One In a Million

Summer is in full swing with barbeques, days at the beach and fireworks in the sky.   But as the sunny days blend from one into another, it can be difficult to see time going by. Luckily the Government of BC has taken some time to look into the future, and their findings may significantly impact your potential career.  Below are some highlights from the BC Labour Market Outlook 2010-2020. Or download it for yourself here.

In the next decade, there will be over 1,000,000 job openings in the labour market of this great province. So what is the likelihood of you landing one of those? Pretty good if you’re reading this as an SFU student or alumni. According to the same BC Labour Market Outlook 2010-2020 produced by WorkBC and the provincial government, 78 percent of job openings over the ten-year period from 2010 to 2020 are expected to require some post-secondary education and training or a university degree. That’s not to imply that the jobs will be thrown your way the moment you receive your degree, and that you won’t have to put some effort into your job search, but at least it helps to get you started.

Just like finding the perfect beach spot, or the coldest drinks in town, there are some hot spots within the labour market projections for the next 10 years. The three occupational groups with the most expected job openings are:

• Sales and Service Occupations
• Business, Finance and Administration Occupations
• Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators and Related Occupations

As for the occupations with the greatest growth within BC:

• Health Occupations
• Natural and Applied Sciences and Related Occupations
• Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport

Just as summer brings in higher temperatures, the economy brings in higher demand in certain labour sectors. Don’t overlook growth in the natural resources, the ever-expanding technological media markets, and evolution of green technologies. One million new opportunities is a big number, take full advantage!

Lead image: creative-commons licensed photo by Karen Blaha on Flickr.