A4 www.similkameenspotlight.com Wednesday, August 21, 2013 Similkameen Spotlight
SpotlightOPINION
Why the need to pay a partner? Black Press Guest Editorial
The regional district board recently approved a recommendation to pay the Lower Similkameen Indian Band up to $43,755. The money is being provided to the band in order to “provide consultative services and share unique cultural and ecological data for the Similkameen River Watershed Plan.” The decision came on the heels of a proposal made to the board by the LSIB on June 6. The proposal basically outlined the conditions upon which the LSIB would agree to participate in the watershed study - conditions that came with the above mentioned price tag attached. The problem is, the Lower Similkameen Indian Band is also one of the Similkameen Valley Planning Society’s seven governing bodies. The SVPS, is in effect paying one of their own members to take part. At a July 19 meeting of the SVPS, it was decided, unanimously, that “participation of the LSIB is vital to the development of a water plan for the Similkameen Valley and will also set the foundation for future partnerships between our governments.” That could very well be true - and that makes us uncomfortable. RDOS Public Works Manager Doug French raised several salient points about the LSIB request. “Diverting nine per cent of the project budget for First Nation relations will reduce the amount available for the technical study and may set the precedent for future projects,” French noted in his report to the board. French further noted that gas tax funding guidelines are such that “it seems the spirit of the grant is that we not pay partners for participation.”
Pressure on for skills training VICTORIA – Advanced Education Minister force the need to fill skilled jobs. But he danced Amrik Virk has some advice for students heading around the question of whether there will be for post-secondary education this fall. spaces in technical programs. In a commentary sent to B.C. newspapers, NDP critics say the waiting list for trades Virk reminded students that his task “is to ensure programs are running between one and three post-secondary students obtain the experience years; they have frequently noted that advanced and qualifications needed to put a paycheque in education spending is budgeted to decline by $42 their back pocket.” million over the next three years. B.C. is forecast to have a million jobs to fill Virk said post-secondary institutions have Tom Fletcher by 2020, through a combination of retirements produced 456 additional seats in high-demand and growth. More than 40 per cent of them will programs this year. It’s a start. require trades training, and likely a move north. Premier Christy Clark has joined the chorus “My advice to students is to look at where of premiers protesting Ottawa’s plan to claw the jobs are based and tailor their education back $300 million in federal training money to and training to match,” Virk wrote. “Our population is con- provinces, for its new Canada Jobs Grant. Clark and New centrated in the Lower Mainland and southern Vancouver Brunswick Premier David Alward were assigned to find an Island, but as a resource-based economy, many directly and alternative to this drastic shift and report back this fall. indirectly related jobs are located elsewhere.” The NDP spent lots of time grilling Virk about student That’s not the only blunt message for students deciding on debt and the alleged need to reduce it. Ministry statistics show a career. While defending his ministry’s spending plans in the that about 30 per cent of students take out loans averaging recent legislature session, Virk described some of the prob- $20,000 from the federal-provincial program. lems that are entrenched. One of the latest changes is a program of grants that go Parents, push their children towards medicine, law, dentist- toward student debt as a reward for those who complete their ry or engineering, he noted. Students gravitate toward areas chosen program. With 23,000 students collecting $41 million that are familiar to them, such as teaching. in grants, it might be working. For all the fuss about student B.C. universities graduated 2,000 new teachers last year. debt, students pay only about a third of costs. The rest is on Another 850 arrived from out of province. During the same taxpayers, whether it produces any useful education or not. year, the B.C. school system hired 800 teachers. And many of Virk is under instructions to review the student loan prothose jobs were outside metropolitan areas. gram “to find further improvements to meet students’ needs.” It’s been hammered into us by the B.C. government’s Given the magnitude of the gap between what skills our eduendless “jobs plan” advertising, and a similar campaign by cation system produces and what the economy needs, a larger Ottawa, that more students need to focus on trades and shift in priorities is needed. resource industries. Virk acknowledges that his budget conTom Fletcher is legislative reporter and columnist for Black tains another $1 million for advertising, much of it to rein- Press. tfletcher@blackpress.ca
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Mystery Person; Who is this? 1) He lived in Princeton from 1928 to his passing in 2012. 2) was a hockey player (goalie) and avid fan for life. 3) worked as a logger, on road construction and contractor at Copper Mountain Check next weeks Spotlight for the answer. Last week’s mystery person was Margueret Deuschman. PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY Annual subscription: $30 locally, $45 elsewhere in Canada. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.
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