The University of British Columbia is adding nearly 800 new spaces for its technology-related programs, the post-secondary institution announced this month.
The significant expansion of UBC’s tech talent pipeline is partially powered by funding from the B.C. government.
A grand total of $23 million was promised by the government, which will contribute to the addition of 778 spaces over a timespan of six years.
“The students who will be filling these hundreds of seats at UBC will help increase the supply of talent into the province’s rapidly expanding tech sector,” stated B.C.’s jobs minister, Brenda Bailey.
“These graduates will be rewarded with well-paying careers,” Bailey continued, “while helping to advance health care and research to improve life for British Columbians, and build our clean, innovative economy of the future.”
The new student spaces span a variety of faculties including science, medicine, and engineering, at both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, according to a statement from UBC.
“There’s growing demand for talent as workplaces and the economy are transforming and we have more job openings in growing and in-demand fields than we have the skilled workers ready to fill them,” stated B.C.’s Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, Lisa Beare.
“People with technological skills and knowledge are in high demand,” continued Beare, “and that’s why we are excited to add tech-relevant spaces for people to learn, grow and thrive in these in-demand careers.”
The government pledged $5.4 million in capital funding to equip and renovate labs and classrooms as well as a total of $17.7 million in start-up operating expense funding for the first three years.
“This investment not only provides our students with exciting new education and career opportunities, but it also helps meet the demand for talent in B.C.’s rapidly growing tech and life sciences industry,” says UBC President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon.
With these new spaces, “UBC is preparing even more students to become the engineers, scientists, product developers, and technology leaders that will help propel our society and economy forward,” Bacon said.
The investment will also be used to establish two new programs: a Bachelor of Data Science on the Vancouver campus and a Master of Science in Biotechnology on the Okanagan campus.
“At UBC Okanagan, we are especially thrilled to be launching a Master of Science in Biotechnology program,” says Dr. Lesley Cormack, principal and deputy vice-chancellor of UBC Okanagan.
“With biotechnology’s potential to address local and global challenges in agriculture, health, biomedicine and the environment, this program will empower students to harness cutting-edge technologies for a brighter future for B.C. and the communities we serve,” Cormack continued.
UBC Vancouver will gain 578 spaces across the data science, microbiology and immunology, pharmaceutical sciences, computer and integrated engineering, and biomedical engineering.
Meanwhile, UBC Okanagan is set to add 200 spaces, primarily across data science program and engineering.
The Okanagan campus’ new Master of Biotechnology program will have 40 spaces.
