Download<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
I visited B.C. recently, and had the opportunity to sit down with students from the University of British Columbia and Camosun College \u2014 bright young people who understand what’s happening firsthand. <\/p>\n
One Bachelor of Arts student at UBC said he wants to pursue a career in investment banking after he graduates. But when he interviews with potential employers, they look at his major in philosophy \u2014 and that’s all they see.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey call me a philosophy student,” he said. <\/p>\n
A philosophy degree teaches you do to a lot more than quote Socrates. You’ve learned how to conduct research, think critically, and solve problems \u2014 all part of the skills cluster our research says makes him a \u201cSolver,” and well-positioned for the coming waves of automation. It could make a solid background for a future investment banker. <\/p>\n
If employers can see beyond a formal education path and focus on underlying skills, it could remove a barrier to B.C.’s talent pipeline. And if universities can adapt their programming so that students learn the skills that are in demand, more new graduates will find good jobs. <\/p>\n
B.C. needs to take a deep breath, and come up with a skills plan for the 2020s. It’s crunch time. But if it does bridge that gap between jobs and skills, its economy could be more competitive and stronger in the end. <\/p>\n
The launch of Canada’s first-ever Digital Technology Supercluster in Vancouver last month is a step in the right direction. It’s a $150 million federal investment that will bring together B.C.’s brightest minds to find new ways of doing things in natural resources and health care using technology, positioning the province to do more with less. <\/p>\n
B.C. is a province with a history of leading the pack. Its innovative credit transfer system allows students to easily move between college and university, capitalizing on the strengths of both, and still graduating on time. Ontario took more than 20 years to try to match what B.C. started in 1989.<\/p>\n
Langara College is at the hub of B.C.’s transfer system. It’s a dynamic and entrepreneurial place with a mix of students who have come from a university, or plan to go to one. It’s common for Langara students to complete two years at the college, then transfer to nearby UBC to complete their degrees \u2014 and career counsellors are trained to help them do it successfully. <\/p>\n
That’s the kind of thinking we need to see more in 2019. The students and educators I spoke to talked about the value of giving our youngest students the time to reflect on their interests and skills; offering mentorship opportunities for high school students; and making sure post-secondary students spend time in a workplace and learn on the ground.<\/p>\n
If we can close the gap between industry and education, by upskilling people and thinking beyond the title on their degree, B.C.’s shortage could turn into an opportunity.<\/p>\n
Ten years from now, the B.C. government projects that 130,000 jobs will be unfilled<\/a>. You could add another Abbotsford to the province, and still be short several thousand workers.<\/p>\nOr, we can find new ways to prepare young people for today’s economy and equip existing workers with even higher skills \u2014 and free up the pipeline.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Event-Image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
RBC\u2019s John Stackhouse met with UBC students and recent graduates who shared stories about finding work in a changing economy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There’s plenty of talent in B.C. \u2014 the question is how to unlock it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":209,"featured_media":5383,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"disable_focal_point":true,"featured_image_focal_point":{"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"rbc_tl_category":[122],"rbc_tl_tag":[120,98,105],"class_list":["post-5381","rbc_tl","type-rbc_tl","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rbc_tl_category-skills","rbc_tl_tag-british-columbia","rbc_tl_tag-economy","rbc_tl_tag-skills"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
B.C.'s Other Pipeline Problem - RBC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"B.C.'s Other Pipeline Problem\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There's plenty of talent in B.C. \u2014 the question is how to unlock it.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RBC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-31T02:12:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"3480\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1680\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/\",\"name\":\"B.C.'s Other Pipeline Problem - RBC\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-12-07T21:31:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-31T02:12:30+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80\",\"width\":3480,\"height\":1680},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/\",\"name\":\"RBC\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"B.C.'s Other Pipeline Problem - RBC","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"B.C.'s Other Pipeline Problem","og_description":"There's plenty of talent in B.C. \u2014 the question is how to unlock it.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/","og_site_name":"RBC","article_modified_time":"2025-03-31T02:12:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":3480,"height":1680,"url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/","url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/","name":"B.C.'s Other Pipeline Problem - RBC","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80","datePublished":"2018-12-07T21:31:47+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-31T02:12:30+00:00","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80","width":3480,"height":1680},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/","name":"RBC","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/skills\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"B.C.’s Other Pipeline Problem","url":"http:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/skills\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/skills\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80&w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80"},"articleSection":"Uncategorized","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"John Stackhouse"}],"creator":["John Stackhouse"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"RBC","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2018-12-07T21:31:47Z","datePublished":"2018-12-07T21:31:47Z","dateModified":"2025-03-31T02:12:30Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"B.C.’s Other Pipeline Problem\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rbc.com\\\/en\\\/thought-leadership\\\/skills\\\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rbc.com\\\/en\\\/thought-leadership\\\/skills\\\/b-c-s-other-pipeline-problem\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rbc.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80&w=150&h=150&crop=1\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rbc.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80\"},\"articleSection\":\"Uncategorized\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"John Stackhouse\"}],\"creator\":[\"John Stackhouse\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"RBC\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[],\"dateCreated\":\"2018-12-07T21:31:47Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-12-07T21:31:47Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-31T02:12:30Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/rbc.com\/p.js"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Banner-wide-2.jpg?quality=80&w=1024","coauthors":[],"author_meta":{"author_link":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/author\/johnstackhouse\/","display_name":"John Stackhouse"},"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 7 years ago","modified":"Updated 1 year ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on December 7, 2018","modified":"Updated on March 31, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on December 7, 2018 9:31 pm","modified":"Updated on March 31, 2025 2:12 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","tax_additional":{"rbc_tl_category":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/skills\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Skills<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Skills<\/span>"],"slug":"rbc_tl_category","name":"Categories"},"rbc_tl_tag":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/topics\/british-columbia\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">British Columbia<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/topics\/economy\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Economy<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/topics\/skills\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Skills<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">British Columbia<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Economy<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Skills<\/span>"],"slug":"rbc_tl_tag","name":"Tags"}},"series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_tl\/5381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_tl"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rbc_tl"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_tl\/5381\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"rbc_tl_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_tl_category?post=5381"},{"taxonomy":"rbc_tl_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_tl_tag?post=5381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/download-humans-wanted.jpg\")
<\/div>\n