Category: Campus Life

June marks National Indigenous History Month. This month it is important to recognize Indigenous people and their culture as integral parts of Canadian history. Over the years, the Canadian federal and provincial governments have been implementing more efforts towards mending relations with Indigenous peoples.

In 2021, the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation was held as a nation-wide Canadian holiday for the first time on September 30.

In 2023, something on a provincial level will be integrated in B.C.: Indigenous course requirements for high school students.

What Is This New Requirement?

A new graduation requirement will come during B.C.’s 2023-2024 school year. For high school students planning to graduate that year, they must complete four credits in Indigenous courses.

Together with the First Nations Education Steering Committee, B.C.’s Ministry of Education created this requirement to showcase the importance of acknowledging Indigenous voices, histories, and knowledge.

Between March 7, 2022 and April 22, 2022, the Provincial Government of British Columbia asked British Columbians for feedback on this move. B.C. will be the first province in Canada to require Indigenous course credit for high school graduates.

Current Indigenous Course Education

In 2019, B.C. overhauled the curriculum for all students K-12 to include Indigenous content in multiple grade levels. Even with the new curriculum, most high school students have not taken any Indigenous-focused courses.

Most B.C. students graduate with more credits than required to receive a high school diploma, but the majority do not take any provincially approved Indigenous courses.

Despite the existence of courses such as First Peoples’ English and First Nations Studies in some schools, the implementation across the province is lacking. Only about 5% of B.C. students have taken and completed grade 10-12 level Indigenous or First Peoples courses.

Why the Change?

As Canadians, all parts of our country’s past — the good and the bad — need to be acknowledged. Without any awareness and/or acknowledgement, an answer to a problem cannot be found.

Canada’s history with Indigenous peoples has not been a kind one, nor has the negativity faded from the past. In fact, a lot of these events in history are recent: the first residential school in Canada opened in 1831, but the last residential school closed in 1998, less than 25 years ago.

Present and future generations of Indigenous people continue carrying the negative effects from previous (and present) treatment from the Canadian government.

While the horrors of the past cannot be erased, the inclusion of this Indigenous course requirement helps towards reconciliation. B.C. high school graduates will have the knowledge necessary to improve relations in the future.

 

Sources:

“Indigenous-Focused Graduation Requirements.” GovTogetherBC, Government of British Columbia, 22 Apr. 2022, https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/consultation/indigenous-focused-graduation-requirements/. Accessed 7 May 2022.

Jeganathan, Jeyan, and Carla Lucchetta. “‘Felt throughout Generations’: A Timeline of Residential Schools in Canada.” TVO, 21 June 2021, https://www.tvo.org/article/felt-throughout-generations-a-timeline-of-residential-schools-in-canada. Accessed 10 May 2022.

Little, Simon, and Neetu Garcha. “B.C. to Make Indigenous-Focused Coursework a High School Graduation Requirement.” Global News, 6 Mar. 2022, https://globalnews.ca/news/8661463/bc-indigenous-graduation-requirement/. Accessed 7 May 2022.

Ministry of Education and Child Care. “New Grad Requirement Ensures Students Expand Their Knowledge about Indigenous Perspectives, Histories, Cultures.” BC Gov News, Government of British Columbia, 4 Mar. 2022, https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022EDUC0007-000297. Accessed 7 May 2022.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Government of Canada, 29 Sept. 2021, https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html. Accessed 13 May 2022.

“Residential School History.” National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: NCTR, https://nctr.ca/education/teaching-resources/residential-school-history/. Accessed 10 May 2022.

“Residential School Timeline.” National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation: NCTR, https://nctr.ca/exhibits/residential-school-timeline/. Accessed 10 May 2022.

If there’s one lesson that COVID has taught us, it’s that a great idea can flourish during times of adversity. For example, had you heard of Zoom before the pandemic?

The software was launched in 2013, where the initial version was able to hold conferences with only up to 15 participants. In December 2019, the platform had an average of 10 million participants daily. By April 2020, that number grew to 300 million. In addition, a regular Zoom meeting now can have 300 participants, at the same time, which can be increased to 500 upon request.

The success of Zoom is a tough act to follow, but that doesn’t mean no one can attempt to. Entrepreneurship can be a powerful tool, and though the pandemic is over, new businesses can still strive to achieve success. And who knows, maybe you can be one of those who has a businessperson in them waiting to come out. Find out by reading below.

Have you found your passion?

Finding out where your passion lies is the first step in conceptualizing a great idea. For instance, Kevin Plank was a college football player in the early 1990s. He loved sports but didn’t like how sportswear always stuck to his skin when he was sweating while playing sports. Thus, he decided to develop a synthetic-based layer that soaked up sweat. By 1996, he was producing his own sportswear line and directly sending them to the National of Football League or NFL. Today, Under Armour is valued at almost $5 billion.

Have you found a need?

If you know you’re business-savvy but don’t quite know how to pinpoint what you’re passionate about, then maybe unearth a need instead. Here, you can put your observant skills to good use. What do you think consumers need that isn’t in the market yet? For example, well-known products like Velcro and Scotch Tape were inspired by creative inventors who were fully aware of their natural surroundings. Velcro was inspired by burrs of the burdock plant while Scotch Tape was inspired by the gecko. So don’t underestimate the powers of observation!

Have you built a network?

You don’t have to score a gig at “Dragon’s Den” to build a network (although that will certainly help!). All you need to do is utilize networking apps, and most of these are readily available like LinkedIn. Networking connects you to people with entrepreneurial skills who can help you as a mentor or as a peer. Like with anything, it always helps to reach out to those who know exactly what challenges you’re dealing with. This way, you’ll have a clear idea of what the process is truly like.

Have you attended events?

So one piece of good news about the pandemic being over is that networking doesn’t have to be regulated to Zoom or Microsoft Teams. With most everything being back up, so are in-person networking events, workshops, and talks. Find one in your area through Eventbrite and you’ll obtain connections to people with similar interests and goals.

Do you know how to promote yourself?

To be a great entrepreneur, you’ll have to have the confidence of a former U.S. President claiming that injecting one’s self with disinfectant is an effective way to fight COVID. Of course, whatever business idea you have will be way more plausible than that. It’s all a matter of believing that you do offer the greatest product or service and that people will miss out on a good thing if they don’t listen to you. However, being confident with yourself doesn’t mean being full of yourself. Remember, if you’re networking and someone offers suggestions or constructive criticism, take time to listen instead of being dismissive.

Now that you’ve read these tips, are you confident to work to be among the business greats like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg? Good luck!

 

Sources

Fox, Michelle. “Start-ups boomed during the pandemic. Here’s how some entrepreneurs found a niche.” CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/27/how-entrepreneurs-found-their-start-up-niche-during-covid-19.html.

Hennighausen, Amelia, and Eric Roston. “14 Smart Inventions Inspired by Nature: Biomimicry.” Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/photo-essays/2015-02-23/14-smart-inventions-inspired-by-nature-biomimicry.

Plank, Kevin. “Under Armour’s founder was a college football player when he first developed the company.” Business Insider.  https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-started-as-side-hustles-2019-8#under-armours-founder-was-a-college-football-player-when-he-first-developed-the-company-8.

Tai, Jack. “Startup Surge: Pandemic Causes New Businesses To Double.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2021/01/20/startup-surge-pandemic-causes-new-businesses-to-double/?sh=5b4512de635d.

The University of Queensland. “How many people can attend a Zoom meeting or webinar?” https://support.my.uq.edu.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/2996/~/how-many-people-can-attend-a-zoom-meeting-or-webinar%3F.

In the early 2000s, there was a comedy musical that was well ahead of its time that took Broadway by storm featuring twenty-something puppets singing openly about financial issues, racism, and homosexuality.

One song that musical theatre enthusiasts instantly fell in love with had the lyrics: “What do you do with a B.A. in English/What is my life going to be?/Four years of college and plenty of knowledge/Have earned me this useless degree/I can’t pay the bills yet/’Cause I have no skills yet/The world is a big scary place.”

It’s been 20 years and these verses ring true until today. While it’s thoroughly impressive if one can recite the poems of Edgar Allan Poe or the philosophical musings of Friedrich Nietzsche, this ability doesn’t help pay the bills.

Thus, if you’re heading off to college or university and still deciding on a roadmap for your career, looking into programs that are skills-focused may be a better option than knowledge-based ones.

Skills-based: What exactly does this mean?

Skills-based may be a term you’ve heard before but don’t fully understand what it refers to. Simply put, it refers to abilities developed through practical means, whether through daily life or work. It’s in contrast to knowledge-based which refers to abilities developed through reading and having a grasp of concepts in a theoretical sense.

For instance, an aspiring chef may have read all the culinary-related books they could get their hands on, but these aren’t a guarantee that they’ll become a good chef. They have to learn how to cut vegetables properly and know how to take proper measurements of ingredients by actually doing these tasks. Relying merely on what they read on paper won’t work. Kendall Jenner most probably read how to cut cucumbers correctly somewhere, but she certainly didn’t know how to do it.

A skills-based approach to hiring.

Placing more weight on skills rather than knowledge doesn’t necessarily mean that an academic degree doesn’t hold any worth anymore. It simply means that employers are willing to look past the lack of an academic degree if job candidates can prove themselves qualified for the positions because of the skills they have.

For example, say there’s a job posting for an engagement coordinator for a university’s Government Relations Office that calls for a degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Communications, or History. One candidate boasts of this requirement but doesn’t have any skills. The other candidate had to defer studies for a year due to personal reasons. However, this candidate has experience working in a not-for-profit environment and has interacted with the government and the private sector. At the same time, this candidate is making up for lost time by taking a few credits per semester to complete the program.

In previous years, the first candidate would have the clear advantage, but with more employers now focusing on a skills-based approach to hiring, that advantage is not as clear anymore.

Skills-based hiring is the future.

According to a study by Joseph Fuller, Christina Langer, and Matt Sigelman published in the Harvard Business Review, skills-based hiring is on the rise. Employers now have also become aware of how important skills are for a position that they now describe the capabilities they look for in a candidate in more explicit detail than before.

As a result, job seekers are making more effort to update their resumes to include the skills being demanded for a position. It’s become more of a “don’t merely say, show” way of thinking.

Obtaining an academic degree is an achievement, no doubt. However, if one doesn’t possess the necessarily skills to back up what they offer on paper, then a degree isn’t much use. These days, being able to do something is definitely more valuable than merely knowing how to do something.

 

Sources

Doyle, Allison. “What Is a Skill Set?” The Balance Careers. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-a-skill-set-2062103.

Fuller, Joseph, Christina Langer, and Matt Sigelman. “Skills-Based Hiring Is on the Rise.” Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/02/skills-based-hiring-is-on-the-rise.

Gorsky, Emily. “What is the difference between skill and knowledge-based learning?” OpenColleges. https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/blog/2020/04/27/what-is-the-difference-between-skill-and-knowledge-based-learning/.

Vander Ark, Tom. “The Rise Of Skills-Based Hiring And What It Means For Education.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanderark/2021/06/29/the-rise-of-skills-based-hiring-and-what-it-means-for-education/?sh=227b64754fa7.

Taking another job is not what most people want to do in their free time. Sometimes, these situations arise out of necessity rather than a person’s wants.

It can be for multiple reasons such as needing more income, wanting more variety in your work, or wanting more job security.

While the pandemic has made holding multiple jobs even easier with remote options, some Canadians worked many jobs before more workplaces became remote. In 2018, almost 6% of Canadians worked two or more jobs.

When faced with the decision to take another job, how do people come up with their answer? With many factors to consider such as availability, location, and pay, the thought process can be overwhelming. To lay out the advantages and disadvantages of working multiple jobs, here are some points to consider:

Advantages of Taking Another Job

1. An Opportunity to Make More Money

It seems simple enough: the more jobs that you work, the more money that you make. Additionally, adding another job to your schedule ensures better job security. Not every job is reliable, and some people need constant income as time goes on.

2. An Opportunity to Try Something New

No fixed rule says that every job needs to be in the same field of work. A second job can be your chance to explore a new field. You can be a writer by day, and a truck driver by night. Not only does trying a new type of job expand your thinking, but you can also gain new skills. Superheroes are not the only people that can enjoy dual lives!

3. An Opportunity to Meet New People

Another job means another social circle. This is a chance to make new connections! Expanding your number of connections is a good chance to form important relationships. You never know when someone can make a good friend or a good future reference.

Disadvantages of Taking Another Job

1. Too Many Jobs, Too Little Time

During the 24 hours each day, there is only so much that someone can do. Ask yourself if the additional pay is worth working more hours. Depending on if your job is considered part-time (working less than 30 hours per week) or full-time (more than 30 hours per week), the added hours may be too much to handle.

2. The Risk of Burnout

Having so much work to do is not only time-consuming, but stressful. You risk burnout, an exhausting feeling, which is not only unhealthy but also poorly affects your job performance. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes burnout as something that evolves from work life, if not dealt with correctly. It is important to prevent burnout because it can happen multiple times. The continuous strain on your body is not good long-term.

3. Worse Quality of Work

Related to the risk of burnout, going from one job immediately to another is not so simple. If there are no breaks in between, the quality of the work you do is going to suffer. You could produce brilliant results at the first job, and horrible results at the second job, because you started with 50% of your energy. If you lack time, you could be stuck in a loop of making terrible work.

Tips for Handling Two Jobs

1. Try to Find a Job with Flexibility

More flexibility in a second job means that you have more time to plan a schedule. Remote jobs are some of the best options for flexibility. There is no travel time! You will have more time in between your two jobs, as well as potential time to yourself. Some remote jobs do not have fixed work hours, so you can still reasonably plan your own schedule.

2. Plan a Goal

Each job is a stepping stone to a goal. While it can be tough to handle two jobs sometimes, remember that it does not have to be like this forever. A goal helps keep your motivation in check. The excitement of inching closer and closer to the finish line motivates people to keep going.

3. Keep an Organized Schedule

If you take on multiple jobs, your personal schedule will become busier. To make sure that you keep track of everything, write down a schedule. Keeping a planner, writing down reminders in your phone, or keeping a desk calendar are just some ways to plan and visualize your schedule.

 

Sources:

Augustine, Avery. “How to Balance Multiple Jobs (and Your Personal Life, Too!).” The Muse, https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-balance-multiple-jobs-without-losing-your-mind. Accessed 15 Apr. 2022.

Buhl, Larry. “Moonlight: Pros and Cons of a Second Job.” Monster, https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/moonlighting-pros-and-cons-of-a-second-job-hot-jobs. Accessed 17 Apr. 2022.

“Career Burnout.” Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/career-burnout. Accessed 15 Apr. 2022.

Moore, Dene. “Worker Burnout Is Becoming Endemic and It’s Everyone’s Job to Treat It.” The Globe and Mail, 7 Feb. 2022, https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/careers/future-of-work/article-worker-burnout-is-becoming-endemic-and-its-everyones-job-to-treat-it/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2022.

Postmedia News. “1 Million Canadians Juggling Jobs, Working 50-Hour Weeks: StatsCan.” Toronto Sun, 30 Oct. 2019, https://torontosun.com/business/money-news/1-million-canadians-juggling-jobs-working-50-hour-weeks-statscan. Accessed 15 Apr. 2022.

“TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT IN B.C.” WorkBC, https://www.workbc.ca/jobs-careers/explore-careers/types-of-employment-in-bc.aspx. Accessed 17 Apr. 2022.

Suppose that you wanted to get into a career in technology. You might take some courses at a university or community college, but you would still need to learn the specific skills that employers need. For many young people, tech training through NPower Canada is the answer. Through this charity, people can learn what they need to know for a good career in technology.

NPower Canada is a charitable organization first formed in 2014 in the Greater Toronto Area. By the following year, eighty-seven young people were enrolled in the program. The program grew and expanded to include Calgary, Halifax, and Vancouver by the end of 2021. These programs served 1,570 young people in those four locations, including the original program in Toronto.

Programs at NPower Canada are aimed at young people between the ages of seventeen and thirty. The idea is to give people the skills they need to compete for digital careers. For example, the programs include junior IT (information technology) analyst and junior data analyst, available in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and Lethbridge, Alberta.

Programs like these ones run for fifteen weeks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, classes were held online, but in-person classes may resume in some locations. Besides the training in professional skills necessary for getting work in these fields, NPower provides contacts with some of the largest employers in Canada.

These types of connections are important for people as they look for work. Many employers receive hundreds of applications for each of their job postings, and it can be hard for job seekers to get the attention of hiring managers. With the connections that come through an organization like NPower, applicants can gain an advantage over other people looking for work.

Digital skills are very useful in many different types of work. Becoming an information technology expert is one of the more obvious career paths, but digital skills can be helpful for writers, teachers, and even factory workers. Learning how these digital skills fit in with various types of work can help students succeed in their job search.

NPower’s programs are aimed at underserved young people who might otherwise not have the opportunities for gaining the digital skills necessary for getting good jobs. People from wealthy families might have their own connections for finding work, or they can at least pay for the university or other training programs that can get them into good jobs in the future. For people without these opportunities, however, being able to get a start through NPower is a good chance to learn the skills necessary for succeeding in the working world.

Over the past two years, studying online has become a way for people to deal with the dangers of COVID-19 while working to expand the range of their work. For people with few computer skills, however, learning online can be a challenge. When in-person classes resume, many students may wish to choose that option. Whether in person or online, the programs at NPower can help young people to prepare for work using the digital skills they need for the future.

 

Bibliography:

CanadaHelps.org. “NPower Canada.” https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/npower-canada/.

Indeed.com. “NPower Canada: About the Company.” https://ca.indeed.com/cmp/Npower-Canada.

NPower Canada. “About.” https://npowercanada.ca/about/.

Taniguchi, Kellen. “NPower Canada launches Edmonton youth into tech careers.” Edmonton Journal. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/npower-canada-launches-edmonton-youth-into-tech-careers.

Reading a story can be fun. However, writing a novel has certain challenges. During the pandemic, you might have decided to write a book of fiction. Preparing for and writing a novel can be difficult. However, following tips from established writers can help people find the best way to do the planning and work of writing a novel.

A novel is a long story about a particular time or theme. Some of the novels you have read might be about historical events like the American Revolution or the life of Queen Elizabeth. These types of books normally have some characters who were real people, but also other characters who are fictional. Other novels might be science fiction, about spaceships and other technology that people imagine for the future, or they might be fantasy books about talking animals, fairies, or other imaginary characters. Some novels are more like real life, with characters and situations much like the ones that you could encounter any day.

The first step in writing a novel is to read what other people have written. Each author has a different style and a different message, and each one can teach writers something. Some writers use long descriptions to create an atmosphere, but others prefer to concentrate on the action. Each style might appeal to different readers and suit the skills of the writer better than other techniques.

Your purpose in writing is important. You might want to make a point about climate change. In that case, a futuristic novel with a ruined environment might be the best choice. For a book about bullying and relationships with classmates in school, a modern setting with realistic human characters would likely be best. A funny novel about something humorous in society could have any setting that highlights the point you are trying to make. The main message of your novel will help determine the rest of your choices.

Once you know the main point of your story, you can move on to other decisions. You will need to choose characters and decide on the world where they live. You might decide to write about teenagers living in Vancouver in the twenty-first century or German children immigrating to Halifax in the 1800s. These setting and character choices will affect everything else in the novel.

Many novels are written using “he” and “she,” which is called the “third person.” Others are written from the narrator’s viewpoint, using “I” and “we,” called “first person.” They may be written as if everything happened in the past, using the past tense, or as if they are happening right now, using the present tense. Deciding on the point of view will help you choose what to do with other aspects of your novel.

Unlike short stories which contain only a few actions, novels can be very long and involve many different happenings. Novels can be fifty-thousand words or more, depending on the age of readers they are intended to reach. Writing an outline of your novel can help you keep your writing clear and logical. Once you have written the outline, you can write the first page to set the mood and tone of your novel.

Novels normally lead towards a crisis or special event. One exception is the kind of novel that deals with character development or analysis of a society. Usually, however, you will need to have a series of events that lead to your main point. With a good beginning, middle, and end, your novel is likely to interest many readers.

Writing a novel is a big project. However, thinking through the steps before you start can help.  Then you can have a book that you can be proud to show your family and friends.

 

Bibliography:

Leonard, Elmore, et al. “Ten Rules for Writing Fiction: Part One.” The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one.

MasterClass. “Writing Tips for Fiction Writers.” https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-tips-for-fiction-writers.

Reading Eggs. “A Step‑by‑Step Guide to Helping Your Child Write a Story.” https://readingeggs.ca/articles/2015/06/19/story-writing-for-kids/.

Self-Publishing School. “How to Write a Novel in 11 Must-Do Steps.” https://self-publishingschool.com/how-to-write-a-novel/.

The lockdowns and restrictions due to the pandemic have forced most people to study online and/or work from home. While initially not a lot were keen to the idea, as days passed, they’ve learned to embrace the work from home and online learning options.

Now that the positive COVID cases have decreased significantly, educational institutions and companies have started the efforts to encourage students back to the classrooms and employees back to the offices. Those who’ve been used to at-home studying or working could use some help to get re-acquainted with these options. Below then is a guide to being human again.

Set realistic expectations.

When you take a week off from studying in school or working at the office, there’s always bound to be a period of adjustment when you get back. Maybe you’ll wake up a few minutes later than you should or you forget to bring something that you should. Now, imagine if that break was two years. Of course, you can’t get back into the old routine 100 per cent. You’ll need time to adjust and recover. So instead of pushing yourself to take the giant leap and go back to how it was pre-COVID, take baby steps. Set your alarm for a few minutes earlier until you get the hang of it and you’re back to your normal wake-up time pre-COVID.

Set boundaries.

With remote learning or working, you’ve increased your accessibility to classmates or officemates in need of your help. You’ve probably gotten used to checking your emails even beyond the usual school or office hours. Now that you’re back to school or in the office, it’s important to draw a line that establishes the demarcation. This way, you avoid burnout and unnecessary stress. If a classmate is asking to borrow your notes for a class they’ve missed, ask them to meet you in the library. Meanwhile, if it’s a colleague needing your help for a presentation, suggest that you look at it in the office lounge or pantry.

Watch for non-verbal cues.

When you were in a virtual classroom or meeting, it was always understandable if you found yourself talking over someone who wanted to speak or vice versa because it was hard to tell cues accurately. Now that you’re back in the classroom or office, you have to step it up to be more observant of other people’s non-verbal hints. As Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence Marc Brackett said, it’s important to learn how to interpret facial expressions, body language, vocal tones, and behaviour to help us understand others and respond to them appropriately.

Remember, you’re not alone in this.

If you’re feeling anxious, reach out to a guidance counsellor if you’re in school or an HR professional if you’re at work. Remember, the pandemic was a new experience for all of us, and so too is re-adjusting to life post-pandemic. Reaching out to professionals and expressing how you feel will give you reassurance that you can deal with this going forward. You may also connect with others you think feel the same way and this way, you can support each other.

Practice good hygiene.

Just because COVID-19 is slowly bidding the world goodbye doesn’t mean that we can all relax and be complacent about health and safety. In fact, what we should learn from the pandemic is that it always pays to practice good hygiene. Wash your hands for at least 60 seconds and sanitize common areas or spaces like the pantry table before using them. An ounce of prevention is always better than a pound of cure.

So COVID-19 is gradually going away, and it’s time to reclaim our life and have it the way it was pre-pandemic. There’s a lot of adjustment to be done but if you follow the recommendations above, you’ll be well-prepared. Good luck!

 

Sources

Brackett, Marc. “What Does it Take To Really Know How We’re Feeling?” https://www.marcbrackett.com/what-does-it-take-to-really-know-how-were-feeling/

Goodchild, Lucy. “Going back to the office? 6 tips to help you adjust.” TED.com. https://ideas.ted.com/going-back-to-the-office-6-tips-to-help-you-adjust/

The Hun School of Princeton. “Tips for Returning to School After COVID-19.” https://www.hunschool.org/resources/returning-to-school-post-covid-19

Siddique, Haroon. “Impact of social media on children faces fresh scrutiny.” The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/jan/15/impact-social-media-children-mental-health

The summer of 2021 in British Columbia showed what climate change can do to the land and the people. Fires that destroyed entire communities, floods that devastated homes and schools, mudslides, and intense heart that caused many deaths were all part of that very difficult summer. In response, the government’s 2022 budget is designed to deal with the climate emergency while also providing jobs for young people for the future.

Every year, government financial experts put together a budget detailing how much money is supposed to go towards education, health care, and other services that people need. Last summer made it clear that dealing with the climate is essential. The government has responded with a larger investment than ever before in the CleanBC Roadmap Project. The investment includes $1.2 billion in new funding to work towards a cleaner economy. That means finding and developing fuels that reduce or eliminate harmful emissions like carbon that pollute the environment.

Even with new fuels available, people also need to be able to use them. Making electric vehicles easier and more affordable to buy is an important step towards reducing emissions. About forty percent of fuel emissions come from transportation. Cleaner fuels, such as electric power, would help to reduce this problem. However, cleaner industry and cleaner buildings are also necessary to help reduce pollution and to help the environment.

No one wants a disaster to happen. However, being prepared for potential problems can help. Part of the budget deals with plans for a year-round BC Wildfire Service that would help deal with the problem of fires that rage out of control. Typically, most wildfires occur in summer when the weather is warm and often dry. However, having a year-round fire service will help people prepare better for the fire season so that they will be ready with the equipment and resources they need.

Although the new budget attempts to deal with many of the climate issues that BC is facing, some people are concerned that it misses some important areas. For example, extra funding for public transit would likely do more to help the environment than funding private vehicles does. Of the $8 billion budgeted for roads and transportation, only $1.97 billion will go towards public transit, even though a bus can carry forty or fifty people who might otherwise take their cars to work or school. Extra funding could mean more frequent buses, cheaper fares, and a generally better system.

Despite some potential flaws, the new budget also includes opportunities for young people. Working in advocacy is one possibility. Encouraging the government and private agencies to invest in better transit or greener technology is a good way of helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Journalists and other writers can inform the public or the government about the issues. Finding work with the new wildfire organization is also a possibility for anyone with the right skills.

Inventors and technicians could have good opportunities in the new budget. Finding new fuels or more efficient technology can help reduce emissions, making the roles of inventors very important. Technicians are also necessary for installing these new systems in homes and buildings, since this kind of work can be too complicated for most people to manage.  The new green budget in British Columbia could create many opportunities for work while also helping to make the province a more environmentally friendly place.

 

Bibliography:

The Canadian Press. Climate Change Focus of B.C. Budget after Floods, Wildfires and Heat Waves.” https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/challenges-of-climate-change-focus-of-b-c-governments-budget-says-finance-minister.

Gamage, Michelle. “BC Budget Fails to Deliver Climate Change, Experts Say.” The Tyee. https://thetyee.ca/News/2022/02/24/BC-Budget-Fails-To-Deliver-Climate-Change/.

The Globe and Mail. “BC Budget to Focus on the Challenges of Climate Change, Says Finance Minister.” https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-bc-budget-to-focus-on-challenges-of-climate-change-says-finance/.

Province of British Columbia. “Record Investments to Create Clean Economy of the Future.” https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022FIN0007-000272.