Creating jobs for British Columbia’s families in every region of the province is our government’s most important priority.
To encourage businesses to create new and protect current jobs, our government has instituted a relentless focus to strengthen our economy through Canada Starts Here: The BC Job Plan – a comprehensive package of policies and initiatives with defined targets.
When it comes to trade and economic development, our government is taking a strong leadership position in Canada. This is why we called the BC Jobs Plan “Canada Starts Here,” possible because of the diversity of our people, our unmatched geographic advantage to Asia, which are both supported by a strong and established foundation of fiscal prudence.
Over the past few months, we’ve seen great progress made on The BC Jobs Plan, including launching the strategies for the natural gas, forestry, transportation, and mining and minerals sectors. It is these sector strategies that are guiding our government on these file.
Trade is vital to British Columbia’s prosperity and we have been busy promoting “the B.C. brand” overseas. In May, Premier Christy Clark led a successful trade mission to South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines during which 25 business deals and partnership agreements were signed or announced worth more than half a billion dollars.
In April, Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Services affirmed their triple-A credit ratings for B.C., their highest possible ratings. These independent assessments were earned because of our track record of prudent fiscal management, our highly competitive tax rates, and B.C.’s shifting trade mix toward Asia rather than North America.
Ninety-eight per cent of businesses in B.C. are small businesses, and we’re making it easier for more of them to get up and running. In the past few months, we’ve helped add 10 more communities to the BizPaL network, an online business permit and licence service that saves entrepreneurs time and money. Today, 110 B.C. communities offer BizPaL.
We’re also helping young people find jobs here at home. JobFest hit the road and is crisscrossing B.C., connecting and educating youth on the multitude of career opportunities. We also provided a $1 million grant to Junior Achievement to ensure our entrepreneurial youth have access to business skills and are prepared to enter the labour force or start their own businesses.
Our government’s focus on jobs is achieving results – from February 2011 to April 2012, B.C. created nearly 60,000 net new jobs. As we move forward with the BC Jobs Plan and make it easier for our companies to trade with Asia, there will be more jobs and employment opportunities in B.C.
To encourage businesses to create new and protect current jobs, our government has instituted a relentless focus to strengthen our economy through Canada Starts Here: The BC Job Plan – a comprehensive package of policies and initiatives with defined targets.
When it comes to trade and economic development, our government is taking a strong leadership position in Canada. This is why we called the BC Jobs Plan “Canada Starts Here,” possible because of the diversity of our people, our unmatched geographic advantage to Asia, which are both supported by a strong and established foundation of fiscal prudence.
Over the past few months, we’ve seen great progress made on The BC Jobs Plan, including launching the strategies for the natural gas, forestry, transportation, and mining and minerals sectors. It is these sector strategies that are guiding our government on these file.
Trade is vital to British Columbia’s prosperity and we have been busy promoting “the B.C. brand” overseas. In May, Premier Christy Clark led a successful trade mission to South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines during which 25 business deals and partnership agreements were signed or announced worth more than half a billion dollars.
In April, Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Services affirmed their triple-A credit ratings for B.C., their highest possible ratings. These independent assessments were earned because of our track record of prudent fiscal management, our highly competitive tax rates, and B.C.’s shifting trade mix toward Asia rather than North America.
Ninety-eight per cent of businesses in B.C. are small businesses, and we’re making it easier for more of them to get up and running. In the past few months, we’ve helped add 10 more communities to the BizPaL network, an online business permit and licence service that saves entrepreneurs time and money. Today, 110 B.C. communities offer BizPaL.
We’re also helping young people find jobs here at home. JobFest hit the road and is crisscrossing B.C., connecting and educating youth on the multitude of career opportunities. We also provided a $1 million grant to Junior Achievement to ensure our entrepreneurial youth have access to business skills and are prepared to enter the labour force or start their own businesses.
Our government’s focus on jobs is achieving results – from February 2011 to April 2012, B.C. created nearly 60,000 net new jobs. As we move forward with the BC Jobs Plan and make it easier for our companies to trade with Asia, there will be more jobs and employment opportunities in B.C.