VICTORIA – Recruitment and training initiatives are underway for the coming school year to get more certified teachers into B.C. classrooms and build B.C.’s K-12 workforce.

“We know that the record numbers of newcomers moving to B.C each year means we need more teaching staff in schools,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care. “We’re actively working with our education partners on K-12 workforce initiatives to support the recruitment and retention of more certified teachers and build a sustainable education workforce for years to come.”

Through the Province’s StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan, $12.5 million over three years is supporting provincewide recruitment and training initiatives for teachers. This year, almost $4 million is going toward recruitment and training programs, with a focus on supporting teacher retention in the sector, improving flexibility in teacher education programs, and recruiting more teachers in rural and remote communities.

“Training the next generation of certified teachers is an important part of our Future Ready Action Plan,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. “Building flexibility in education programs supports more people in choosing teaching as a career and helps to fill in-demand positions, providing good-paying jobs for British Columbians.”

A provincial hiring incentive that brought 50 new certified teachers to rural and remote schools in 2023 is on track to hire almost 60 more teachers for the coming school year. Supported through $1.5 million in provincial funding over three years, this program provides cash incentives of as much as $10,000 for teachers to work in areas with the highest need. This initiative has supported hiring needs in several remote communities in B.C., including northern B.C., Vancouver Island and the Thompson-Okanagan region.

“When looking at opportunities this spring, a position with Peace River North District stood out for a number of reasons,” said Kylee Campbell, primary teacher, Upper Halfway Elementary school. “I wanted something in a rural setting where people know each other better and I can personalize my instruction for each student. Working in such a remote setting does have challenges that the generous incentives offered by the Province helps to offset.”

Since 2023, certification standards were updated so that more internationally trained educators could work in B.C.’s classrooms, with the application fee reduced from $395 to $245. These initiatives have helped to double the number of international teacher applications over the past year, setting record application levels to become part of B.C.’s future K-12 workforce. The Province also provides $100,000 in scholarships each year to high school students in B.C. who want to pursue teaching as a career, with the goal of growing the number of local educators in B.C. schools.

With B.C.’s continued enrolment growth, these are just some of the workforce initiatives underway to support recruitment and retention in the K-12 sector. The Province is continuing to work closely with education partners to explore more ways to build a sustainable and skilled K-12 workforce in B.C.

Other provincial initiatives underway include:

• In partnership with the First Nation Education Steering Committee, a research project was conducted in 2024 to hear directly from First Nations teachers about their experiences working in the sector and better understand school districts’ human-resources practices to attract, recruit and retain First Nations teachers.

• As part of the Province’s commitment to build a sustainable and engaged K-12 workforce, the ministry will support the implementation of a new provincewide teacher mentorship program with several K-12 education partners, including the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) and the BC Principals’ & Vice-Principals’ Association (BCPVPA).

• Under a new program in 2024, $8,000 will be given to more than 30 student teachers to complete their practicum in a northern B.C. school this year. These awards will be offered to students relocating to rural communities, such as Haida Gwaii, Peace River South, Cariboo-Chilcotin and Nechako Lakes, helping to support northern school districts, while building partnerships with teacher education programs for the future.  

The Province is investing $800,000 to make teacher education programs more flexible for students who want to become certified teachers:

• UBC’s Rural and Remote Teacher Education Program supported 24 students in 2022, who live and work in a rural or remote areas to become certified teachers without having to move to a new community to attend university. With $300,000 in provincial funding, a second student cohort has been created through this program that will support 43 more students to become certified teachers by 2026. 

• As part of the provincial K-12 workforce plan, the Province is providing $500,000 over two years to increase the availability of hybrid and online-learning options so more people in B.C, including those in remote areas, can better access teacher education programs to become certified teachers in their communities.

Quick Facts:

• Since 2018, the provincial government has added more than 400 new seats in teacher education programs.
• The Province expects approximately 1,700 international teacher applications in 2024, an increase of 145% since 2021.

Learn More:

To learn more about UBC’s Rural and Remote Teacher Education Program, visit: https://teach.educ.ubc.ca/bachelor-of-education-program/rural-and-remote-program/

To learn more about the StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/jobs-and-training

Two backgrounders follow.

Tyrone McNeil, president, First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) –

“Addressing the lack of First Nations representation among K-12 teaching and support staff is a significant priority for B.C. First Nations and FNESC. In alignment with the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan, the Ministry of Education and Child Care and FNESC are working together on the implementation of a strategy to improve the recruitment and retention of First Nations teachers in B.C. public schools, including the development of community-based teacher education programs delivered in partnership between First Nations and public post-secondary institutions. Together, we must take decisive steps to create a more equitable, safe and inclusive education system.”

Bruce L. Anderson, chief executive officer, B.C. Public School Employers’ Association (BCPSEA) –

“Through funding from the ministry, we’re providing dedicated support for recruitment and retention in rural and remote school districts. This support includes advice and tools for school district teams to improve local practices, as well as the development of local-, regional- and provincial-level recruitment strategies to address workforce challenges, including for hard-to-fill positions and for traditionally under-represented candidate groups, including Indigenous people and people of colour.”

Dr. Stephen Petrucci, director of Northern B.C. School Superintendents Association (BCSSA) chapter and superintendent of SD 60 Peace River North –

“Over the past two years, there have been significant initiatives and resources put in place, through the K-12 workforce plan, to try and address teacher shortages across the province, especially in the North. The ministry, BCPSEA and BCSSA members have collaborated extensively to establish a hiring incentive program, provide recruitment and retention support, distribute Northern Practicum Bursary Awards and explore more accessible teacher education programs. We’re seeing progress in the hiring of new teachers, especially in some of our most rural schools.”

Dr. Shannon Behan, president, B.C. Principals’ & Vice Principals’ Association (BCPVPA) –

“The BCPVPA is committed to continue working collaboratively with our sector partners to realize the ministry’s goals of developing workforce initiatives that are building and enriching the capacity of our K-12 system. Through ensuring equity in recruitment in rural and remote areas to flexible opportunities for teacher education, the pathway is being fortified for services that will support students and strengthen the system for all learners.”

Fifty eight hiring incentives have been allocated across 16 school districts for 2024-25 through a second round of the Province’s hiring incentive:

Vancouver Island/Coast:
SD 49 (Central Coast)
SD 84 (Vancouver Island West)
SD 85 (Vancouver Island North)

Cariboo:
SD 27 (Cariboo-Chilcotin)
SD 28 (Quesnel)
SD 57 (Prince George)

North Coast:
SD 50 (Haida Gwaii)
SD 82 (Coast Mountain)
SD 92 (Nisga’a)

Nechako:
SD54 (Bulkley Valley)
SD 87 (Stikine)
SD 91 (Nechako Lakes)

Northeast:
SD 59 (Peace River South)
SD 60 (Peace River North)
SD 81 (Fort Nelson)

Provincewide:
SD 93 (Conseil scolaire francophone de la C.-B.)

Initiatives in B.C.’s K-12 workforce plan are being implemented in partnership with many of B.C.’s education partners:

• BC Teachers’ Federation
• Canadian Union of Public Employees B.C.
• First Nations Education Steering Committee
• B.C. Public School Employers' Association
• BC School Trustees Association
• B.C. School Superintendents Association
• B.C. Association of School Business Officials
• B.C. Principals’ & Vice Principals’ Association
• Metis Nation B.C.
• Association of B.C. Deans of Education
• Indigenous Adult and Higher Learning Association
• Deans of Human and Social Services
• B.C. Teachers’ Council
• Federation of Independent School Associations in B.C.