As northern B.C.'s resource economy grows, the federal government is counting on a new apprenticeship loan program to help ensure there are enough skilled workers to fill the job expected vacancies.
The Conservatives announced the new measure a part of Tuesday's federal budget, which contained little in new spending but earmarked some money to targeted programs.
The apprenticeship program will expand the existing student loans to those who are working as apprentices. They will be able to access up to $4,000 during each period of their technical training, with no interest accruing until their complete or terminate their education.
"Just like the Speech from the Throne in B.C. [on Tuesday], it's encouraging training because we want Canadians to have the skills they need for the job market that's out there," National Revenue Minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay said.
Cariboo-Prince George Conservative MP Dick Harris called the loan program "a great thing" and said it will help to bridge the gap that exists in some skilled trades.
"I talked to a manufacturing firm in Prince George about two months ago and the owner told me that if 20 people skilled in what they do were to walk in the door the next morning, he would put them to work for five years," Harris said.
The apprenticeship loan program, a new job match program as well a new funds to help small- and medium-sized businesses attract and retain paid interns are central to the government's jobs agenda, but Skeena-Bulkley NDP MP Nathan Cullen said the budget didn't do enough to address the high youth unemployment rate that plagues northern B.C.
"For the skills shortage that we face in this country, the answer from the government so far hs been temporary foreign workers," he said.
With a balanced budget expected next year, this year's fiscal plan was light on new spending. Prince George-based KPMG tax partner Stan Mitchell called it "a safe budget."
"A lot of it has been put out beforehand, really there's no surprises," he said. "All of the major policy things have been floated out in trail balloons."
Where Mitchell sees caution, Cullen sees a government that's postponing new spending so it can be more generous in 2015 as the next federal election approaches. He called Tuesday's document a "do-nothing budget."
"One suspects this is more about politics that economics," Cullen said. "The Conservatives would like to have something to announce next year because next year is a full election year so they're going to tell Canadians to wait 12 months for all those programs that they suspect Canadians want, which is pretty selfish and cynical."
Mitchell agreed that next year's budget will likely contain more splashy announcements and said it could be one of the most interesting fiscal documents tabled in years.
Findlay defended the government's cautious approach to spending and said that it builds on the success of previous Conservative governments.
One things Findlay and Cullen could agree on is the benefit of extending the mineral exploration tax credit for one year. It provides an added incentive for people to find new mineral deposits which could be turned in to working mines down the road.
The credit was set to expire this year, but has been extended to 2015. Findlay said it could be extended again, if warranted.
"Of course we're going to be looking at it and reviewing it in next year's budget when we get back to balanced budget," she said. "Whether that will be extended, it will be part of the discussion between now and then."
There was no major increase to federal spending on forestry in western Canada, but the budget does continue the $90 million Investments in Forest Industry Transformation Fund. Harris said he's pleased to see the program continues to have stable funding because it's helped the industry develop greener ways of doing business and enhance technological innovation.
Canfor in Prince George accessed a similar Pulp and Paper Green Transformation program in 2009 to improve energy efficiency at its local mills.
