnerships funding to support Aboriginal communities’ education and training services.

»»

Working with the Aboriginal youth to develop skills training programs, policies and support services needed to ensure Aboriginal youth are supported to enter the job market.

»»

Linking the ITA Aboriginal Advisory Council with Aboriginal youth and other partners to provide advice on ways to address the challenges facing Aboriginal youth.

»»

The Ministry of Education will work with FNESC and First Nations Schools Association to ensure skills and trades information is available to students attending band-operated schools.

B.C., together with the federal government and First Nations as represented by FNESC, is implementing the Tripartite Education Framework Agreement, which includes a focus on ensuring smooth transitions for Aboriginal students moving between the First Nations and B.C. public school systems.

$185 million of government’s spending on post-secondary facilities and equipment will be specifically aligned to support skills and trades training in areas such as LNG skills development.

185M

$

for

targeted

skillsand

trades

training

infrastructure and equipment

A STRONGER PARTNERSHIP WITH INDUSTRY AND LABOUR TO DELIVER TRAINING AND APPRENTICESHIPS To better match training and education with industry needs and provide the best and most up-to-date information on labour market trends to educators, counsellors, students and their families, the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training will expand its current team of professionals who obtain and analyze labour market information. Up-to-date labour market information will be used to guide government decision-making and target funding and identify high-demand occupation trends.

Data

Drives Decisions System Alignment

Data

Action

Recalibrate

We need to do more to actively encourage employers to step up to become sponsors. Online tools like WorkBC will make it easier for employers to post apprenticeship jobs and opportunities and to enrol as sponsors. We will pursue changes to enable apprentices to train under more than one employer during the term of their apprenticeship, and we’ll use industry Sector Advisory Councils to involve industry in taking a stronger role in apprenticeship planning and promoting employer sponsorships.

We will take advantage of emerging technology and training innovations to meet industry demands for skilled workers and provide instruction to students in remote locations through the use of technology such as video conferencing. Particular emphasis will be on high-demand occupations for the LNG sector in Northern B.C. We will encourage in-camp training by providing online instruction and simulation equipment that allows students to learn at their own pace, at any time and in any location with internet access. Work sites are the classrooms of the future.

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We will harness the Employment Program of BC. The Employment Program of BC provides services to all British Columbians, dependent on eligibility, to prepare them to become job ready and find sustainable employment.

Services are delivered through 85 WorkBC Employment Service Centres across the province with self-service and case management services tailored to individuals’ employment needs and interests. The Employment Program of BC also offers assistance, such as living supports, to apprentices during their training if they are an EI eligible British Columbian.

We will ensure WorkBC Employment Service Centres have up-to-date information on training and career opportunities in the LNG sector and that counsellors are able to assist individuals in taking advantage of employment opportunities.

Investing in the

Community and Employee Partnership Program

We will harness the Community and Employee Partnership Program. $8 million has been made available through the Federal Labour Market Development Agreement to increase employment-targeted training and work experience through community and employer partnerships, information sharing, technology and innovative practices. Projects funded under the Community and Employee Partnership program are focused primarily on persons with disabilities, youth and Aboriginal people and the LNG sector.

We will direct $10 million from the new Canada-BC Job Fund and Labour Market Development Agreement to increase the number of apprenticeships available in high-demand areas and in high-demand trades with an emphasis on the LNG sector.

We are reaching out to First Nations’ communities to provide them with information on workforce opportunities.

Create

LNG

opportunities for

Aboriginal people [ 36 ]

We will encourage the development of strong partnerships between post-secondary institutions, educators and industry to create innovative ways to share facilities, equipment and staff to make sure that training better meets industry’s changing needs.

We will hire ten more Apprenticeship Advisors to work throughout the province and support employers and apprentices.

We will work with major employers to develop processes that make it easier for workers to move from one major project to the next – maximizing the employment opportunities available to B.C. workers.

We will work with apprentice training organizations across Canada to continue to harmonize apprenticeships across Canada and better respond to high-demand areas like the LNG sector.

We will work with First Nations and Aboriginal communities to realize the potential of Aboriginal youth and under-employed Aboriginal people to realize opportunities in emerging sectors like LNG by:

»»

Supporting skills training for urban Aboriginal people through the Off-Reserve Aboriginal Action Plan.

»»

Engaging with First Nations and Aboriginal organizations to gather information on barriers and best practices that will be B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

shared across government to help in the development and delivery of skills training programs to Aboriginal people.

»»

Providing ongoing research that supports skills training for Aboriginal people.

»»

Providing five new Aboriginal Apprenticeship Advisors to work at recruiting and supporting Aboriginal apprentices.

More than 40,000 Aboriginal British Columbians aged 15-64 live in our Northern communities and almost half of all the Aboriginal people in the province are under the age of 254. Aboriginal people are the youngest and fastest growing population group in the province. They are a huge pool of new talent. We will work with Aboriginal communities and organizations to significantly increase their participation in the workforce.

We are developing an approach to Aboriginal skills training, guided by our Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation (MARR), in conjunction with other provincial ministries, the federal government and Aboriginal partners.

This skills training approach has a Northern stream that is focused on the LNG and mining sectors. MARR negotiators working on LNG agreements with First Nations are gathering information from First Nations on barriers and best practices that is being shared across government to help in the development and deliveryof skills training programs to Aboriginal people. MARR is also helping develop a comprehensive listing of programs and supports services available for Aboriginal people who want to access skills training.

We are reaching out to First Nations’ communities and Aboriginal organizations to provide them with information on workforce opportunities and developing targeted labour market programming. Through the ITA and its Aboriginal Advisory Committee, we are creating an Aboriginal Apprenticeship Strategy to increase the numbers of Aboriginal apprentices and successes in trades.

We are working on a variety of fronts with the goal of increasing Aboriginal student training completion and transition to the workplace by two per cent a year. Over the next ten years, we are aiming to have 15,000 more Aboriginal youth working across the province. Many of these young Aboriginal workers will work in Northern communities and directly or indirectly support LNG development.

4

Statistics Canada, 2011 National Household Survey, Statistics Canada Catalogue no.

99-011-X2011026

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Recruit from across Canada We know that people want to work and live in B.C. LNG presents an opportunity to attract skilled workers from across Canada who want to relocate because of the quality lifestyle and well-paying and exciting work opportunities our province and our employers have to offer.

As signatories to the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), we have established full labour mobility for workers in regulated occupations across Canada, and the B.C. Labour Mobility Act requires all provincial regulatory bodies to operate in a manner that respects labour mobility provisions. For example, an engineer from Ontario can move to B.C. to take advantage of the LNG opportunity and have their existing credentials easily recognized. In addition, the national Red Seal trade designation provides labour mobility for trades workers so that they can work anywhere in Canada.

Promotion and Attraction In support of the Premier’s LNG Working Group recommendation #14, we are taking actions to support workers from other jurisdictions to stay in B.C.

»»

Expand WorkBC marketing across Canada, with a particular focus on areas from where B.C. historically attracts workers, such as Ontario and Atlantic Canada.

»»

Make WorkBC and Blueprint LNG promotional materials and youth awareness packages, like #FindYourFit, broadly available across Canada.

Training Co-ordination & Credential Harmonization In support of recommendation #3 from the Premier’s LNG Working Group, we are working to co-ordinate training across B.C. and Canada to maximize the effectiveness of the existing labour pool and lead to employment by:

»»

Harmonizing apprenticeship training across Canada by creating common standards, processes and outcomes in collaboration with other provinces and the federal government.

»»

Through the New West Partnership with Alberta and Saskatchewan we have committed to ensure labour mobility among apprentices in all three provinces so that we can meet our mutual labour market interests.

Utilize skilled international workers The workforce demand is so great that even after we fully utilize all of B.C.’s and Canada’s workers, we know we will need to rely on skilled international workers in certain circumstances, for temporary jobs.

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B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

B.C. is working closely with the federal government to increase the number of skilled international workers and their families through a variety of permanent immigration streams. In addition to immigrants, we know we will also require some temporary workers to meet labour market demand during peak periods of project construction. Where Canadians and permanent residents are not available, B.C.’s LNG workforce strategy approach will support the use of the Federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

We are also making Foreign Qualifications Recognition (FQR) investments in high-priority occupations related to the LNG sector, such as engineers and technologists, so that internationally skilled workers can be a part of the supply solution.

Increase Number of Permanent Skilled Workers

»»

Work with the federal government to position B.C. as an early adopter of the new federal express entry immigrant intake system to increase the number of economic immigrants entering B.C.

»»

Advocate to the federal government for an increased allocation of Provincial Nominees to meet our unique labour market demands and job openings in high-demand areas.

Process for Use of Temporary Foreign Workers

»»

As a follow up to recommendation #15 from the Premier’s LNG Working Group, refine and develop a process for the use of Temporary Foreign Workers within a broader overall LNG workforce strategy that is focused on employing British Columbians first.

»»

Once the protocol is established, B.C. will initiate strategic use of the authorities in the Canada-BC Immigration Agreement to expedite the entry of temporary foreign workers in high-demand occupations.

Investments in Foreign Qualifications Recognition

»»

Continue to focus investments on key LNG occupations.

Major projects are planned for 2014-15 with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists and the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of B.C. These investments are expected to result in quicker and more efficient certification for internationally trained workers, allowing them to work in their occupation of choice and support high-demand sectors like LNG, as soon as possible.

»»

Complete review of the FQR process to identify barriers to provincial certification in high-demand permanent LNG occupations and implement an Action Plan in 2014-15 to take immediate actions specific to the LNG sector.

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Conclusion Our Blueprint sets out our ambitious plan for re-engineering our education and training system to support our growing economy and help British Columbians take full advantage of the opportunities in our changing economy.

It also addresses the specific challenges associated with the development of liquefied natural gas industry in our province and draws on the collaborative efforts of government, industry, labour and First Nations and Aboriginal people in proposing solutions.

The Blueprint proposes actions for all parts of our education and training sector – from elementary school to post-secondary education and training. It invites the participation of all partners – students, families, educators, employers, industry and labour, and it sets a common goal to put British Columbians first in line for jobs and provide support to those struggling to find their fit in our workforce.

The actions build on a decade of capital investment in our schools and world-class post-secondary system. It sets out an innovative and results-focused path for our education and training system through the next decade. It draws on best practices from within the province and beyond and challenges all partners to work together to focus our resources on delivering tangible results and making strategic investments based on the needs of employers and industry.

We have set clear targets in our Blueprint and will be monitoring progress. We will also report out regularly to the public, education and training sectors, employers, industry and labour to let everyone know if we are achieving our targets.

The aim of all our planning and efforts is to get our growing economy working for all British Columbians by making it easier for British Columbians to get working.

[ 4 0 ]

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

Appendix 1 Summary of ITA Review Final Report recommendations 1. Government should introduce annual and multi-year planning to define province-wide sectoral and regional labour market demand targets for sectors and high priority trades that fall under ITA oversight. Planning should clearly identify fixed factors such as demographics, and variable factors, such as economic assumptions. Through this planning, government should set galvanizing targets for the overall outcomes of the system. Industry should be involved in endorsing the planning process in advance, including data sources and assumptions (see Recommendation 12 regarding Sector Advisory Councils).

2. Clear sectoral sub-targets should be set by government to address the potential to increase participation from aboriginal communities, and from the K-12 system. Annual evaluation of overall system outcomes should pay close attention to whether these sub-targets are being met.

3. The remaining projected trades-related supply/demand deficit should be analyzed to determine a minimum necessary target to be filled by temporary foreign skilled workers by sector.

4. As a separate initiative, the planning process should also be used to assess whether the right proportion of available funding is directed to trades training versus other academic and vocational programming, based on projections of relative labour market demand and costs of programming.

5. Government should confirm that its own decisions will be aligned with these targets in every way, and reinforce that every partner in the system has a role in meeting them. In addition: a. Government should no longer independently direct training funding to post-secondary institutions (PSIs) or other organizations but instead empower accountability within the ITA for both decisions and outcomes. This will require transferring existing base and discretionary funding from AVED so overall funding levels are not reduced. b. Capital funding decisions made by AVED related to trades must be directly linked to the same planning process and identified strategies to meet targets. c. An appropriate portion of Labour Market Agreement (LMA) and Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA) funding should be moved to the ITA, and integrated into its planning process to meet outcome targets.

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6. Government should create a cross-ministry shared services mechanism to ensure alignment of funding decisions, including, but not limited to, trades training.

7. The ITA should be retained as a Crown Agency, with its current role re-confirmed.

8. The Province should take steps to resolve any competing authority of PSIs to set program standards, if necessary introducing legislative change to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the ITA. 9. Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) should be formalized between the ITA and the BC Safety Authority and the BC Association for Crane Safety regarding co-operation to avoid overlap or conflict in certification responsibilities.

10. The Trades Training Consortium of BC should no longer be designated as a Crown Agency.

11. The employer engagement, training plan validation, and standards/program development setting functions of Industry Training Organizations (ITOs) should be brought into the ITA, with industry expertise and the infrastructure of industry subject matter expert committees that ITOs have developed to inform standards development/updating incorporated into the ITA’s core functions.

12. Sector Advisory Councils should be created to increase the direct role of industry in planning and decision making. Councils should strive for representation by employers rather than employer associations or consultants, and should include organized labour.

13. The ITA Board should be re-constituted in the immediate term to reflect the following membership: a. rejuvenation of board members; and b. broad sectoral representation (although not on an “equal” or “interest-based” formula); and c. long-term industry/trades experience, ideally at a senior level; and d. inclusion of individuals with knowledge and experience in labour organizations; and e. recognition by others as having demonstrated personal leadership achievements related to the goals of the system (e.g. innovative accomplishments in recruitment, training and retention of workers; partnerships between employers, trainers, equipment manufacturers or others); and f. strong capability to fulfill Board responsibilities (knowledge and experience in the role and functions of an effective Board); and g. widely recognized by others as a “corporate” player who can bring past experience yet rise above individual interests to focus on overall outcomes...

[ 4 2 ]

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

14. Organized labour should be recognized in the definition of “industry”.

15. Sector Advisory Councils should be asked to advise government on the relevance and need for specific policy directions for each sector, with resulting recommendations backed up by clear evidence relating to projected impact on achieving demand/supply alignment targets. These policy issues may include the need for re-introduction of compulsory certification, apprentice quotas/ratios, expanded opportunities for challenging for trades credentials, etc.

16. Working with its partners and users, the ITA should develop a clear and simple Service Charter to guide its operations, standards of service quality and to serve as the basis for annual feedback from users, system partners, and internal employees.

17. Government’s Letter of Expectations to the ITA, and its approval of the ITA Service Plan, should set out outcome-based measures rather than general objectives. Key performance indicators for the ITA should be tightly linked to meeting labour market demand targets, as well as achieving high feedback scores from its users.

18. Involving Sector Advisory Councils and with input from training providers, the ITA should implement a new evidence-based, multi-year planning process to set priorities and allocate funding in direct alignment with demand/supply targets.

19. Through its annual training investment planning process, the ITA should work towards providing greater multi-year planning certainty for training providers. Involving advice from Sector Advisory Councils, the ITA should eliminate the present system of fiscal year-end holdbacks for courses that are not delivered by public training institutions and instead consider introducing new flexibilities for training providers including variable class sizes.

20. Government should consider the introduction of mechanisms to enable the ITA to undertake multi-year budgeting, with any surplus returned to government periodically.

21. The ITA should identify and apply internal cost savings to more rapidly introduce a larger number of regional advisors to co-ordinate, track and support apprentices, and liaise with employers and other partners such as training providers and the K-12 system. A minimum target of 15 advisors should be introduced within the next calendar year.

22. The ITA should develop a plan for improved data collection and reporting, focusing on accuracy and the ability to track registrants in the system more effectively. This data should be used to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and be provided annually to government to supplement other data sets to track demand/supply alignment.

23. Consideration should be given to the introduction of a new group training organization within the ITA geared towards SMEs.

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24. Similarly, the ITA should consider creating an internal group training organization with a specific focus on achieving targets to increase participation for all sectors from Aboriginal communities.

25. Industry sectors and employer associations should be encouraged to work together with ITA, PSIs and the K-12 system to improve the culture of trades and bridging into training and employment for youth.

26. Government should lead an initiative with the broader public sector to analyze future workforce needs in relation to the trades, and to explore the potential for a collaborative plan to increase the number of apprentices employed in the public sector, including possible joint sponsorship and shared work experience opportunities.

27. Government should assess the opportunity to enhance bid criteria on public sector procurement projects in relation to apprentice quotas.

28. The Ministry of JTST and the ITA should jointly host an annual Innovation Forum where leaders from training institutions, the K-12 system, First Nations’ communities, employers and other stakeholders can learn from each other and make new connections to work together.

29. A 90-day transition plan should be developed with the participation of an oversight committee of industry representatives to ensure smooth and transparent implementation.

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B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

Appendix 2 Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Province of British Columbia on a Strong Resource Economy CONTEXT The Government of Canada and the Government of the Province of British Columbia are committed to work together in the spirit of partnership on labour market matters of national significance.

The resources industry is a significant economic catalyst in rural and remote regions that is becoming increasingly important to British Columbia’s economy and strategically important to Canada’s economic future. Moreover, responsible resource development plays an important role in the economic and social well-being of hundreds of Aboriginal communities across Canada, including British Columbia.

Many potential resource projects are located in, near or pass directly through Aboriginal communities and First Nations territories. Ensuring that Aboriginal people can participate in and benefit from emerging opportunities in natural resources sector is critical to the success of many of the natural resource projects.

Both orders of government are committed to working collaboratively with the resources industry employers and unions, communities -including First Nations communities, the education and training sector and other domestic and international partners -- to develop the workforce the resources industry will need in the years to 2020 and beyond.

This includes providing supports to address many of the barriers to labour market participation faced by Aboriginal people, and encouraging greater participation and investments by employers in skills training.

Canada, including British Columbia, has a unique and time limited opportunity to expand its energy export industry that will generate billions of dollars of investment, create thousands of jobs, and strengthen Canada’s global reputation as an energy leader. The increased global demand for new and expanded energy sources, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), has created a highly competitive global environment, requiring Canada and British Columbia to move quickly and responsibly to ensure Canada’s energy industry is export ready. Canada’s other resource industries such as mining and forestry continue to expand and provide strong economic opportunities as well.

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[ 45 ]

This strategic partnership will help give communities and investors confidence to proceed with energy development projects, including those related to LNG. The new Canada-British Columbia Jobs Fund is among several innovative measures at the heart of the Canada-British Columbia resources industry workforce strategy as we agree to work cooperatively to build a strong and adaptable workforce to meet the needs of the resources industry in British Columbia.

OVERARCHING OBJECTIVES Through this new strategic partnership, Canada and British Columbia will build on a successful foundation of cooperation on labour market development to ensure that British Columbians and other Canadians are first in line for jobs in British Columbia’s fast growing resources industry.

This includes Aboriginal people.

This new partnership approach to workforce development will require a coordinated effort, and the creative use of tools within each government’s respective areas of responsibility, with a view to: 1. gathering the best possible workforce information to better track and project job needs; 2. harnessing existing capacity of the education and training sector and the employer community to increase the number of skilled trade workers and professionals for the resources industry; 3. increasing training and job opportunities for Aboriginal people and groups under-represented in the labour market; 4. ensuring training investments are more responsive to employers’ needs; and, 5. reducing barriers to labour mobility and foreign credential recognition for workers who choose to move for jobs in the resources industry.

AREAS OF COLLABORATION 1. Gather the Best Possible Workforce Information to Better Track and Project Job Needs Collect, analyze and share the best possible community, regional, provincial and national workforce data, including administrative data from each jurisdiction, to improve the tracking of current job needs, and enhance job projections.

This will include working with industry to build on work already underway and, as needed, initiating new work to understand industry’s current and future workforce needs and the extent to which skills training initiatives are meeting industry’s needs for skilled workers.

[ 4 6 ]

B. C .’ S S K I L L S F O R J O B S B LU E P R I N T:

Information will also be used to inform student career decisions and support job matching between employers and job seekers in the industry.

2. Harness Existing Capacity of the Education and Training Sector and the Employer Community to Increase the Number of Skilled Trade Workers and Professionals for the Resources Industry This will include activities that focus on significantly increasing students’ awareness of and enrolment in studies for careers in the resources industry; working multi-laterally with other provinces and territories to harmonize apprenticeship training; leveraging skills training investments under the new Canada-British Columbia Job Fund; and, reorientation of the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement towards labour market demand.

This will also include working with employers, regulators and other stakeholders to enhance qualification pathways in the skilled trades; as well as, facilitating employer – education partnerships for better employment pathways for students, and encouraging greater employer investment and participation in skills training.

3. Increase Training and Job Opportunities for Aboriginal People and Groups Under-represented in the Labour Market Work in partnership with employers, employment service providers and Aboriginal communities to increase the participation of under-represented groups, notably Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities, and also women in resource sector opportunities.

This will include targeted training-to-employment initiatives for opportunities in the resources industry with significant involvement of employers, employment services providers, and other key stakeholders. This could also include a re-oriented Labour Market Agreement for Persons with Disabilities to increase job opportunities by better addressing employers’ needs.

This will also include bridging programs and supports, linked directly to jobs in and around Aboriginal communities; culturally-relevant programs to address life skills and employment readiness; and, working with employers to ensure culturally-relevant supports are available for Aboriginal employees in the workplace.

Existing best practices will be modelled and scaled, where possible.

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[ 47 ]

4. Ensure Training Investments Are More Responsive to Employers’ Needs Forge stronger ties between the resources industry employers and British Columbia’s education and training sector, and increase the role of employers in workforce development.

This will include working directly with employers to increase sponsorship of apprentices in the skilled trades, with a particular focus on up-skilling existing workers to ensure the current workforce acquires skills for emerging jobs in the resource sector.

5. Reduce Barriers to Labour Mobility and Foreign Credential Recognition for Workers Who Choose to Move for Jobs in the Resources Industry Work in collaboration with other provinces and territories, through the Forum of Labour Market Ministers, to reduce barriers to mobility of skilled workers, particularly those in the resource industry.

This will include continued efforts to harmonize apprenticeship training and trades qualification requirements across jurisdictions and accelerated efforts to improve credential recognition for foreign-trained workers in the resources industry.

Canadians and Permanent Residents should always have the first chance at available jobs. However, in cases where employers can clearly demonstrate that domestic workers are unavailable, employers may seek to hire temporary foreign workers but will need to have a plan in place to transition to a domestic workforce.

This MOU is not a contract and does not create legal or financial obligations binding on Canada and British Columbia.

Governments will resolve differences in relation to this MOU, including any question regarding its interpretation or application, through consultation and consensus.

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R E - E N G I N E E R I N G E D U C AT I O N A N D T R A I N I N G

FOR MORE INFORMATION: WWW.GOV.BC.CA

April 2014

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

February 28, 2013

kpmg.ca

This report has been prepared by KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) for the City of Vancouver and the University of British Columbia (“Client”) pursuant to the terms of our engagement agreement with Client dated May 17, 2012 (the “Engagement Agreement”).

KPMG neither warrants nor represents that the information contained in this report is accurate, complete, sufficient or appropriate for use by any person or entity other than Client or for any purpose other than set out in the Engagement Agreement. This report may not be relied upon by any person or entity other than Client, and KPMG hereby expressly disclaims any and all responsibility or liability to any person or entity other than Client in connection with their use of this report.

Contents Executive Summary

1

1

Introduction

7

1.1

Unlocking the Corridor’s economic development potential

7

1.2

Study objective

8

2

3

4

The Corridor in 2012

9

2.1

Geographic description of the Corridor

9

2.2

Economic importance of the Corridor

9

2.3

Buildings and facilities

10

2.4

Economic importance of the City portion of the Corridor

12

2.5

Economic importance of the UBC portion of the Corridor

13

2.6

Life Sciences connections along the Corridor

15

2.7

Other Corridor-based institutions with economic impacts

17

2.8

Corridor population and employment

17

2.9

Linkages to Metro Vancouver Job and Innovation Centres

18

2.10

Current transit service along the Corridor

20

2.11

Summary -- the Corridor in 2012

25

Economic planning and strategy context for the Corridor

26

3.1

Federal policy on technology sector

26

3.2

Provincial priorities and strategies

27

3.3

Regional Plans

28

3.4

City of Vancouver: Vancouver Economic Action Strategy & Related Plans

29

3.5

Summary – Influence of economic planning considerations

33

Planning initiatives and developments

34

4.1

Planning initiatives along the Broadway Corridor

34

4.2

Place and Promise: the UBC Plan

38

4.3

First Nations

40

4.4

Summary – impact of planning initiatives and current development proposals

42

5

6

7

Why the technology focus in the Corridor

43

5.1

Technology sector profile and growth

43

5.2

Role of University of BC

46

5.3

Research Centres of Excellence and Industry Clusters

49

5.4

International technology policy

50

5.5

Technology centres and initiatives in other jurisdictions

51

5.6

Rapid transit and technology nodes

56

5.7

How does Vancouver measure up

57

5.8

Summary – Technology Sector

58

Rapid Transit and Economic Development

59

6.1

Transit ridership - growth

59

6.2

Impact of transit ridership on economic development

60

6.3

Canada Line

60

6.4

Summary

64

Unlocking the Corridor’s economic development potential

65

Executive Summary The UBC-Broadway Corridor (the Corridor) is the second largest business and innovation centre in British Columbia. Running from Commercial and Broadway, the busiest transit hub in the region, all the way to the University of British Columbia (UBC), the province’s largest and most globally significant educational institution, it is currently the busiest bus corridor in North America.

The economic potential of the UBC-Broadway Corridor is enormous. The linkage between its health care precinct, life sciences hub, burgeoning technology industry, and UBC’s research enterprise, sets the stage for significant growth in the coming decades. With UBC’s annual economic impact estimated at more than $10 billion annually, and more than 150 spin-off companies, 100 of which are in life sciences and have raised more than $2 billion in capital, decisions made today on the development of the UBC-Broadway Corridor will determine how Vancouver, the region, and the province capitalize on these economic benefits.

The corridor linking Vancouver to UBC has the potential to become a technology hub on par with Toronto’s MaRS district, San Diego’s CONNECT or London’s Tech City. Already, growth in the Corridor is outpacing predictions from just a few years ago, with estimates currently predicting an increase in employment and population of 150,000 over the next 30 years. A number of key enablers favour the UBC-Broadway Corridor in becoming a top-tier global research hub: a concentration of academic research excellence; locally available, well-trained graduates; and an appealing lifestyle to attract and retain top talent.

The research conducted by KPMG identifies two major weaknesses that are currently limiting the economic potential of the UBC-Broadway Corridor. These are the lack of a collaborative approach among stakeholders, and the absence of superior transit infrastructure. Cities such as Toronto and New York have developed partnerships with local academic institutions that have strengthened technology hubs and attracted significant investment from both the public and private sectors.

These cities have another clear competitive advantage over Vancouver: they have a public transportation network that provides rail rapid transit between their major employment centres and their academic research facilities. The UBC-Broadway Corridor is already at full transit capacity during peak hours, with an estimated 500,000 pass-ups a year, and off-peak service up to 75 percent of capacity. TransLink’s preliminary evaluation of options for the UBC-Broadway Corridor, along with work done by the City of Vancouver, concludes that rail rapid transit – a subway – all the way to UBC best meets the needs of today’s transit riders and tomorrow’s population and economic growth.

Without an investment in rail-based rapid transit along the UBC-Broadway Corridor, the province’s principal health and technology sectors will be at a disadvantage in attracting talent, venture capital, and businesses to the Corridor because of the serious inconvenience of increasing gridlock and a lack of transit capacity.

The combination of UBC’s long-term plan for the campus, which will see a daytime population of 87,000 by 2041, and continued development in Vancouver around existing transit nodes along Broadway and on Musqueam lands, will drive significant population and job growth in the Corridor.

But this is only one piece of the puzzle. To fully capitalize on this coming growth, a strategy needs to be in place now, delivering a transportation system that will enable the UBC-Broadway Corridor to take its place as a top-tier, globally leading research and technology hub.

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

1

Key Study Findings – At a Glance Key features of the UBC-Broadway Corridor: 

After Downtown Vancouver, the largest business and innovation centre in the province, with more jobs and people than any other town centre in the region;



Growing faster than previously projected in the 2011 Regional Growth Strategy, with an estimated increase in employment and population of 150,000 over the next 30 years due to growth both at UBC and in Vancouver;



The combined commercial/institutional floor space in the Corridor is almost equal to that found in the Downtown and is experiencing significant growth;



The Corridor includes UBC, BC’s largest and most globally significant and research-focused university, and has the largest health care/life sciences precinct in the province; and



Lacking adequate transportation infrastructure to meet the current and future economic and population needs of both UBC and the City of Vancouver.

Unlocking the economic potential of the UBC-Broadway Corridor to become a globally significant high-tech hub like Toronto’s MaRS, San Diego CONNECT or London’s Tech City requires: 

High-capacity, fast, reliable rail-based rapid transit connecting UBC with essential research partners and job centres along the Corridor, including the health and research precinct around Vancouver General Hospital, and throughout the Metro Vancouver Region, and



Strong, intentional City and UBC collaboration to support economic growth with a focus on high technology, life sciences and green business expansion, to better leverage both public and private sector investment.

The Regional Case The creation of rail-based rapid transit through the UBC-Broadway Corridor stands to benefit not just UBC and the City of Vancouver, but the Metro Vancouver region, and the province as a whole. The UBC-Broadway Corridor is unique in that 50 percent of all transit riders come from outside of the City’s boundaries. This is driven by the high concentration of academic and economic activity within the Corridor, particularly in the health sector. Some of the province’s top medical research centres are along the Corridor, including: 

Vancouver General Hospital



BC Centre for Disease Control



BC Cancer Agency



BC’s only Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, and Pharmaceutical Sciences



Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute



UBC Hospital



Centre for Brain Health



Centre for Drug Research and Development.

These medical facilities provide support and care for people throughout British Columbia, and provide the employment that makes the UBC-Broadway Corridor the second largest job district in BC. A world-class life sciences cluster along the Corridor that is connected by rail-based rapid transit would provide even greater benefits to British Columbians.

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

2

The UBC-Broadway Corridor is the critical geographic connection between Vancouver’s Central Business District, UBC, other innovation centres, and key regional business centres and communities in Metro Vancouver, but it needs rapid transit to better link it to the region, as illustrated in the following figure.

The Corridor is unique in that it intersects the major north/south and east/west rapid transit lines: Canada, Expo and Millennium Lines. With the Evergreen Line opening in 2015, a subway along Broadway would connect Vancouver via rapid transit to Richmond, Burnaby, Surrey, New Westminster, Coquitlam, and Port Moody, benefiting other municipalities across the region. A subway would enhance the connections among regional town centres to the UBC-Broadway Corridor, which is the second largest business centre in the province after Downtown Vancouver, with more jobs than the next eight largest Metro Vancouver town centres combined.

The technology industry in British Columbia is a major contributor to the provincial economy, particularly in the Lower Mainland, and Vancouver has the potential to develop into a globally significant technology hub.

The technology industry is: 

The second fastest creator of new jobs in the private sector;



Growing more than twice as fast as the balance of the provincial economy; and



Intrinsically linked to UBC through funded research (public and private), operation of research centres of excellence, spin-off companies and collaboration in areas such as health care/life sciences.

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

3

About one-quarter of current employment in the technology sector in Vancouver is located in the UBCBroadway Corridor, as well as forty per cent of all jobs in the health care/social assistance sector in the city, with a significant linkage between these two sectors and UBC. The economic potential of the Corridor will be significantly tied to the further development of the technology sector.

UBC is closely linked to research institutes and technology firms throughout the Corridor: 

UBC is a leading international research institution (30th out of 500 in the world and 2nd in Canada in 2010).



In 2010-11, UBC attracted more than $549 million in research funding from all sources for 8,054 projects.

A large proportion of these funds are expended in the Corridor.



One hundred of the 152 spin-off companies have been in the health care sector, creating more than 2,500 jobs and over $2 billion in capital to date.

A 2009 UBC study estimated the university's economic impact at more than $10 billion annually, half of which is due to UBC’s research activities. Research intensive universities are a critical component in the economic growth and development of the technology sector.

What needs to be done?

Based on the findings of this study, the priority actions to unlocking the UBC-Broadway Corridor’s economic potential include the following.

1. Implement rail-based rapid transit, linking the UBC-Broadway Corridor’s academic and research institutes to each other and to the Metro Vancouver community The ability of the Corridor to achieve its economic and development potential will depend on the implementation of high-capacity, fast, reliable rapid transit as the long-term solution to its current and growing transportation congestion and transit capacity issues. In light of the TransLink study and based on work by the City of Vancouver, alternatives such as expanding bus service, or building light rail transit simply do not have the capacity to meet the population and economic growth that the Corridor will experience in the coming years.

International experience with global technology hubs indicates that effective infrastructure is a key enabler for collaboration and economic growth. Knowledge, workforce, funding, business acumen and appropriate space need to be effectively linked for technology hubs to work. Cities like New York and Toronto have a strategic advantage over Vancouver when it comes to transit connections for technology hubs.

For the UBC-Broadway Corridor to strengthen its competitive edge as a world-class life sciences and technology hub, rail-based rapid transit infrastructure is critical.

2. Provide appropriate and affordable commercial and residential space Commercial space One of the necessary components of economic development is the need to develop attractive and affordable commercial space along the UBC-Broadway Corridor – to enable fast-growing technology and other firms to take advantage of the Corridor’s proximity to UBC, downtown, YVR, and adjacent residential neighbourhoods.

The strongest opportunities for growth include (1) increasing the allowable density for existing commercial areas in the central and western parts of the Corridor, and (2) developing new higher-density commercial areas in eastern sections of the Corridor, in conjunction with improved rapid transit services.

Residential space The UBC-Broadway Corridor is already seen as a highly attractive residential area within Metro Vancouver.

Increasing the supply of affordable residential dwellings along and near the Corridor will assist Corridor-based firms in attracting talented employees, by enabling them to live and work in close proximity.

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

4

3. Develop an intentional, collaborative strategy to deliver a strong, vibrant and resilient technology sector Culture of Collaboration City/university collaboration in other cities — e.g. MaRS in Toronto (U of Toronto and City of Toronto), San Diego CONNECT (UC San Diego and City of San Diego) and New York City’s new partnership with Cornell — has been proven to attract significant investment from both the public and private sectors. There is similar potential for UBC and the City of Vancouver. The City of Vancouver and UBC have strong partnerships in a number of areas, and should continue to strengthen collaboration and complementarities in the areas of land use and economic planning. The critical mass of research facilities and businesses, geographic proximity and shared economic spin-offs create the potential for a powerful collaboration between BC's biggest city and its largest post-secondary institution.

Business attraction strategy Leading economic development centres typically result from the successful implementation of an intentional and targeted business attraction strategy – drawing on support at the local, regional, state/provincial, and national levels. The Vancouver Economic Commission and UBC are well positioned to develop and deliver such a strategy. Development of specific strategies and incentive programs to attract targeted industry sectors and firms — learning from the successes of other jurisdictions — is a key to realizing the economic potential of the UBC-Broadway Corridor. A targeted strategy focused on world-class research facilities and start-ups, access to capital and quality of life can spur new investment and allow the Corridor’s technology and science sectors to enhance its standing relative to other global cities.

An analysis of Vancouver’s position as a world-class technology hub shows that while the Corridor has many strengths, there are weaknesses that need to be addressed moving forward.

UBC-Broadway Corridor’s Relative Strength

Key Enablers Building out of academic research excellence within a university

Strong

Supply of locally available well-trained graduates

Strong

Proximity and access to hospitals & clinical trial opportunities

Strong

Attractive lifestyle to attract top young talent

Strong

Clustering/critical mass considerations

Strong

Close proximity of world-class technological research capabilities

Moderate

Proximity to arts-oriented residential communities

Moderate

Access to the business community/ financial support

Moderate

Access to affordable office/lab space

Weak

Collaborative approach from stakeholders

Weak

Superior transit infrastructure

Weak

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

5

*

*

*

It is clear that the economic potential of the UBC-Broadway Corridor is significant and can build off an already strong base, with many of the enablers for future growth already in place. The City of Vancouver and UBC are taking steps to realize this potential, but ultimately a rail-based rapid transit link is essential to provide the mobility required for this economic potential to be fully realized.

To develop a technology hub economy that is second to none at a global scale, a new approach is needed – one that sees UBC and Vancouver collaborating closely on a long-term plan to invest in the UBC-Broadway Corridor, through strategic land-use planning, targeted economic strategies and the development of a railbased rapid transit line to meet the population and economic needs of the future.

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

6

1

Introduction

The UBC-Broadway Corridor (the Corridor) has strategic importance to the economy of Metro Vancouver, British Columbia and Western Canada. The Corridor is home to: 

The main Vancouver campus of UBC, a globally significant research intensive university in the top 30 in the world, with a daytime population of more than 60,000 and more than 20 million square feet of institutional space, including significant affiliated research facilities located on campus.



The second largest office district in BC, next to downtown Vancouver, with more than 25 million square feet1 of business, commercial and institutional space in the Vancouver portion of the Corridor.



Approximately 200,000 people living and/or working within the Corridor, with employment of 95,000 and a residential population of 104,000 (as of 2006 census2).



The largest healthcare precinct in British Columbia, located in proximity to Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), between Oak and Cambie Streets and with strong links to UBC (medical school, research, UBC Hospital and other clinical facilities).



Other educational institutes and campuses located towards the east end of the Corridor (e.g. Vancouver Community College, UBC/SFU/BCIT/Emily Carr’s Great Northern Way campus).



Areas with significant potential for commercial/light industry enterprises (e.g. Mt. Pleasant, False Creek Flats).

The UBC-Broadway Corridor is the key geographic connection between Vancouver’s central business district, the University of BC, and regional business centres and communities in Metro Vancouver

Geographically, the Corridor is uniquely located within the Metro Vancouver regional economy – linking the world-class capabilities of UBC, the downtown Vancouver financial/business district, YVR, and the rapidly-growing economic and business and economic centres located in Richmond, Burnaby, Surrey, and other Metro Vancouver municipalities.

1.1

Unlocking the Corridor’s economic potential

The Corridor’s residential population, employment, commercial building facilities, and public transportation services (particularly north-south routes) all have grown significantly in recent years.

As UBC has matured and its global stature has grown, so too has its outreach to the broader Metro Vancouver community. UBC has numerous campuses around the region and the province, including academic campuses at Robson Square, Great Northern Way, and in Kelowna; and clinical academic/research campuses at VGH, Women’s and Children’s, BC Cancer Agency, St. Paul’s, Surrey Memorial, Royal Columbian, Prince George, Kelowna and Victoria; along with over 20 community education facilities in every municipality in the region and other communities throughout BC. As with other leading universities, much of UBC’s business outreach is with respect to technology-based businesses, one of BC’s fastest-growing industry sectors. The technology sector includes a significant life sciences component, much of which also links to the medical precinct in the Corridor.

1

City of Vancouver

2

Statistics Canada 2006.

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

7

Leading global technology centres typically feature a combination of research excellence, world-class business support services, strong workforce accessibility, and a high personal quality of life. The Corridor is thus positioned to be at the heart of the Metro Vancouver technology sector – connecting cutting-edge researchers at UBC with corridor and downtown business services, as well as providing linkages to business centres located in other Metro Vancouver municipalities.

At the same time, the Corridor's east-west public transit, currently restricted to bus transit, is over-capacity, and traffic congestion is growing. The lack of high capacity, reliable and fast rapid transit is a significant potential barrier to future economic growth.

1.2

Study objective

The objective of this study is to define the opportunities and priority actions required to unlock the economic development potential of the UBC-Broadway Corridor – with particular emphasis on (1) the potential of technology-based industries, and (2) the role of rapid transit in unlocking this economic potential.

1.3

Study conduct and reporting

This study has been led by KPMG, in association with MMK Consulting (MMK).

We would like to acknowledge with appreciation the significant contributions of UBC, the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Economic Commission, and Colliers in providing information and report content.

The contents of this report, and in particular the recommendations for unlocking the Corridor's economic potential, represent the combined inputs of KPMG, MMK, UBC, the City of Vancouver, and the Vancouver Economic Commission.

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

The Corridor already has many of the attributes of leading global technology centres – proximity to a leading university, nearby business and financial services, a technically-skilled workforce and a high quality of life. However, it is missing highcapacity rapid transit.

8

2 2.1

The Corridor in 2012 Geographic description of the Corridor

Figure 2.1 – The Broadway Corridor

The UBC-Broadway corridor study area (the Corridor) for this report is outlined in grey in Figure 2.1.

The Corridor is bounded roughly by 4th Avenue to the north, 16th Avenue to the south, UBC in the west and the Commercial Broadway SkyTrain Station in the east. The Corridor measures approximately 13km from east to west, and a little over one kilometre from north to south.

2.2

Economic importance of the Corridor

The UBC-Broadway Corridor represents the second largest business centre in the province after Downtown Vancouver. Central Broadway and UBC employ and are populated by more people than any other town centre in the region outside the Vancouver downtown area, as illustrated in Figure 2.2.

Central Broadway and UBC together account for 27 percent of employment (including students), while totalling 17 percent of population in the region’s town centres and UBC.

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

The UBC-Broadway Corridor represents: 17% of population 27% of employment.

9

Figure 2.2 – Regional population and employment in town centres and UBC

40% Vancouver Downtown

Population 20%

Employment 20% 40%

0%

26%

Vancouver Central Broadway & UBC Vancouver Eastern Core Richmond City Centre Metrotown (Burnaby) Surrey Centre

41% 27%

17% 6%

9%

6%

12%

4%

8%

3%

5%

Lonsdale (North Vancouver)

7%

3%

Coquitlam Town Centre

7%

2%

Langley Town Centre

60%

5%

4%

New Westminter

3%

1%

Maple Ridge Town Centre

3%

1%

Note: UBC employment and population figures include the University Endowment Lands. The UBC employment figure also includes the non-resident student population at UBC as the transportation needs of students and employees are similar.

Source: Census data 2006 and UBC 2012

2.3

Buildings and facilities

2.3.1

Vancouver portion of the Corridor

Figure 2.3 illustrates floor space trends in the Vancouver section of the Corridor (Boundary Road to Blanca Street), between 1996 and 2012.

Figure 2.3 - Vancouver's Portion of the Corridor Commercial and Residential Floorspace

Floorspace (sq. ft.)

70,000,000 60,000,000 50,000,000 40,000,000 30,000,000 20,000,000 10,000,000 ‐ 1996

2001

2008

2012

Year Source: City of Vancouver

Commercial

Residential

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

10

Key highlights from this chart are: 

Residential floor space grew between 1996 and 2012 at a compound annual growth rate of 1.5 percent.



Commercial floor space grew about 50 percent over the period 1996 to 2012, representing a compound annual growth rate of 2.5 percent.

The 2008 to 2012 period is particularly interesting because it begins to reflect changes to land use policy along the Corridor that may be indicative of future changes to development capacity and the rate of development along Broadway. Some highlights of the 2008 to 2012 period are3: 

Corridor floor space (both residential and commercial) has grown by almost 10 percent over four years.



500,000 square feet of commercial space was added annually during this period.



1,500,000 square feet of residential space was added annually during this period.



25 percent of the City’s floor space growth occurred in the Corridor.

2.3.2

UBC portion of the Corridor

Figure 2.4 illustrates UBC’s institutional floor space trends, between 1991 and 2012, along with projections for the next four years. In summary: 

Institutional/business floor space at UBC (including affiliated office, hospital and research space located on campus) has grown almost 50 percent over the past eleven years (average annual growth of 3.9 percent).



Total institutional/business floor space today, including buildings currently under construction, is 18 million square feet (or 1.7 million square metres). When the UBC Hospital and high technology research facilities located on campus are included, this space expands to nearly 20 million square feet.



Known projects in the capital planning process will begin to add another 1.8 million square feet (or 170,000 square metres) of institutional/business space over the next four years, bringing the total institutional/business floor space to approximately 22 million square feet (or 2.0 million square metres).

Institutional space at UBC has grown by 50% over the past eleven years and is expected to continue to grow rapidly to meet academic and research needs.

Combining the City and UBC statistics, total institutional/business oriented floor space in the UBC-Broadway Corridor is estimated at over 50 million square feet – approximately 75 percent of the total commercial floor space of Downtown Vancouver.

The total of UBC institutional space and Broadway commercial space is approximately 75% of the total commercial floor space of Downtown Vancouver.

3

Source: City of Vancouver

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Figure 2.4 – Institutional Floor Space (gross ft ) UBC Pt. Grey Campus (1991-2016) 2

20,000,000 18,000,000 16,000,000 14,000,000 12,000,000 10,000,000 8,000,000 6,000,000 4,000,000 2,000,000 ‐

Source: University of British Columbia

2.4

Economic importance of the City portion of the Corridor

The UBC-Broadway Corridor is a major part of the regional economy. The City portion of the UBC-Broadway Corridor represents the City of Vancouver’s second largest business centre, accounting for approximately 22 percent of businesses within the City. As illustrated in Figure 2.5, the technology sector and health care/social assistance sectors rank much higher in terms of representation within the Corridor than do other industries.

Figure 2.5 – Corridor as Percentage of City of Vancouver Business Counts

45.0% 40.0% 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% Health Care/Social Assistance

High Technology Industry

All Other Industries

Source: KPMG/MMK analysis of Dun & Bradstreet Data for 2012

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As the home of the Oak-Cambie healthcare precinct adjacent to Vancouver General Hospital, the Corridor accounts for 40 percent of the City’s health care and social assistance businesses. According to 2006 Census data, this equates to approximately 8,000 health care jobs in the Vancouver portion of the Corridor (there were approximately 23,000 health care jobs city-wide).

The Corridor also accounts for 25 percent of the City’s high technology businesses. A number of notable hightechnology & media/entertainment companies are located in the Corridor, including: Stemcell Technologies, Zymeworks, Slant Six Games, Genivar, and Deluxe Entertainment. In 2013, the rapidly expanding social media firm, Hootsuite Media Inc., will be relocating from Downtown to the Mt. Pleasant area of the Broadway Corridor.

2.4.1

Economic importance of the health care precinct

The health care precinct surrounding Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and the BC Cancer Agency is a significant regional asset, serving not only Vancouver, but the province as a whole for more complex and urgent health care matters. It is also the focus of a large life sciences research initiative between the hospital and UBC. Vancouver Coastal Health employs approximately 7,500 personnel in its corporate offices and health care facilities in the Corridor. The majority of the BC Cancer Agency’s 2,800 staff also work in the Corridor.

Health research is a significant activity in the Corridor, with over $480 million of research funding provided in 2011/12. As illustrated in Figure 2.6, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, BC Cancer Agency and Child and Family Research Institute are the major recipients of this research funding.

The vast majority of BC’s healthcare research takes place within the Corridor, at UBC, Vancouver Coastal/VGH, BC Cancer Agency and other centres.

Figure 2.6 – 2011/2012 Research Awards by Institution

Women's Health Research Institute, $1,287,566 Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, $98,633,757

BC Cancer Agency, $57,322,952 BC Centre for Disease Control, $4,759,812

BC Mental Health and Addictions Services Research Institute, $4,480,020 Child & Family Research Institute, $55,834,435

Providence Health Care Research Institute, $35,632,131 UBC, $261,523,470

Source: UBC Office of Research Services (ORS)

2.5 Economic importance of the UBC portion of the Corridor The University of British Columbia is a public research university located on Point Grey, at the west end of the Corridor. UBC is the largest and oldest university in British Columbia. It is ranked second in Canada and 30th worldwide in the Times Higher Education rankings. It is also ranked fifteenth amongst world public universities and eight overall in Newsweek’s ranking of top universities outside of the United States. UBC is

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the leading university in Canada in producing high-quality patentable research in life sciences and other areas.

UBC has spun-off more than 100 life sciences companies creating more than 2,500 jobs and raising more than $2 billion in capital.

The quality of UBC research is recognized globally. High Impact Universities ranked UBC’s research 30th out of 500 universities globally and second in Canada in 2010. UBC’s research budget of $550 million is the second-largest of the universities in Canada.

UBC is a member of Universitas 21, a leading international association of research-led institutions. The member universities collaborate to foster global citizenship and innovation through research-inspired teaching and learning, connecting students and staff, and promoting wider advocacy for internationalization. The network allows the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies to exchange ideas, build cross-border relationships with colleagues, and increase knowledge. Joint PhD programs provide graduate students with opportunities to experience two diverse research communities.

2.5.1

Growth in campus population and trips to UBC

UBC’s daytime campus population has increased from 42,300 to 60,300 between 1997 and 2011, including students, faculty and staff, representing a compound annual growth rate of 2.6 percent. UBC also has a residential capacity of 40,000, including student and family neighbourhoods.

UBC is one of the most important transportation destinations in the Corridor. Average weekday trips to UBC have increased by 30 percent over the last 14 years, from 106,100 in 1997 to 138,900 in 2011.

UBC is the 3rd largest employer in the Lower Mainland. There is a hospital on campus and other facilities offering medical services. In addition, there are major cultural facilities (e.g. Chan Centre, Museum of Anthropology). All of these generate significant regional benefits and transit demand.

Figure 2.7 illustrates the growth in daytime Campus population and total trips by all modes to UBC.

Figure 2.7 – UBC Campus Population and Trips to UBC 160,000 140,000

UBC has grown to become the third largest employer in the Lower Mainland.

120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 1997

1999

2001

2003

Daytime campus population

2005

2007

2009

2011

Total person trips

Source: University of British Columbia

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2.5.2

Economic impact of UBC

A 2009 UBC study4 estimated UBC’s annual economic impact as more than $10 billion annually.

Source of economic impact

Impact after local multiplier ($ millions)

Direct spending by UBC

$1,879

Student spending (excluding direct UBC spending)

306

Visitor spending

270

Increased income resulting from education (alumni in BC) net of costs Impact of UBC research on BC economy (new knowledge and knowledge transfer) Total economic impact of UBC (spending in BC)

2,600 $5,000 $10,055

UBC’s contribution to the BC economy is especially important in research and development. According to the Canadian Association of University Business Officers, UBC accounts for 71.3 percent of the $755 million in sponsored research funding that comes to the province, as illustrated in Figure 2.8. UBC also undertakes 91 percent of all research funded by business enterprises at BC universities.

Figure 2.8 – Proportion of Sponsored Research Funding

2.6

UBC accounts for more than 70% of all sponsored research funding coming to BC -funding that has particularly high employment, salary and GDP spin-off benefits.

Life Sciences connections along the Corridor

The life sciences cluster in the UBC-Broadway Corridor is unique within British Columbia, with particular concentration in facilities around the Cambie-Oak superblock and the University of British Columbia. As the Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) notes, Vancouver’s competitive advantage in life sciences is based on a talented workforce, government investment, and high quality university R&D and education programs.

Vancouver draws top-notch, international life sciences talent because of flexible federal immigration policies, Vancouver's outstanding quality of life, and strong R&D infrastructure.

4

The Economic Impact of the University of BC, Walter Sudmant, UBC Planning and Institutional Research, September 2009.

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The existing life sciences connections between researchers and institutions within the Corridor are rich and collaborations are frequent, producing outstanding results for British Columbians, particularly in the field of medicine. For example, in June 2012, a team led by human genetic researchers at UBC and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) identified a gene found to be unequivocally associated with typical late-onset Parkinson’s disease. The team, led by UBC Medical Genetics Professor Matthew Farrer – a federally-funded Canada Excellence Research Chair – contributed through their research to better understanding of late-onset Parkinson’s disease and the future cure for the debilitating disease based on their collaborative effort within the Corridor.

Many researchers and faculty members at the VCHRI, UBC Faculty of Medicine and other research agencies are cross appointed between various institutions located within the Broadway Corridor. Examples of cross appointments are found at the ICORD spinal cord injury research centre at Vancouver General Hospital, the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility at VGH, the Vancouver Prostate Centre (a UBC and VGH Centre of Excellence), and the Brain Research Centre at the UBC Hospital site. The Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health at UBC Hospital is expected to open in 2013. There is also growing collaboration and significant potential for collaborations in pharmacy-related fields with the establishment of the Centre for Drug Research and Development in the new Pharmacy building at UBC. The Broadway Corridor is host to many productive research collaborations, and work by members of the life sciences sector in the area holds a strong economic value for the region at present. British Columbia could enjoy even greater benefits in the future through the pursuit of a world renowned Life Sciences cluster on the Broadway Corridor.

2.6.1

Case Study: Boston, MA

One of the world’s premier life science clusters is found in Boston, MA. Like the one found within Vancouver’s Broadway Corridor, Boston’s life sciences sector benefits from the clustering of teaching hospitals, and medical and academic institutions with a growing number of private sector firms working in the areas of pharmaceuticals, biotech, and medical instruments. Decision makers in the Boston area have already taken note of the need for improved transportation infrastructure as a means of bolstering their city’s advantage in the life sciences sector.

As a 2007 report5 on the subject from Boston’s A Better City notes transportation infrastructure plays an important role in creating stronger and better connections among the institutions and businesses in the life sciences sector, connections that can provide a critical competitive advantage to Metropolitan Boston’s life sciences cluster. The Better City report goes on to note face-to-face and institutional connections as one of the keys to the success of Boston’s life sciences cluster and recommends strategic use of public infrastructure investments to support improved access to, and connections among, the life sciences facilities that are largely financed by the private and institutional sectors as a means of fortifying the dominance of the city’s life sciences sector and its ability to attract top researchers and firms.

5

Many life sciences centres in the Cambie-Oak section of the Corridor operate on an integrated basis with UBCbased life sciences/Faculty of Medicine operations.

http://nuweb9.neu.edu/dukakiscenter/wp-content/uploads/LifeSciences_exec_summ_final2_PDF.pdf The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

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2.7

Other Corridor-based institutions

The UBC-Broadway Corridor is also home to numerous other private and public institutions, such as: 

Vancouver General Hospital (VGH), BC’s largest hospital.



BC Centre for Disease Control.



BC Cancer Agency and Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre.



UBC Dentistry and Medical School that offer undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development educational programs to all doctors and dentists in BC. Similarly, the Pharmacy program is closely integrated with the professions.



UBC Hospital.



Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, BC’s largest medical research institute and four national Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (Centre for Drug Research and Development, Prostate Centre’s Translational Research Initiative for Accelerated Discovery and Development, Advanced Applied Physics Solutions; and Centre for Excellence for the Prevention of Organ Failure).



Numerous medical/dental healthcare clinics and offices.



Vancouver City Hall, plus several adjacently-located City departments.



Vancouver Community College, located in the Eastern part of the Corridor, with 6,000 students.



Great Northern Way Campus, a cooperative venture of several Metro Vancouver educational institutes, also located in the Eastern part of the Corridor.



The Vancouver School Board Offices, numerous community centers, libraries and other smaller public facilities spread along the Corridor.



Numerous private institutes (e.g. ESL training schools) and non-profit organizations (Arthritis Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation, BC Lung Association, Cancer Society) are located along the Corridor.



Numerous associations (BC Medical Association, Health Employers Association of BC, Vancouver Real Estate Board, Teamsters Union).

2.8

Corridor population and employment

2.8.1

Overview of the Vancouver portion of the Corridor

Census data indicates that in 2006 there were approximately 97,000 people living in the Vancouver portion of the corridor (2011 Census shows 101,000 people), representing 16.1 percent of the City of Vancouver’s total population. In 2006 there were approximately 86,000 jobs in the Vancouver portions of the Corridor (2011 Census data is not available for employment).

2.8.2

Distribution of population/employment along the Corridor

The distribution of population and employment along the Corridor is illustrated in Figure 2.9. UBC population includes University Endowment Lands population, while UBC employment includes the non-resident students as they behave in a similar fashion to workers in terms of travel. Central Broadway (Burrard-Main) is the largest population area. The employment effect of UBC (including non-resident students) is as significant as the employment effect in Central Broadway.

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Figure 2.9 – Corridor Population and Employment 0

20,000

40,000

60,000

UBC

UBC-Blanca

Blanca-Alma

Alma-Burrard

Burrard-Main

Main-Commercial Population

Employment

Note: UBC employment includes non-resident students.

Source: Statistics Canada 2006, UBC 2006.

2.9

Linkages to Metro Vancouver Job and Innovation Centres

Figure 2.10 indicates how the major town centres, business districts, research centres and post-secondary educational institutions are linked by rapid transit. Most of the regional town centres, business districts and post-secondary educational institutions are well connected by rapid transit. The obvious exceptions are Central Broadway, the location of the major health care facilities in the province and UBC, the province’s largest university.

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Figure 2.10 - Connecting Jobs and Innovation Centres in Metro Vancouver

The UBC-Broadway Corridor is intersected by rail-based transit at two places – at Cambie (Canada Line) and at Commercial Drive (Expo and Millennium Lines). However, the Corridor itself is presently served by bus transit service only, though current ridership within the Corridor is comparable to that of the Canada Line.

Figure 2.11 illustrates many of the major economic hubs in the Corridor and illustrates the potential for an effective rapid transit connection to foster further development and growth. Most of the other pieces of the puzzle are there – technology clusters, a health care/life sciences precinct, access to the financial centre, research-based post-secondary educational facilities, arts and culture precincts, and potential for property redevelopment.

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Figure 2.11 – Economic Opportunity on the Broadway Corridor

Source: City of Vancouver.

2.10

Current transit service along the Corridor

The Broadway Corridor is the busiest bus corridor in North America6. Frequent east–west service is provided by local (#9 bus) and express buses (#99 B-Line) on Broadway and 10th Avenue. The Corridor is also served by many other bus routes as depicted in Figure 2.12.

The limited-stop 99 B-Line is the highest frequency route serving the Corridor with up to 22 buses per hour and carrying approximately 55,000 passengers daily. Buses on the UBC-Broadway Corridor carry over 100,000 transit riders per day.

6

Mass Transit Modes: How They Fit; Michael Shiffer, Vice President Planning, Strategy & Technology, TransLink; Presentation to Streetcars: The Missing Link Symposium; Vancouver; September 29, 2010.

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Figure 2.12 – Bus Service in the UBC-Broadway Corridor

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During peak times when transit movements are most critical, the B-Line capacity is insufficient to meet demand. Passenger pass-ups are common.

In the westbound morning peak, TransLink’s data indicates that approximately 2,000 passengers are passed up by at least one bus at the CommercialBroadway station each morning. On an annual basis the combined east and west bound pass-ups for the 99 B-Line has been estimated by UBC as approximately 500,000 per year. Off-peak bus service on the UBC-Broadway corridor is also well used, with occupancy rates up to 75 percent of the capacity provided.

TransLink and UBC estimate that there are over 500,000 pass-ups each year along the Corridor on the 99 B-Line.

2.10.1 Transit on the UBC-Broadway Corridor Broadway buses carry over 100,000 passengers a day, a level of ridership that is comparable to Canada Line and nearly twice that of the Millennium Line as indicated in Figure 2.13.

Figure 2.13 – Existing Transit Ridership in Rapid Transit Corridors

The transit mode share (percentage of total trips taken by transit) in the high employment, Central Broadway portion of the Corridor is about the same as it is for the City of Vancouver overall as illustrated in Figure 2.14.

At present, the ability of transit mode share along the Corridor to increase is limited by a lack of transit capacity. This is in contrast to the growth in transit mode share to the Downtown which has the highest mode share in the City as a result of being well served by rail rapid transit – SkyTrain.

Given consumer preference for rail rapid transit and the mode share achieved Downtown, the expectation is that transit mode share on the UBC-Broadway corridor would increase significantly with the introduction of rail-based rapid transit. The success of Canada Line, and the near doubling of transit ridership in the Cambie Corridor, also demonstrates the attractiveness of high-capacity, fast and reliable rapid transit. Given that bus transit demand on the UBC-Broadway Corridor is significantly greater than bus transit on Cambie prior to the Canada Line, it is reasonable to expect a high-capacity railbased rapid transit line on the Corridor to significantly increase and perhaps double the existing transit ridership on opening day.

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

Bus transit ridership along the Corridor is already more than 100,000 per day.

22

Figure 2.14 – Transit Mode share of All Trips

50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% UBC

Corridor Central East of UBC Broadway and West of Granville 2004

UBC ‐ Downtown City of Broadway Vancouver Corridor Total Total 2008

Source: TransLink and UBC

UBC had the highest transit mode share at 44 percent in 2008. Other sections of the Corridor had lower transit mode shares, and the Corridor’s overall transit mode share was 29 percent in 2008.

It is not easy to significantly increase transit ridership or mode share in the Corridor given that the buses are already full during peak times. To achieve ambitious mode share and GHG targets and serve future growth, significant new rapid transit service is needed in the UBC-Broadway Corridor. The Corridor is an important regional destination with over half the trips destined for the Corridor coming from outside Vancouver.

Connecting the UBC-Broadway corridor to the existing rapid transit network will provide significant benefits to both the City and the region as whole and is the key to achieving important mode share targets.

2.10.2 Trends in UBC transit mode share Over the past 14 years vehicle trips to and from UBC have declined dramatically from 77 percent in 1997 to 43 percent in 2011, while transit trips have increased. The number of transit trips to UBC has more than tripled over this period, and transit mode share (along all corridors serving the Point Grey campus) has increased to 54 percent, as illustrated in Figure 2.15. These changes are due to a number of factors including: 

Introduction of the U-PASS in 2003.



The increasing cost of owning and operating a car.



TDM measures at UBC such as reduced parking supply.



Introduction of B-Line service and additional service hours for bus routes to UBC.



Societal trends (particularly with those in younger age brackets) to use alternative modes of transportation.

For example, the percentage of BC residents aged 18-24 with a drivers licence has dropped from 79 percent to 69 percent between 1994 and 2011 (ICBC, 2011).

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Figure 2.15 – UBC Vehicle and Transit Mode Share

90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1997

1999

2001

2003

Vehicles

2005

2007

2009

2011

Transit

Note: Vehicles include single occupancy vehicles and carpools Source: UBC

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2.11

Summary – the Corridor in 2012

The UBC-Broadway Corridor is defined by a number of key features:



It is the busiest bus corridor in North America.



Bus transit ridership along the Corridor is already more than 100,000 per day – higher than, or close to, the rail-based Millennium and Canada Lines. However, the transit mode share in the Corridor cannot increase due to the lack of transit capacity.



The Corridor has the second largest concentration of jobs and employment in the province – less than Downtown Vancouver, but significantly larger than any other town centre.



The combined commercial/institutional floor space in the corridor is almost equal to that found in Downtown Vancouver and is experiencing significant growth.



The Corridor includes UBC, BC’s largest and most globally significant research-focused university, and research institutes and technology firms closely linked to UBC. The Corridor has the largest health care/life sciences precinct in the province, and provides services to residents throughout the province.



The Corridor has a major technology focus with strong linkages between the health care/life sciences precinct and UBC.



The Corridor and the people that live and work in it are major consumers of transit services – buses are already over capacity-- 500,000 riders are passed up every year.



Current bus transit services along the Corridor are unable to meet peak-period demand.

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3

Economic planning and strategy context for the Corridor

The future of the Corridor may be enhanced by a number of economic strategies developed by various levels of government.

3.1

Federal policy on technology sector

3.1.1

Innovation Canada: A Call to Action

The “Jenkins Report”7 of early 2012 provides recommendations for federal government policy on the future of the technology sector in Canada. This report illustrates how the technology sector contributes to the standard of living in Canada. This economic map is illustrated in Figure 3.1.

Figure 3.1 Economic Map of the Technology Sector in Canada

7

Innovation Canada: A Call to Action, Review of Federal Support to Research and Development – Expert Panel Report, Government of Canada, 2012.

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The chart identifies four key inputs to innovation activity as follows: 1. Knowledge and ideas 2. Talented, educated and entrepreneurial people 3. Networks, collaborations and linkages 4. Capital and financing.

As discussed later in this report, British Columbia and Vancouver in particular, generally have the first two inputs in hand and capital & financing is always a challenge for industry. The technology sector in British Columbia has fared relatively well compared to that of other provinces. One area of potential concern is networks, collaboration and linkages.

How the results of the Jenkins Report affects government policy is still evolving and how government interprets and takes action to deal with each of the key inputs remains to be seen.

3.2

Provincial priorities and strategies

The Province of British Columbia’s economic development vision and principles are summarized in the 2011 BC Jobs Plan. The Jobs Plan builds on fiscal discipline and a skilled workforce. The three pillars at the heart of the Jobs Plan are: 

Enabling job creation



Getting goods to market



Opening / expanding markets.

The eight focus sectors in the Jobs Plan are technology, international education, transportation, tourism, agri-foods, natural gas, mining and forestry.

These sectors were chosen based on a combination of having a competitive advantage for BC, having the potential to create a platform for future expansion, and/or having significant promise of direct job growth.

The industry sector of particular relevance to the UBC-Broadway Corridor is the technology sector. As a part of the BC Jobs Plan, the BC Technology Sector Strategy was developed to establish goals to grow the technology sector in BC.

The federal government’s 2012 Jenkins Report identified the development of a robust technology industry as key to Canada’s future economic prosperity.

The province’s BC Jobs Plan has also identified technology as one of the key sectors for economic growth.

The vision, as summarized in the strategy, states “BC is a recognized leader for developing and growing innovative technology companies, and is a destination for technology investment.

BC’s technology sector improves the quality of life and provides enduring value to the people of British Columbia.”

The strategy also highlights how BC’s technology labour pool has recently expanded and will continue to expand because of strongly linked networks – between entrepreneurs, post-secondary institutions, acceleration and commercialization programs, and regional industry clusters (such as the healthcare research cluster in the UBC-Broadway Corridor).

To further accelerate the tech sector and support commercialization and adoption of technology in all BC Jobs Plan sectors, the strategy established the following goals: 

Accelerate technology commercialization and adoption



Build on regional strengths to create new opportunities



Develop talent for a knowledge-based economy



Expand markets for BC technology.

For each of these goals, the technology strategy outlines a number of specific initiatives and programs.

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3.3

Regional Plans

The Regional Growth Strategy (the RGS) was officially adopted by the Greater Vancouver Regional District (Metro Vancouver) Board on July 29, 2011. The RGS is primarily concerned with regional land use policies for the provision of transportation, infrastructure and community services. The RGS is not an economic development strategy for the region; it seeks to support the regional economy through its broad land use policies.

The RGS provides the overarching framework for detailed transportation and municipal planning. TransLink’s mandate is to provide a regional transportation system that supports the RGS, and, separately, the region’s economic development. Each municipality develops its official community plan in the context of the RGS.

3.3.1 Goals of the Regional Growth Strategy and Transport 2040 The goals of the RGS are designed to support Metro Vancouver’s “sustainability framework” – a philosophy that guides all operating and planning processes so they are consistent with the RGS’ vision for the region. The five goals include:

The development and growth of a technology industry hub along the Corridor is consistent with Metro Vancouver’s Regional Growth Strategy and with TransLink’s Transport 2040 vision.



Create a compact urban area – Urban areas are to be contained within established areas, and rural areas are to be protected from urban development. In addition, urban growth is to be focused in urban centres in development areas along TransLink’s frequent transit network.



Support a sustainable economy – Land patterns are to be developed so that people are able to work close to where they live. Agricultural lands, particularly areas used for food production, are to be protected; and access to industrial land is to be assessed based on whether there is sufficient capacity to meet the needs of the regional economy.



Protect the environment and respond to climate change impacts – Conservation and recreation lands are to be preserved and the connectivity of other natural environment is to be improved.

Furthermore, land use and transportation infrastructure is to be developed with an ability to withstand climate change impacts and natural hazard risks, while also encouraging reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and improved air quality.



Develop complete communities – Develop diverse and affordable housing choices in communities that are walkable, mixed use, transit-oriented, and appropriate for people at all stages of their lives, to earn a living, pursue education, and participate in social, cultural and recreational activities.



Support sustainable transportation choices – Land use and transportation strategies are to be aligned, to encourage transit ridership, multiple-occupancy vehicles, cycling and walking, and support the safe and efficient movement of vehicles for passengers and commercial purposes.

The RGS was developed in parallel with TransLink’s Transport 2040; the two strategies are aligned and reinforce each other. The goals of TransLink’s Transport 2040 include: 

Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation are aggressively reduced, in support of federal, provincial and regional targets.



Most trips are by transit, walking and cycling.



The majority of jobs and housing in the region are located along the Frequent Transit Network.



Travelling in the region is safe, secure, and accessible for everyone.

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

Economic growth and efficient goods movement are facilitated through effective management of the transportation network.



Funding for TransLink is stable, sufficient, appropriate and influences transportation choices.

These regional plans provide high-level guidance and support for linking land use, transit and economic development along the Broadway Corridor.

3.4

City of Vancouver: Vancouver Economic Action Strategy and Related Plans

3.4.1 The Vancouver Economic Action Strategy: An Economic Development Plan for the City The Vancouver Economic Commission has developed the Vancouver Economic Action Strategy (EAS) to increase the City’s economic performance over the coming years. The strategy focuses on three key aspects of economy: 1. A Healthy Climate for Growth and Prosperity 2. Support for Local Business, New Investment and Global Trade 3. A Focus on People – Attracting and Retaining Human Capital.

Protecting job spaces is an important component of the EAS. The EAS states that the downtown core and the Central Broadway Corridor “is the economic heart of the region and the province and accounts for about half of the City’s total tax base” 8. The EAS identifies the technology sector as one of the fastest growing sectors of the local economy, and focuses a number of actions to support this growth over the next decade.

The Vancouver Economic Commission is currently working with partners, including governments, business and academic institutions to advance development of an incubator/accelerator hub in Vancouver’s city centre.

The intention is to build a facility that focuses on growing small- and medium-sized businesses. This facility would focus on growing innovative local companies in key sectors, including digital media, clean technologies, life sciences, information technology and renewable energy.

The Vancouver Economic Commission’s initiative to work with the City, industry and universities to develop a technology incubator is the kind of collaboration that will drive further development of a technology hub in the Corridor.

The centre would assist entrepreneurs through facilitating access to education, expert mentoring from successful serial entrepreneurs, and through connecting businesses to investment resources. The centre would be the first of its kind in Canada to support both technology and social enterprise initiatives within one facility. The centre would require access to the financial community, the University and other support entities for it to be successful.

3.4.2 Metropolitan Core Jobs and Economy Land Use Plan The City of Vancouver Metro Core Land Use Plan (2007) supports the Regional Growth Strategy by developing a land use plan to improve and preserve job spaces and industrial land, while enhancing connections between neighbourhood population and employment. The Metro Core Land Use Plan lays out principles for land use in the Vancouver Metro Core over the next 25 years. The Issues and Direction Report adopted in July 2007 confirms the role and direction for many areas within the Metro Core and along the Broadway Corridor.

8

The Vancouver Economic Action Strategy: An Economic Development Plan for the City, Vancouver Economic Commission, 2011.

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These directions form the basis for additional area planning to enhance economic activity and intensification of jobs. The directions also provide policy support for rezoning to increase job capacity in some employment areas.

The City defines the Metro Core as an area that includes the downtown peninsula and extends to 16th Avenue in the South, Burrard Street in the west and Clark Drive in the east – including a significant portion of the UBC-Broadway Corridor.

The goal of the Metro Core Plan is to ensure that there is enough land supply – and transportation capacity – for future job growth, while meeting other city objectives for heritage, cultural amenities and affordable housing.

The Metro Core is the region’s “downtown” with the following characteristics and roles: business and cultural centre of the region; diverse economy; sustainable; competitive; jobs close to home for city residents; ”alive” downtown where people live, shop, play and work, and; where transportation favours transit, walking and cycling.

Among the various Metro Core areas under analysis, four specific areas are within the UBC-Broadway Corridor. Each area’s opportunities and challenges are assessed, along with their future desired role, and a description of what future policy directions should be explored to address a potential shortage of commercial space over the next 25 years. The buildings that can be developed in these four specific areas of the Corridor have the potential to provide space for the technology sector to expand and to house the required workers.

These are some of the most attractive areas of the City for the types of workers that would be attracted to the technology sector in Vancouver, as they contain the lifestyle amenities that are expected of a major cosmopolitan city. 

Mount Pleasant – This I-1 zoned area is located near Broadway and Main Streets. Nearly 7,100 people work in the Mount Pleasant Industrial Area (as of 2006). Employment density in the area is over 200 employees per hectare, likely the highest industrial densities in the region according Metro Vancouver’s Industrial Land Intensification Study (2012). While there is a strong foothold of manufacturing and more traditional industrial uses in the area, it is estimated that high tech and creative activities account for about 20 percent of overall jobs in this area. This includes users like Deluxe Entertainment and the soon to be relocated HootSuite Media Inc. The area is also home to an active arts and culture community with live-work space for artists and strong connections to Emily Carr University. Emily Carr University plans to move its campus from Granville Island to the Great Northern Way Campus, thus further enhancing this new hub for digital media, visual arts and design programs. The University expects to develop capacity for 1,800 students on the Great Northern Way site. A number of newer industrial developments in the Mount Pleasant Industrial Area have been built to densities that are well above anything previously experienced in the region.

An example of this is MP Lighting (a LED lighting manufacturer), where the building they occupy achieves the full potential under the I-1 zone with a 2.98 floor area ratio and a building site coverage of nearly 100 percent.

Currently underway is a review of the Mount Pleasant I-1 zoning, where the City of Vancouver is looking to increase the allowable limit for general office uses while still retaining the industrial job base in the area.



The Corridor has a strong arts and culture link through the presence of the new Digital Media Centre on Great Northern Way Campus, Emily Carr University, the gallery district on South Granville, the livework artist studios near Main Street, and the eclectic residential and business community along Main Street.

Burrard Slopes – This area is located between Burrard and Granville Streets, and is mainly zoned for light industrial, advanced technology and commercial purposes. Nearly 2,750 people work in the Burrard Slopes Industrial Area (as of 2006). Approximately 25 percent of the jobs in this area are in professional, scientific and technical services (especially architects and engineers). Retail (e.g. car dealerships) and manufacturing also have a presence in this area. Some of the more notable businesses located in this area include: Molson Coors

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Canada Brewery; Nettwerk Music Group; Lululemon Athletica corporate headquarters and, Ferrari Maserati retail/service centre. 

Broadway Choice-of-Use areas – These areas are spread across the Broadway Corridor, South of Mount Pleasant, North of Cambie and Broadway Streets, and between Oak and Burrard Streets.

They form opportunities for housing and retail use and a diversity of office space. These areas could accommodate some of the excess demand for job space not available in the Downtown.



Broadway Uptown Office District – This area which is sometimes referred to as “Vancouver’s second downtown”, is roughly located between Oak and Cambie Streets, and is the second largest concentration of job space in the Metro Core, with major employers such as Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver City Hall, Vancouver Coastal Health and BC Cancer Agency. This area has a large concentration of health sector jobs (especially offices of physicians), public administration, accommodation and food (restaurants); and professional, scientific and technical services. Total employment is estimated at about 20,000. The area has the most potential to accommodate future demand of job space from Downtown by increasing commercial density. The Metropolitan Core Jobs & Economy Land Use Plan adds directions to strengthen this area’s role as a major job centre by increasing allowable heights and densities for employment uses.

3.4.3 City of Vancouver – Green Enterprise Zone The proposed Green Enterprise Zone (GEZ) would be an area where a diversity of green jobs are created, ranging from low threshold through to high skilled employment opportunities. This area will also have high green standards to make it the “greenest job space in the world”, including improved environmental performance for business operations, urban infrastructure, transportation, and district energy. The strategies developed in this area will be scale-able, replicable, and teachable for other areas of the city and the region.

A possible location for the green enterprise zone in Vancouver is in the downtown Eastside and False Creek Flats with a possible partnership with Vancouver Port Authority.

The GEZ is envisioned as including businesses in the Clean Technology sector.

Vancouver has excellent resources in research and development (particularly through UBC) but small start-ups need support for commercialization of technology.

Vancouver has a significant Clean Technology Sector that has significant ties to UBC and is planned to be linked with the Green Enterprise Zone proposed by the City of Vancouver.

Figure 3.2 provides an indication of the location of green businesses in Vancouver. As is evident in Figure 3.2, many of the green businesses in Vancouver are located adjacent to a rapid transit line. The major exception is those located within the Broadway Corridor where a significant number of these are firms located. Given the strong linkages between the research activities of UBC and the green technology sector, the lack of a good transit linkage is a concern for future development.

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Figure 3.2 - Location of Green Business and Research Nodes – City of Vancouver & UBC (2010)

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3.5

Summary – Influence of economic planning considerations

Current broader planning initiatives will have a significant impact on the Corridor.



Federal policy on economic development and the technology sector specifically is evolving and will likely build off the findings of the Jenkins Report. More investment in knowledge generation is anticipated. UBC is well positioned to take advantage of this.



The BC Jobs Strategy and the BC Technology Sector Strategy will focus on creating jobs in the technology sector, which plays a significant role in the Corridor.



Regional plans provide guidance for future land use, transportation and growth in the Vancouver metropolitan region and are consistent with visions for the potential future of the Corridor in terms of complete communities, sustainable economy and compact urban areas.



The City of Vancouver’s Metropolitan Core Jobs & Economy Land use Plan indicates that there is significant potential for further development of employment opportunities in certain sections of the Corridor.



The City of Vancouver’s Economic Action Strategy recognizes the potential of the Corridor for further economic development and a significant role in the technology sector.



UBC’s role as an innovation engine will continue to expand, supported by federal, provincial, regional and local policy and through collaboration.



The Vancouver Economic Commission has started an initiative to bring together the various parties in a collaborative planning process to develop a technology incubator and further spark the development of the City’s technology sector.



The City’s Green Enterprise Zone initiative is good example of a plan to build from existing strengths in the local economy. The key enabler that needs further work is the east-west transportation linkage.

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4

Planning initiatives and developments

4.1

Planning initiatives along the Broadway Corridor

The City has a number of planning initiatives that are in the planning or implementation stages.

These initiatives are generally seeking to improve and intensify employment and housing opportunities along the Corridor, while also addressing needs for community services and other basic infrastructure. Several of these have already been discussed in the previous section under the Metro Core directions discussion.

This includes areas such as: 

Uptown Office Precinct



Mount Pleasant Employment Area



Burrard Slopes Employment Area



Eastern Core/False Creek Flats.

In addition, several other area planning projects are underway or being implemented along the Corridor.

These include: 

Mount Pleasant Community Plan



Central Broadway C-3A Zoning Review



Grandview Woodlands Community Plan.

4.1.1 Growth implications of Corridor planning and development initiatives As previously identified in this report, there has been a significant shift in both the pace of development and scale of development being considered along the Broadway Corridor. As a result, the City of Vancouver has adjusted its estimates of future growth in the Corridor from the growth established in the Regional Growth Strategy. The RGS growth scenario was based on planning policy and trends up to 2008. Since 2008, several policy planning initiatives have been completed, or started, along the Corridor and rezoning proposals have been approved that add significant capacity to the corridor (see examples in next section). Figure 4.1 illustrates the City’s current growth estimates for the Corridor and compares this to the RGS base-line estimates.

A key finding from this change in growth estimates in the Corridor is the doubling of anticipated job and population growth to 2041, as compared to the RGS base-line. It is worth noting that floor space growth from 2008-2012 (as shown earlier) suggests that 3,000 to 4,000 jobs/people have been added to the Corridor each year (based on an estimate of floor space per person/worker).

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Figure 4.1 - Updated Growth Estimates (Population and Jobs) – Vancouver Portion of Corridor

Source: RGS 2011, City of Vancouver, 2012

The City has also adjusted the overall growth estimates from those identified in the RGS. Based on current trends and policy planning work, the City anticipates that 60-65 percent of the City’s future growth could be absorbed in the Broadway Corridor. The City considers this feasible, given the redevelopment experience in the Cambie/Broadway area that accompanied the opening of the Canada Line. Realization of the more ambitious growth along Broadway would be heavily influenced by the introduction of rapid transit on this Corridor. Conversely, without rapid transit, these growth estimates may not be achieved.

4.1.2 Recent and current redevelopment proposals in City of Vancouver The Corridor is currently experiencing a large volume of residential and commercial development, particularly around its existing rapid transit stations. This development which has either recently completed or is currently underway will add thousands of additional residents and jobs to the Corridor.

Residential Projects Recently Completed or Underway A number of housing developments have been recently completed, are under construction or are in pre-sale along the Corridor. The following table provides a summary of many of these developments. As indicated in this table, over 1,600 housing units are being developed along the City portion of the Corridor.

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Development

Units

Address

2020 Living

33

2020 East 12th Avenue

238 West Broadway

61

238 West Broadway

2211 Cambie Street

15

2211 Cambie Street

Almeral

29

3639 West Broadway

Bayswater

31

Bayswater and Broadway

50

538 West 7th Avenue

Cambie +7

304

Central

Quebec Street and 1st Avenue

Collection

45

133 East 8th Avenue

Italia

41

1616 West 7th Avenue

Kits 360 Musee

267

1717 West 6th Avenue

56

1690 West 8th Avenue

134

2080 West Broadway

Pulse

74

Maple and Broadway

Rize

214

Pinnacle

Sixth and willow

Kingsway and Broadway

25

2200 Willow Street

49

1595 West Broadway

The District

103

299 East 7th Avenue

The Werks

20

555 West 7th Avenue

Wsix

50

1525 West 6th Avenue

Spruce

Total

1,601

Source: KPMG Research

These developments alone are likely to add 3,000+ people to the Corridor’s population in the short term.

Other developments that were not captured in the research could add more. This suggests that population could continue to grow at historical growth rates, similar to an earlier analysis in this report.

Commercial Projects Recently Completed or Underway: Similar to the residential development activity shown above, the Corridor has experienced notable commercial development over the past few years and continues to experience new commercial development activity, particularly around the Broadway-City Hall Canada Line station.

Crossroads, 525 West Broadway (Completed 2009) Built in 2009, Crossroads is mixed-use office/retail/residential project that was constructed across from the Canada Line Rapid Transit Station. The project includes 200,000 square feet of commercial space and is tenanted by the City of Vancouver (general office component), London Drugs, Whole Foods, Milestones, and others.

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1669 East Broadway (Completed 2010) Built in 2010, this 60,000 square foot general office building is close to the corner of East Broadway and Commercial and the Commercial Drive Expo Line Station. This building is occupied by Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.

Broadway Central (Under Construction) Currently under construction, Broadway Central is a general office development on the 500 block of West Broadway. This project is situated in the ‘Uptown’ commercial-only stretch of Broadway, close to the Broadway-City Hall Canada Line station.

Initially marketed for lease, the project was switched to 127 strata office units and had a successful pre-sale campaign. Once complete, this project will add approximately 100,000 square feet of new strata office inventory to the Corridor.

Oak Street/West Broadway Office Building (Approved Rezoning) Blue Sky Properties plans to build a 10-storey office building, with ground floor retail, at the south-east corner of Broadway and Oak (to replace an aging mini-mall). The rezoning was approved in March 2011. This project is situated in the ‘Uptown’ commercial-only stretch of Broadway, approximately 800 meters west of the Broadway-City Hall Canada Line station.

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4.2

Place and Promise: The UBC Plan

Place and Promise – the UBC Plan was adopted by the University in 2010 and provides the vision and strategies to guide the development of the University over the next 20 years.

The University of British Columbia’s vision is as follows: “As one of the world’s leading universities, The University of British Columbia creates an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world.”

The University of British Columbia has established nine “commitment areas” – (1) student learning, (2) research excellence, (3) community engagement, (4) Aboriginal engagement, (5) alumni engagement, (6) intercultural understanding, (7) intercultural engagement, (8) outstanding work environment, and (9) sustainability. In support of these commitment areas, UBC has developed a number of ambitious plans to increase its size, both in terms of campus-based activities and also in terms of interfacing with the wider Metro Vancouver community.

As UBC has matured and its global stature has grown, so too has its outreach to the broader Metro Vancouver community. UBC has numerous campuses around the region and the province, including academic campuses at Robson Square, Great Northern Way, and in Kelowna, and clinical academic campuses at VGH, Women’s and Children’s, BC Cancer Agency, St. Paul’s, Surrey Memorial, Royal Columbian, Prince George, Kelowna and Victoria, along with over 20 community education facilities in every municipality in the region and other communities throughout BC. As with other leading universities, much of UBC’s business outreach is with respect to technology-based businesses, one of BC’s fastest-growing industry sectors. The technology sector includes a significant life sciences component, much of which also links to the medical precinct in the Corridor.

UBC expects enrolment at the Vancouver Point Grey campus to continue to grow, reaching 60,000 FTEs by 2041. With this growth will come growth in faculty and staff employment, and the need to develop new facilities for teaching, research and campus life. Over the next two years, the University intends to add about 1,000,000 square feet of new academic and research space. Known projects in the capital planning process will add an additional 1,800,000 million square feet over the next 4 to 10 years. Projects include some of the additional 6,000 new student housing beds that will eventually be added to the current 10,000 beds as well as related support space. Additional residential housing in the campus neighbourhoods is also planned.

Total neighbourhood population at full build out in 2041 is projected to be 24,000 people.

UBC’s Campus and Community Planning Department has prepared forecasts for employment, student population and full-time population at UBC for the period 2011 to 2041, which are presented below.

Figure 4.2 portrays the forecast for FTE students at UBC. As indicated, the number of full-time equivalent students is expected to grow by about 50 percent (20,000 student FTEs) over the indicated period.

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Exhibit 4.2 – UBC Student FTE Forecast

80,000

Student FTEs

60,000

40,000

20,000

‐ 2011

2021

2031

2041

Source: University of British Columbia

The implication of the above is that the number of individuals on campus that act like employees in terms of travel considerations is going to increase from about 60,000 in 2011 to 87,000 in 2041, a 45 percent increase.

This will have significant transportation implications.

Employment on the campus is also expected to grow at a rate similar to the rate at which institutional/business space is projected to grow. As the neighbourhoods grow, new employment in the service sectors will also be created. A significant part of this growth is expected to come from an increase in UBC faculty and staff, as indicated in the Figure 4.3. UBC is also developing an Innovation Strategy that is anticipated to result in even higher levels of employment as UBC pursues enhanced linkages with the business sector, including life sciences and high technology firms based in the Corridor and the Lower Mainland.

Figure 4.3 – UBC Employment Forecast 30,000

Employment

25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 2011

2021 UBC Employees

2031

2041

Non ‐ UBC Employees

Source: University of British Columbia

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Another factor to be considered with respect to employment is that of the students living off-campus.

These students behave in a similar manner to employees in that they travel during similar time periods: Monday to Friday, early morning arrival, and late afternoon departures. They already place significant demands on the existing transportation system.

As indicated in Figure 4.4, UBC expects the population to increase from just over 16,000 in 2011 to nearly 40,000 in 2041. This represents a compound annual growth rate of about 3.0 percent. Much of the increase is due to a significant increase in local residents, due to the ongoing development of residential housing across the campus, but particularly on the eastern edge of the campus. The number of students living on campus is also expected to double over this planning horizon.

Figure 4.4 – UBC Population Forecast 45,000 40,000

UBC is planning for its residential population to grow 150% between 2011 and 2041 and for its student population to grow by 50%.

35,000

Population

30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 2011

2021 Student Residents

2031

2041

Local Residents

Source: University of British Columbia

4.3

First Nations9

There are a number of potential developments related to First Nations land either in or adjacent to the Corridor that could have an impact on future transportation requirements in the Corridor. These developments also provide the relevant First Nations with an opportunity to become involved in the economic development prospects of the Corridor, including development of employment opportunities either directly or indirectly associated with these developments or enabled by the financial benefits obtained by the bands.

9

The information in this section has largely been derived from a meeting with Mr. H. Charters, Vice President and Managing Director of Colliers International Consulting, May 1, 2012.

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4.3.1

Block F

In 2007, the Province of BC negotiated an agreement with the Musqueam First Nation in an effort to move towards reconciliation of long standing legal issues and create certainty with respect to land ownership and use. One of the key aspects of the agreement was finalization of land ownership and use respecting the University Golf Course and a parcel of adjacent land noted as Block F (see figure to the right).

Under the terms of the agreement, the Musqueam First Nation received the 8.5 hectares of Block F. The only restriction on this land is that 1.2 hectares will need to remain as public parkland. The balance, 7.3 hectares, will be available for development consistent with adjacent land use. The Musqueam First Nation is currently examining options for development, but first indications are that up to 1,400 residential units could be built on this site along with a small amount of commercial space. Development is likely to occur in concert with UBC’s plans for Acadia Park.

4.3.2

Jericho Lands

The provincial and federal governments each own parcels of land in Vancouver adjacent to the Corridor that are generally referred to as the Jericho Lands. These lie between 8th Avenue and 4th Avenue just west of Alma. These lands currently include the Jericho Armed Forces Base, West Point Grey Academy (a private school) and a number of community amenities and parkland. (See figure to the right.)

These are lands that the three local First Nations (Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh) have made claims on with respect to historical use and are in included in their comprehensive land claims.

The federally owned lands, which are currently occupied by the Department of National Defence (DND), amount to about 45 acres. Once DND moves its operations to the Seaforth Armory, these lands may be developed by a partnership of the Canada Lands Corporation and the three First Nations, similar to the arrangement contemplated for the Garden City Lands in Richmond. The scope of the potential development is unclear at this point in time.

The provincially owned lands (35 acres) are currently occupied by the West Point Grey Academy, some community amenities and parkland. The Province of British Columbia will likely divest of the property involving the three First Nations through a consultation and accommodation process that would involve private sector development partners.

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4.3.3

Burrard Lands

The Squamish First Nation has put forward a proposal to build two large condominium towers at the west end of the Burrard Bridge on a parcel of land associated with an historic First Nations village, which was returned to them following a court decision in 2002.

4.4

Summary – impact of planning initiatives and current development proposals

Local planning initiatives and recent development proposals will have a significant impact on the Corridor:



Based on recent development trends and policy planning work in Vancouver and at UBC, growth estimates for the Corridor are now expected to be higher than the growth identified in the Regional Growth Strategy. These updated growth estimates suggest that by 2041, approximately 150,000 more people, jobs and students could be added to the Corridor, based on take up within existing zoning and policy.



“Place and Promise: The UBC Plan” and related initiatives will result in significant increases in the number of students, faculty and staff on campus. While more student and faculty and staff housing will be built on campus, there will be significant growth in the number of employees and students needing to commute to the campus. UBC also has other academic campuses and clinical academic campuses throughout the region and community education facilities in every municipality in the region. UBC’s Innovation Strategy which is under development will further strengthen UBC’s economic contribution.



First Nations have an interest in the Corridor due to the acquisition of lands that are suitable for future development. These developments will contribute to potential population growth, and will also provide indirect and direct opportunities for employment and sharing of the economic potential of the Corridor with the First Nations.



The impact of these three factors will be a pronounced need for improved transit, otherwise the Corridor risks mobility and economic restrictions.

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5

Why the technology focus in the Corridor

The BC technology industry is a significant economic engine for the province and is outpacing the province’s traditional resource-based industries in revenue and employment growth. The technology industry is also a key component of the Broadway Corridor, with the Corridor having many core elements of leading global technology centres and housing prominent technology organizations such as Discovery Parks and HootSuite.

This chapter provides some context to the technology industry, and also highlights how other jurisdictions have developed technology clusters.

The BC technology industry:

The BC technology sector was the second fastest creator of private sector jobs between 2001 and 2009, with revenue growth averaging 5.7% annually.



Employs over 80,000 people, more than the forestry, mining and oil and gas sectors combined.



Has been the second fastest creator of new jobs (after construction) in the private sector over the previous decade.



Contributes more to the provincial gross domestic product than any of the traditional resource-based sectors.



Has grown revenue from $12.1 billion in 2001 to $18.9 billion in 2009, an average of 5.7 percent annually, more than double the rate of overall provincial GDP growth.

5.1

Technology sector profile and growth

The Vancouver Economic Commission views the technology industry as comprising four key sub-sectors: cleantech, information technology/wireless, digital media/gaming, and life sciences. Vancouver is fortunate to host many world-class organizations within each of these sub-sectors, with a substantial number choosing to call the Broadway Corridor home. Prominent examples include: 

Cleantech: Genivar, Fast + Epp, EPI Environmental Products



Information technology/wireless: Convergent.io, Simba Technologies



Digital media/gaming: Hootsuite, Slant Six Games, Rainmaker, Deluxe



Life sciences: Stemcell Technologies, Genome British Columbia, Discovery Parks, Zymeworks.

The BC technology industry embarked on a significant growth spurt following the dot com crash of 2000/01.

Industry revenues grew over the period 2001 to 2009 by 56 percent, representing a compound annual growth rate of 5.7 percent, about double that of the BC economy as a whole. BC technology industry growth is illustrated in Figure 5.1.

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Figure 5.1 – BC Technology Revenues 18

$ billion

16 14

2005

2006

19.4

19.5

2007

2008

18.9

15.2 14.2

12 10

16.9

17.8

13.0 12.1

8 6 4 2 0 2001

2002

2003

2004

2009

Source: BC Technology Report Card – 2012, KPMG LLP, June 2012

Over the past decade, the BC technology industry has evolved into a major contributor to the provincial gross domestic product (GDP). The GDP contribution of the technology industry now tops that of more traditional sectors of the economy such as transportation & warehousing, construction, mining and forest products as indicated in Figure 5.2. The technology industry is also a key facilitator for the economic growth of other sectors of the economy.

Figure 5.2 – GDP Contribution, 2009 (chained 2002 dollars) g , ( Utilities

)

$2,993

Mining, Oil & Gas Extraction

$4,144

Wholesale Trade

$6,622

Forestry

$6,921

Prof., Scientific and Tech.

High tech Goods producing Services producing

$7,509

Other Manufacturing

$7,851

Transportation & Warehousing

$8,893

Construction

$9,022

Technology

$9,359

Retail Trade

$9,706

Finance, Ins, Real Estate

$36,555 $0

$5,000

$10,000 $15,000 $20,000 $25,000 $30,000 $35,000 $40,000

$ million

Source: BC Technology Report Card – 2012, KPMG LLP, June 2012

Technology is also embedded in manufacturing processes, information and transaction systems used in the financial sector and internet/wireless applications used in the hospitality sector. Technology is ubiquitous to our daily lives. This includes the life sciences/health sector.

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Figure 5.3 – Employment in 2009 400

'000 people

350

344

Forestry Mining & Oil/Gas

300

Utilities

250 200

184

150

114

111

97

84

100

80

67

50 0

Source: BC Technology Report Card – 2012, KPMG LLP, June 2012

In 2009, the BC technology industry employed 84,000 British Columbians – more than the total of the forest products, mining, oil & gas and utilities industries in the province as indicated in Figure 5.3. If growth continues, sector employment will soon surpass that of other more traditional sectors of the provincial economy.

The technology sector has grown faster than any other sector of the economy over the past decade in terms of employment and GDP, with the exception of the construction industry, as illustrated in Figures 5.4 and 5.5.

Figure 5.4 – Growth Rate of GDP Contribution, 2002-2009 Technology

Forestry

Goods producing Services producing

Mining, Oil & Gas Extraction Other Manufacturing Utilities Transportation & Warehousing Wholesale Trade Retail Trade Finance, Ins, Real Estate, etc Prof., Scientific and Tech.

Technology Construction -30%

-20%

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Source: BC Technology Report Card – 2012, KPMG LLP, June 2012

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Figure 5.5 – Employment Growth Between 1999 and 2009 70% % Growth

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% -10% -20% -30%

Source: BC Technology Report Card – 2012, KPMG LLP, June 2012

This rate of growth is of significance to the Lower Mainland as a whole, as well as the Broadway Corridor.

The portion of the Broadway Corridor in the City of Vancouver already accounts for well over 4,000 technology jobs. The compound annual growth rate of technology sector employment of 3.4 percent is 50 percent higher than that of total employment growth in the province over the same time period. If this growth rate continues, employment would nearly double over the next 20 years.

The BC Technology Industries Association believes that, with more attention and support, the BC technology industry could meet its full potential and perhaps increase the rate of growth by a further 50 percent. This would result in a doubling of technology jobs in the Corridor in 14 years.

5.2

Role of University of BC

The University of British Columbia plays a key role in the health and development of the technology sector in both British Columbia and more specifically, the Broadway Corridor.

UBC supports a community of talented research faculty and staff whose ideas, discoveries and innovations seek to advance the community and society as a whole. This community includes over 12,000 faculty and staff members, 8,000 graduate students, and a growing number of undergraduate researchers.

This research community is largely based at the Point Grey campus as well as in the health care precinct adjacent to Vancouver General Hospital – both of which are part of the Broadway Corridor.

Many new faculty members are drawn to UBC because of the well-supported and open-minded research environment. For example, UBC actively encourages interdisciplinary research through the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, Green College, and the College for Interdisciplinary Studies.

The UBC-Broadway Corridor – Unlocking the Economic Potential

In 2010-11, UBC attracted more than $549 million in research funding – a tenfold increase in less than 30 years.

Most of this funding relates to technology-based life science research, performed in association with healthcare research institutes located within or adjacent to the Corridor.

46

Collaborations between faculties and departments help to break down traditional disciplinary boundaries and promote discovery and innovation.

UBC ranks among the top three Canadian universities in attracting research funding from a wide range of sources, including: competitive government grants, awards from non-profit foundations, and contracts with industry or government for prescribed research. In 2010-11, UBC attracted more than $549 million in research funding from all sources for 8,054 projects. The research funding has increased by approximately 10 times from the level in 1984, as shown in Figure 5.6.

Figure 5.6 – UBC External Research Funding 600

$ million

500

400

300

200

100

1984

1987

1990

1993

1996

1999

2002

2005

2008

2011

Source: University of British Columbia

UBC generates 70 percent of the sponsored research funding that comes to BC, and undertakes 91 percent of all university-based research funded by BC companies. The research success is illustrated in the number of US patents granted from research initiated at the University of BC. As indicated in Figure 5.7, UBC has been the leader in US patents issued to Canadian universities for six of the ten years examined in the BC Technology Report Card, and second for four of the years.

Figure 5.7 – Number of US Patents Issued

Number of US Patents

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 U of Toronto

Queens U

McGill U

U of Alberta

U of Calgary

U of BC

Source: BC Technology Report Card – 2012, KPMG LLP, June 2012

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Technology licensing revenue is another good indication of the quality and relevance of research. UBC ranks number one among Canadian universities with $9 million in technology licensing revenue annually10.

UBC is a leader among North American universities in the area of technology transfer. UBC hosts four out of 22 Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) set up by the Government of Canada in 2007. The function of the CECRs is to advance research and facilitate commercialization of technologies, products and services. The four CECRs hosted by UBC are: 

Centre for Drug Research and Development



The Prostate Centre’s Translational Research Initiative for Accelerated Discovery and Development



Advanced Applied Physics Solution



Centre of Excellence for the Prevention of Organ Failure.

UBC’s leading position in research and technology transfer has led to a high number of spin-off companies.

Most of the University’s spin-off companies are based in British Columbia and have made a significant contribution to the provincial economy, as well as providing numerous societal benefits in the areas of health care and technology.

A total of 152 UBC spin-off companies had been created by March 2012.

One hundred and forty (140) of the companies have been based in British Columbia and the cumulative sales for these companies are estimated at $5 billion. Some of the more well-known spin-offs include Xenon Pharmaceuticals, Westport Innovations, NxtPHase Corporation, ID Biomedical and QLT. UBC also compares well to other Canadian universities in number of spin-off companies, as shown in Figure 5.8.

Figure 5.8 – Start-up Companies Formed 2003-2009 U of BC Simon Fraser U U of Victoria U of Calgary U of Alberta U of Laval McGill U U of Montreal U of Waterloo Queens U U of Western Ont. McMaster U U of Ottawa U of Toronto Dalhousie 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Source: BC Technology Report Card – 2012, KPMG LLP, June 2012

10

UBC leads all other Canadian universities in terms of technology licensing revenues and is also a leader in terms of US patents issued. More than 150 spin-off companies have been created, mainly in the life sciences, information technology and physical sciences sectors, with cumulative sales to date of $5 billion as estimated by UBC.

Source: University of British Columbia

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A large portion of the UBC spin-off companies have specialized in technology related fields, as shown in Figure 5.9. While some of these companies have located along the Corridor, depending on the stage of development, they have spread across the region, providing regional economic benefits. Not surprisingly, there is a heavy focus on life sciences in these spin-off companies, which meshes well with the life sciences/health care focus of the Corridor to the east of UBC. Figure 5.9 – UBC Spin-off Company Specializations

0%

20%

40%

Life sciences

49%

Physical science

30%

IT Education

60%

20% 1%

Source: University of British Columbia

The Broadway Corridor is home to one of the fastest growing life sciences clusters in North America, with a particular strength in biotechnology.

BC’s life sciences industry includes about 100 biopharmaceutical companies, 60 medical device manufacturing and distribution companies, and 30 bio products companies.

Vancouver’s competitive advantage in life sciences is based on a talented workforce, government investment, and high quality university R&D and education programs. As the Vancouver Economic Commission notes, UBC has spun-off more than 100 life sciences companies, creating more than 2,500 jobs and raising more than $2 billion in private investments.

5.3

Research Centres of Excellence and Industry Clusters

The University of British Columbia is home to dozens of research institutes, centres of excellence and interdisciplinary organizations that make a significant contribution to BC’s technology industry11. These include: 

Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability: An international centre for research, partnership and action on sustainability issues, including green building design and operations, environmental policy and community engagement. CIRS is housed in North America’s most sustainable building.



Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems: A multidisciplinary research institute promoting collaboration and commercialization among UBC faculty involved with research in advanced technology systems.



Centre for Advanced Wood Processing: Canada’s national centre for education and training related to wood products processing and advanced wood products manufacturing.



Clean Energy Research Centre: A state-of-the-art research facility investigating clean energy problems and the development of environmentally-friendly solutions.



Brain Research Centre: A partnership of the UBC Faculty of Medicine and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute that brings together more than 200 investigators with broad expertise in neuroscience research and industrial spin-offs.

11

A full list of UBC-affiliated research organizations is available here: http://www.ubc.ca/directories/institutescentres.html

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

Michael Smith Laboratories: A biotechnology laboratory with approximately 250 researchers focusing on: medical molecular genetics; statistics, genomics and experimental evolution; bioengineering and bioanalytical/process technologies; and plant and forestry molecular genetics.



MRI Research Centre: A centre established by a Canadian Foundation for Innovation grant to provide researchers access to state of the art in vivo MR imaging and spectroscopy.



Biomedical Research Centre: A multidisciplinary centre that investigates the cellular and molecular basis of inflammation, repair and regeneration, and has led to a series of discoveries that have proceeded to commercial development.



Pulp and Paper Centre: A multidisciplinary research centre that brings together academia and industry to conduct research for the benefit of the pulp and paper industry.



Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory: A research collaboration to produce new manufacturing materials between the departments of Chemistry, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Metals and Materials Engineering, and Physics and Astronomy.



Wine Research Centre: A pioneering facility with modern molecular biology and mass spectrometry laboratories that promotes Canada’s wine industry through scientific expertise and technological advancement.

UBC’s campus also hosts centres of excellence and industry organizations that contribute to BC’s technology sector and are affiliated with the university, including:

UBC’s research institutes, centres of excellence and interdisciplinary organizations cover a wide range of technologybased research programs, in many industry sectors and provide the region with a diversification safety net in terms of the future focus of global research priorities.



TRIUMF: Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics and one of the world’s leading physics laboratories. TRIUMF has a staff of 340 scientists, engineers and technicians along with 140 postgraduate fellows and students, and is responsible for significant innovations in life sciences and physics.



National Research Council Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation: A major catalyst for Canadian fuel cell research, development, demonstration and commercialization.



FPInnovations: One of the world’s largest private forest research organizations, with three laboratory facilities on UBC’s campus.



MITACS: A federally- and provincially-funded research network that bridges the gap between academia and industry through placements of researchers and graduate students with industry partners.



MPrime Inc.: One of a number of federally-funded Networks of Centres of Excellence affiliated with UBC. MPrime brings together researchers for the generation, application and commercialization of mathematical tools and methodologies.

5.4

International technology policy – the UK approach

A recent report by the UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills lays out a strategy for the technology sector in the United Kingdom. One of the opening statements illuminates thinking on the importance of technology and innovation to economic sustainability: “Innovation is the development of new products, services and processes, which may be based on cutting edge research. Improving the UK’s innovation performance is an essential component of the government’s growth plan.

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A large body of evidence shows that innovative economies are more productive and faster growing. They deliver higher returns on investment and increased living standards. They are better at responding to changing circumstances through redeploying old activities and jobs. They are more able to find solutions to global challenges such as reducing dependence on fossil fuels, helping people live longer and healthier lives. UK businesses have to invest more in innovation activities to grow. Innovative businesses grow twice as fast, both in employment and sales, as businesses that fail to innovate.

Innovation will drive the competitiveness of our businesses in the global economy. In technology-based sectors, research is a primary driver of innovation, and research can also discover and exploit new technologies, sometimes giving rise to new industries. In other sectors the rapid adoption of technologies and the development of intangible assets are essential to innovate, sometimes transforming existing industries”.

The UK government has considered this in the development of its innovation strategy and has undertaken a number of initiatives that will actively support the rebalancing of the economy, empower local communities and address barriers to growth, including:

The UK government has recognized that “innovative economies… deliver higher returns on investment and increased living standards” and that “in technologybased sectors, research is the primary deriver of innovation”.



Consulting on proposed changes to the current planning legislation with a new emphasis on supporting economic growth.



Investing in improved transport links and a modern digital infrastructure.



Making the skills system more business driven and locally responsive. This will ensure that employers can access the skills they need to support the growth of their business and the wider clusters.

The UK approach is consistent with the findings of the Jenkins Report, which noted that the key enablers of the technology sector in Canada include: 

Improving linkages.



Talented, educated and entrepreneurial people.

5.5

Technology centres and initiatives in other jurisdictions

Key global locations for the development of competitive, economically significant and growing technology sectors have developed strategies to foster development of the local technology industry through technology precincts, incubators, research centres of excellence and other economic/policy initiatives. Highly successful initiatives are also characterized by strong City/University partnerships. The following are a number of examples that illustrate the importance of these networks.

City/university collaboration in other cities (e.g. MaRS in Toronto – University of Toronto and City of Toronto; San Diego CONNECT – University of California at San Diego and City of San Diego; and New York City’s new partnership with Cornell) have proven to attract significant investment from both the public and private sectors.

There is similar potential in Vancouver.

For example, the City, though its land use planning, could improve conditions for the establishment of a vibrant technology focused job centre in Mount Pleasant. UBC could plan to build an incubator in Mount Pleasant, linking its innovation and research capacity to strategically located job space in the Broadway Corridor.

Given Mount Pleasant’s location at the intersection of two major transit lines (proposed UBC Line and Canada Line) the new job centre would have seamless connectivity to UBC, the downtown business district,

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airport and other job centres throughout the region. This collaborative effort could enable both the City and UBC to realize significant economic benefits for the benefit of the City, region, Province and country.

5.5.1

San Diego CONNECT (San Diego, USA)

CONNECT is a technology incubator, advocate, and think tank in San Diego, California. Their core mission is to assist entrepreneurs in technology and life science fields transfer research into commercialization.

San Diego CONNECT was originally founded in 1985 as a part of the University of California at San Diego, but in 2005 it became two separate entities, a trade organization and a charitable foundation. The organization has one office in San Diego, next to the University of California at San Diego, and another in Washington, DC. The flagship program of CONNECT is “Springboard” – a business advisory service.

This program assists technology-based companies and entrepreneurs in refining their business strategies through a group mentoring process. Companies are paired with expert advisors, who provide business advice and assist in finding strategic alliances. CONNECT also provides educational/public policy programming, networking events and workshops, and access to venture capitalists and other investors.

Since its inception, CONNECT has assisted over 3,000 companies in attracting more than $10 billion in investment capital, with the Springboard program having assisted over 1,000 companies raise over $700 million in funding.

There are a range of key success factors behind CONNECT’s track record.

Most important has been the culture of collaboration fostered by CONNECT’s first executive director, Bill Otterson. Bill believed that a “rising tide” would “lift all boats.” He convinced competitors to collaborate and build a thriving life sciences and technology cluster together for the benefit of all. All CONNECT’s members are engaged in active roles within the organization and make it possible for CONNECT to offer a deep and wide range of high quality services to the innovation community to catalyze and accelerate the process of product commercialization. This level of engagement keeps CONNECT in touch with the economic and policy needs of the community and the trends, challenges and opportunities that must be addressed.

The critical success factors that created the economic growth in the San Diego region today include12:

San Diego CONNECT is a global technology hub success story – combining academic research excellence (UC San Diego), the “Springboard” business advisory program, a culture of collaboration and investment in infrastructure.



Creation of a world-class research university by a group of committed local boosters, funded by the state of California and the University of California, and the recruitment of a talented group of faculty, all interested in interdisciplinary research at the cutting edge. Early support and involvement from the private sector. In 1985 there was considerable commitment of time and resources by the private sector, all “pooling” assets in order to support new and uncertain entrepreneurial ventures. The business community looks to the university for academic leadership and assists scientists commercialize the results of their research discoveries and lead spin off companies out of the university.



Regional land use decisions and state infrastructure investments in the 1950’s and 1960’s that allowed these companies to grow.



Avoiding a prescriptive focus limited to one or two existing sectors, recognizing that new ones will emerge around research excellence and international innovation.

12

The Partnership Between Entrepreneurial Science and Entrepreneurial Business: A Case Study of the Integrated Development of UCSD and San Diego’s High-Tech Economy by Mary L. Walshok† & Carolyn W.B. Lee

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

Identifying and supporting the champions (companies and individuals) who have the potential to drive a city/region's economic change. There is a long history of a local culture of collaboration between all the relevant parties, private, public and academic, which goes “beyond networking” and involves shared agenda setting, shared investment, shared risk and shared rewards.



Understanding that companies are attracted to hot spots where customers, competitors and research excellence are located; a cluster cannot be created in a vacuum. San Diego CONNECT has fostered a powerful “sense of place,” which continues to bind people to the San Diego region and creates incentives for “making things work” — helping new initiatives and enterprises start and succeed — through a reinvestment of personal time, connections and cash.

Many regions around the world also recognize the power of collaboration to accelerate the communications and partnerships critical to innovation and cluster growth. In response, there are now CONNECT types of organizations in New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Jordan, Estonia, Latvia, Taiwan, Mexico, Japan, Scotland, and England, with others at an early stage of participation.

5.5.2

MaRS (Toronto, Canada)

MaRS is a technology incubator in Toronto, Ontario, established in 2000.

The name MaRS was originally an acronym for “Medical and Related Sciences,” but the full name was dropped as the organization’s technology mandate broadened.

MaRS’ mission is to help entrepreneurs create and grow successful science, technology, and social innovation businesses. MaRS is a public-privatepartnership focussing on five key sectors: 

Advanced materials and engineering



Cleantech



ICT and entertainment



Life sciences and healthcare



Social innovation.

Primarily, MaRS provides business advisory services to eligible ventures (defined as early-stage organizations). Similarly to San Diego CONNECT, eligible entrepreneurs can access business planning and strategic management consulting services from expert advisors. MaRS also offers support programs for entrepreneurs, including access to strategic networks, educational programming, and market intelligence.

Toronto’s “MaRS” is a leading Canadian example of the potential to develop technology centres by bringing together academic, research (U of T), business advisory and financial services, and healthcare and other research institutions.

In 2005, the MaRS facility, known as “MaRS Center,” opened in the centre of downtown Toronto in the area known as the discovery district – next to the University of Toronto, Toronto General Hospital and close to the financial district on Bay Street. The facility has lab and office space, event venues, meeting places, incubator space, and retail services; and in 2009 the facility was awarded the Creative City Award by the Canadian Urban Institute.

In 2010, client companies raised over $108 million in third party capital funding, and they generated over $70 million in revenue and created over 600 new jobs. To date, MaRS has advised over 1,200 companies.

The MaRS model generally follows the recipe for success that defines San Diego Connect: 

Proximity of key stakeholders



Partnerships



Private sector involvement and engagement

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

Building off of academic research excellence within a university



Allowing for innovation to develop in multiple sectors.

5.5.3

Tech City (London, England)

Tech City is a relatively new technology hub in London, England. The Tech City area broadly encompasses London’s east end, which is near health facilities and educational institutes such as University College London and Imperial College London. In the past five years, the number of tech companies in the area has grown from 15 to over 850.

In April 2011, the UK Trade and Investment department created the Tech City Investment Office (TCIO), with the chief objectives to: 

Assist Tech City in securing foreign direct investment.



Facilitate access to investment capital for Tech City companies.



Promote the Tech City area and success stories of Tech City companies.



Assist Tech City companies expand into international markets.

In its first year of operation, TCIO secured 37 companies to locate operations in Tech City, and also established a mixture of programming for existing Tech City companies (e.g. networking events, educational workshops, and mentorship programs).

The key attributes of the area associated with Tech City13 include:

London’s Tech City is a relatively new and fast-growing technology hub that has all of the attributes of leading technology centres – proximity to rapid transit, academic and research institutes, access to business and financial services, relatively affordable office space and housing, access to talent, and access to the arts and culture sector.



Key connections – world class international transportation links (connected to both the Tube as well as Crosslinks Rail).



Lower cost office rentals, relative to the centre of London.



Lower cost housing, relative to the centre of London.



Incubators.



Proximity to financial institutions and venture capital markets/players.



Proximity of leading technology universities – research centres, intellectual capital.



Access to talent - pool of graduate students, pool of undergraduate students.



Access to the creative sector (arts and culture) – located adjacent to University of the Arts London and a major arts district.

13

London: World Capital of Business, London & Partners, January 2012.

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5.5.4

Cornell – NYCTech

In December 2011, Cornell University and Technion- Israel Institute of Technology won a New York City contest to build an engineering campus with a grant of land on Roosevelt Island and $100 million for infrastructure improvements.

The NYCTech Campus is intended to bolster job creation in the city and is estimated to generate 600 spinoff companies and $23 billion in economic activity over the next 30 years. The new campus will offer a distinctive model of graduate tech education that fuses educational excellence with real-world commercial applications and entrepreneurship, rooted in the latest academic research. Students, faculty and industry experts will learn and work together to launch ideas and create new ventures that have global impact.

The new campus has a number of attributes, including: 

Proximity to the financial district of New York



Adjacent to the New York Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell



Served by both subway and tram.

5.5.5

Vancouver versus the competition

Most of the attributes required for success, as described previously, are readily available in Vancouver.

However, one significant difference relates to proximity/connectivity. The following two charts (Figures 5.10 and 5.11) compare the proximity and connectivity situations in Toronto versus Vancouver with respect to the life sciences technology sector.

Figure 5.10– Technology Sector Connectivity – Toronto

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Figure 5.11 – Technology Connectivity - Vancouver

UBC and the life sciences cluster between Cambie and Oak along Broadway share many of the elements of the MaRS project. The obvious differences are the proximity of the University, Hospital, business and financial offices in Toronto compared to Vancouver. Good transportation links can help to overcome the need for proximity that occurs naturally in Toronto but not in Vancouver.

5.6

Rapid transit and technology nodes

Fast and reliable transit connections between UBC’s health sciences teaching and research facilities and the medicine/life sciences cluster in the Central Broadway “superblock” is critical for Vancouver to compete successfully with competitors like Toronto for talent, federal and third-party research funding, and job creation.

A rapid transit link will also connect the Corridor to other centres of innovation such as Great Northern Way Campus and other academic institutions and business clusters within the Metro region.

The technology sector in British Columbia is a key and integral part of the overall provincial economy, and is expected to grow at a significantly faster rate than other sectors. A variety of parties are already embarking on initiatives to facilitate this growth, in line with some of the leading global practices.

Vancouver already has most of the natural attributes required for developing a vibrant tech sector, including a major international research university and a highly skilled workforce. However, for the tech sector to grow within the Corridor, technology industry leaders note some challenges that will need to be overcome: 

Lack of suitable and affordable commercial/industrial space along the Corridor. UBC industry development specialists indicate that when start-up technology businesses “graduate” from UBC and require significant business space, they, they have no close-to-UBC option. Many of the Vancouver’s top 100 technology companies have strong UBC roots, but are currently located at Richmond/Burnaby/Surrey sites that are not easily accessible to UBC, making it difficult to maintain the connection to on-campus expertise and innovation.



The high cost of residential housing along the Corridor, especially in west-side Vancouver, resulting in workforce recruitment and retention challenges – particularly for growing technology companies that rely on a young and technically skilled workforce.

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

Lack of rapid transit for commuters from Metro Vancouver’s suburban municipalities, other than at two points of intersection at Commercial Drive and Cambie. UBC departments focussing on technology indicate that many faculty, staff and research associates are typically facing 1.0 to 1.5 hour transit commutes from suburban residences, and the current Broadway bus transit service is generally seen as the “bottleneck” in the journey to work. The length of the commute is seen as impacting both (1) faculty and staff recruitment and retention, and (2) productivity, because of the time spent commuting to work.



Poor daytime access to downtown, YVR, and other business/academic locations. Lack of efficient daytime access between the Corridor and other business/academic locations in Metro Vancouver is often cited as a major barrier to the growth of the technology and other sectors. Representative comments of UBC experts with business liaison responsibilities include: –

“You can waste an entire day making one trip downtown.”

–

“It’s difficult to impress investment executives from major US and global companies (who are typically staying in a downtown hotel while visiting UBC), when there are no rapid transit services linking UBC with either the downtown business district or the Airport."

5.7

How Vancouver compares

The following table provides an assessment of how Vancouver rates in terms of the key success factors/enablers for a strong technology sector. The key success factors/enablers have been drawn from the examples of global leaders discussed previously.

Vancouver’s Relative Strength

Success Factors Building out of academic research excellence within a university

Strong

Supply of locally available well-trained graduates

Strong

Proximity and access to hospitals & clinical trial opportunities

Strong

Attractive lifestyle to attract top young talent

Strong

Clustering/critical mass considerations

Strong

Close proximity of world-class technological research capabilities

Moderate

Proximity to arts-oriented residential communities

Moderate

Access to the business community/ financial support

Moderate

Access to affordable office/lab space

Weak

Collaborative approach from stakeholders

Weak

Superior transit infrastructure

Weak

As indicated in this table, the biggest opportunities to improve the potential for success are to deal with the proximity/connectivity issue (rapid transit), develop supportive land use policy that preserves and enhances affordable job space, and to develop a fully collaborative environment between UBC, the City and entrepreneurs.

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5.8

Summary – Technology Sector

A comparison of the technology sector in British Columbia and more specifically Vancouver, compared to other successful technology clusters reveals:



Innovation leads to healthy economies.



The technology sector in British Columbia is already outperforming other sectors of the provincial economy, but there is a significant potential to increase its role in the economy through effective management and policy development.



UBC already has a significant role in technology development in British Columbia and is a focus for research in a large number of areas.



San Diego CONNECT, MaRS, Cornell NYC Tech and Tech City London are all good examples of purposeful policy, planning and collaboration to take advantage of natural attributes of the regions and the technology industry base. These initiatives are all supported by proximity/connectivity to rapid transit.



While the Corridor has many of the same natural attributes (strong research oriented university, access to capital, access to the creative sector, existing technology clusters and an attractive lifestyle), some key enablers are not present.



The biggest opportunities to improve the potential for success are to deal with the proximity issue (rapid transit), develop supportive land use policy that preserves and enhances affordable job space, and develop a fully collaborative environment between UBC, the City and entrepreneurs.

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6

Rapid transit and economic development

High capacity rapid transit is needed to unlock the economic potential of the UBC-Broadway Corridor. It is the only way to significantly improve connections along the Corridor to the region and encourage growth.

The City of Vancouver’s Transportation Plan 2040 has identified the need for a high-capacity, subway rapid transit solution for the Corridor that is fast, frequent and reliable. TransLink is currently evaluating rapid transit options for the Corridor through its UBC Line Rapid Transit Study. The study results are expected to be released shortly.

6.1

Transit ridership – growth

In 2010, Transit ridership in the region increased by 20 percent. 2010 was an Olympic year with exceptionally high transit use, yet despite this phenomenon, TransLink’s 2011 data shows an additional 6 percent increase in transit use over and above the Olympic year. The success of Region’s transit shows the benefit of transit investment, especially rail rapid transit. The yearly ridership data shown in Figure 6.1 demonstrates that with the opening of rail rapid transit lines, the region experiences a significant increase in transit ridership.

The opening of the Expo Line, the Millennium Line and most recently the Canada Line, shows that high capacity rapid transit attracts new riders and stimulates additional transit growth.

Figure 6.1 – TransLink Yearly Ridership 1989 - 2011

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6.2

Impact of transit services on economic development

One of the keys to a successful economic hub is its connections to the region. Each of the other technology hubs reviewed and discussed as part of this study have strong connections between academic and business/creative sectors. These connections allow for collaboration and for dynamic relationships between the sectors.

On the UBC-Broadway Corridor, the only way to achieve this connectivity is with high-capacity rapid transit.

With a Millennium Line extension to UBC, a technology business in the Mount Pleasant Industrial Area could have staff at a meeting at UBC, downtown, or the airport in under 20 minutes.

This kind of mobility is critical for the economic success of the UBC-Broadway Corridor. The existing busbased transit service is not conducive to the collaboration that is seen in other technology hubs around the world. They have the advantage of strong, rail-based rapid transit links which are proven to be more attractive than buses at attracting users14. The alternative in Vancouver is to use vehicles for this travel, which runs counter to transportation initiatives at UBC and the City of Vancouver, as well as TransLink.

6.3

Canada Line

The Canada Line opened in August 2009 and since this time has shown strong ridership growth – much stronger than had been anticipated. The north-south Canada Line is 19.2 kilometres in length and runs along the Cambie Corridor, and connects Downtown Vancouver, with Richmond City Centre, and the Vancouver International Airport. The line intersects the UBC-Broadway Corridor at Broadway-City Hall station (Broadway and Cambie).

6.3.1

Ridership

During the planning process, the ridership forecasts for the Canada Line were developed by the Halcrow Group, and Booz Allen Hamilton conducted a peer review of the study methodology and a reasonableness check of the study results. The study projected that ridership levels would reach an average of 100,000 passengers per day, in a seven-day week, after about four years of service (by 2013). This milestone was marked as the financial break-even point; the point where fare revenues would cover operating costs.

As illustrated in following table, the ridership on the Canada Line actually grew much faster than was anticipated. Ridership passed the average 100,000 passenger mark in 2010.

Canada Line – Average ridership per day Weekday

7-day Week

June 2010

106,320

97,969

2011

136,000 (June)

109,000 (Jan-Dec)

Ridership levels on the Canada Line, the most recent expansion of the Metro Vancouver rail transit network, have been much higher than forecast, and have led to significant additional residential and commercial development along the Line.

14

As indicated in the assessment of transit options for the Corridor in the UBC Rapid Transit Line Study: Evaluation Summary, Updated April, 2011, TransLink (http://www.translink.ca/~/media/Documents/plans_and_projects/rapid_transit_projects/UBC/feedback_reports/UBC%20Line%20R T%20Study%20Evaluation%20Summary.ashx).

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For the most recent time period available from TransLink (January to December 2011), the Canada Line averaged over 109,000 passengers per day (in a 7-day week), with a weekday average of more than 136,000 passengers per day in June 2011.

As Canada Line ridership indicates, there is a strong demand for high capacity rapid transit. New riders are attracted to this type of service, and it is reasonable to expect that with fast, frequent and reliable rapid transit on the UBC-Broadway Corridor ridership could significantly increase, resulting in less congestion, improved air quality and improved mobility.

6.3.2

Impact on development

The Canada Line created opportunities for growth and development along the Cambie Corridor, particularly near Canada Line stations. Both the City of Vancouver and the City of Richmond developed plans to capitalize on these opportunities.

These are representative of types and scope of development that can be fostered by rail rapid transit and which meet overall regional goals for transit oriented, sustainable development, compact urban form and economic development. As shown in the section below, a number of development sites next to rapid transit stations have been sought out by the development industry.

6.3.3

City of Vancouver

The City of Vancouver developed the Cambie Corridor Planning Program, to define the principles for land use planning and policies for future development at strategic sites and in transitinfluenced development areas. As illustrated in the illustration to the right, the City of Vancouver envisaged four principal nodes for future development centred on the new stations at King Edward Avenue, 41st Avenue, 49th Avenue and Marine Drive.

Further future development is also considered at 33rd Avenue and 57th Avenue, but this would require the development of new stations on the Canada Line.

Source: City of Vancouver, 2011

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There are a number of projects that are either underway or in the approvals and inquiry state. A few recent large projects along the Cambie Corridor in Vancouver include: 

Marine Gateway (approved in 2011 and currently under construction) – Redevelopment of a site at Cambie and Marine Drive that will entail the development of nearly 1.0 million square feet of space, including 415 units in a residential tower/complex, an office tower, theatre complex and significant amount of retail. Once complete, this development will be directly connected to the Marine Drive Canada Line Station.



MC² (approved in 2012) – This development, which was recently approved by Council, will include over 500 residential units. It is located across the street from the Marine Drive Canada Line Station.

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

The owners of Oakridge Centre have submitted a major rezoning application for the redevelopment of their 11.5 hectare site. The proposed redevelopment includes the addition of a broad range housing (2,800 units) ranging from luxury to affordable, as well as a doubling of the existing office and retail space, The proposal includes parks, bikeways, walking paths and a library. The proposed redevelopment will be directly connected to the Oakridge-41st Avenue Canada Line Station.

6.3.4

City of Richmond

As a part of the City of Richmond Community Plan, Richmond has multiple area plans for different zones around the community; some of these plans were amended to better capture the potential benefits of having a rapid transit system running through the city. Two recently announced projects that will build off the presence of the Canada Line include: 

Capstan Village – Concord Pacific and Pinnacle International have submitted applications to construct up to 3,250 condominiums at a yet to be built Canada Line station at Capstan Way and No. 3 Road. The developers are proposing to put up $25 million for the construction of the new station. Richmond ultimately sees the development of about 6,600 housing units to be built in this area.



Vancouver International Plaza at Duck Island – Jingon International Development Group is seeking to redevelop a site adjacent to

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the existing River Rock Casino in Richmond adjacent to the Bridgeport Station on the Canada Line. This development will include about four million square feet of new space, including six hotels, a trade and convention centre and other amenities.

6.4

Summary

A review of transit service and its impacts on economic development indicate that:



High capacity, fast and reliable rapid transit has been the key to transit ridership growth over the past twenty years in Vancouver. The SkyTrain system has been responsible for about two-thirds of all transit ridership growth over that period.



The Canada Line has improved mobility and transit use between places where people live, work and shop. The commercial, retail and residential development along the line is indicative of the positive impact that it is having on Vancouver and Richmond. This development is consistent with the key attributes of that Corridor prior to construction of the line.



A rapid transit line in the UBC-Broadway Corridor is expected to have similar impacts as that of the Canada Line. It will build off the existing attributes of the Corridor, to create stronger linkages for academic and commercial activity (especially in the technology sector). As noted in the previous section of this report, the technology sector will be of increasing economic importance to the City, Region and Province, and effective transit is a key enabler of this sector.

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7

Unlocking the Corridor’s economic development potential

Based on the findings of this study, the priority actions to unlocking the Corridor’s economic potential include the following.

1) Implement rail-based rapid transit, linking the Corridor’s academic and research institutes to each other and to the Metro Vancouver community The ability of the Corridor to achieve its economic and development potential will depend on implementation of high-capacity, fast, reliable rapid transit as the solution to its current and growing transportation congestion and transit capacity issues.

International experience with global technology hubs indicates that effective infrastructure is a key enabler for collaboration and economic growth. Knowledge, workforce, funding, business acumen and appropriate space need to be effectively linked for technology hubs to work.

2) Provide appropriate and affordable commercial and residential space Commercial space One of the necessary components of economic development is the need to develop attractive and affordable commercial space along the Corridor – to enable fast-growing technology and other firms to take advantage of the Corridor’s proximity to UBC, downtown, YVR, and adjacent residential neighbourhoods. The strongest opportunities for growth include (1) increasing the allowable density for existing commercial areas in the central and western parts of the Corridor, and (2) developing new higher-density commercial areas in eastern sections of the Corridor, in conjunction with improved rapid transit services.

Residential space The Corridor is already seen as a highly attractive residential area within Metro Vancouver. Increasing the numbers of attractive and affordable residential dwellings along and near to the Corridor, will assist Corridorbased firms in attracting talented employees, by enabling them to live and work in close proximity.

3) Develop an intentional, collaborative strategy to deliver a strong, vibrant and resilient technology sector Culture of collaboration City/university collaboration in other cities — e.g. MaRS in Toronto (U of Toronto and City of Toronto), San Diego CONNECT (UC San Diego and City of San Diego) and New York City’s new partnership with Cornell — has been proven to attract significant investment from both the public and private sectors. There is similar potential for UBC and the City of Vancouver. The City of Vancouver and UBC have strong partnerships in a number of areas, and will continue to strengthen collaboration and complementarities in the areas of land use and economic planning.

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Business attraction strategy Leading economic development centres typically result from the successful implementation of an intentional and targeted business attraction strategy – drawing on support at the local, regional, state/provincial, and national levels. The Vancouver Economic Commission and UBC are well positioned to develop and deliver such a strategy. Development of specific strategies and incentive programs to attract targeted industry sectors and firms – learning from the successes of other jurisdictions – is a key to achieving the economic potential of the Corridor.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * It is clear that the economic potential of the UBC-Broadway Corridor is significant, and can build off an already strong base, with many of the enablers for future growth already in place. The City of Vancouver and UBC are taking steps to realize this potential, but ultimately a rail-based rapid transit link is fundamental to provide the mobility required for this economic potential to be fully realized.

To develop a technology hub economy that is second to none at a global scale, a new approach is needed – one that sees UBC and Vancouver collaborating closely on a long-term plan to invest in the UBC-Broadway Corridor, through strategic land-use planning, targeted economic strategies and the development of a rail-based rapid transit line to meet the population and economic needs of the future.

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