Health-care students at BCIT get new $78.3M centre

For Immediate Release, Ministry of Advanced Education, 2017AVED0034-000891

The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) will be home to a new Health Sciences Centre for Advanced Simulation (HSCAS) that will educate and train future health care professionals to meet the growing demands of British Columbian families.

The Ministry of Advanced Education is providing $66.6 million and BCIT is providing $11.7 million towards the four-storey, 10,355 square metre (111,460 square-feet) simulation-based education centre. The new centre will be one of the largest centres for health simulation training in Canada, and will be unique in its ability to replicate a variety of hospital and laboratory settings.

In addition to providing modern teaching and learning spaces, the new centre will enable consolidation of BCIT School of Health Sciences programs within a more efficient precinct of buildings, and support collaborative delivery of programs to students.

Simulation environments are a critical component of health sciences education because they combine academic learning with situation-based experiences. Simulations enable students to safely practise health-related scenarios within a controlled environment as they develop their clinical skills.

The B.C. government is making record investments in modern, safe infrastructure projects throughout the province, and in doing so, these construction projects are creating high-paying, family-supporting jobs. These investments are possible because of the fiscal plan of the B.C. government.

Construction of the new HSCAS at BCIT will begin in summer 2018, and support the creation of 270 direct and 175 indirect jobs. Completion is expected in 2020.

Job growth in the health sector is greater than the provincial average. The British Columbia 2025 Labour Market Outlook forecasts this growth will continue with more than 83,000 job openings due to the need for replacement workers and continued expansion.

Quotes:

Advanced Education Minister Andrew Wilkinson

British Columbians need access to highly-skilled health sciences professionals to support the health and well-being of their families. The ongoing heavy investments by the B.C. government in students at BCIT will help meet the growing need for health care professionals throughout British Columbia, while creating well paid jobs that support the prosperity of families and communities.

Burnaby North MLA Richard T. Lee

The demand for health occupations is expected to increase at a faster pace than the provincial average for all occupations. The new Health Sciences Centre for Advanced Simulation at BCIT will help students take advantage of a growing number of career opportunities.

BCIT president Kathy Kinloch

This funding will help create a state-of-the art simulation centre where our students will learn and acquire hands-on skills that are so acutely in demand in the healthcare sector today. Students studying in health related programs at BCIT, including specialty nursing, diagnostics and the allied health professions, will build capacity ready for today s workforce. We know healthcare technology is evolving rapidly and BCIT is keeping pace with new infrastructure, equipment, and learning and teaching approaches.

BCIT board chair Jack Davidson

BCIT works closely with the key sectors responsible for B.C. s strong economy and livability, including healthcare, to ensure our programs are aligned with employers ongoing needs. The new Health Sciences Centre for Advanced Simulation will help ensure our students are ready for today’s and tomorrow’s new technologies.

Learn More:

B.C. 2025 Labour Market Outlook
www.bcit.ca
BCIT health sciences courses

Media Contacts:

Alison Antrobus
Ministry of Advanced Education
250 356-8706

Jocelyne Leszczynski
Media & Communications Specialist
British Columbia Institute of Technology
604 432-8306

Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect