April 14, 2025
According to the 2024 edition of its annual Labour Market Outlook, the BC government expects more than 1.1 million job openings to be created in the decade from 2024 to 2034, and more than 105,000 of these openings will be in the skilled trades. While this is good news for those thinking about a future career in the trades and for experienced trades professionals seeking rapid career advancement, it also presents interesting opportunities for those with an entrepreneurial spirit to launch their own business.
Although precise data on new business starts in 2024 is not readily available, it's estimated there are about 500,000 small businesses in the province, which represents approximately 94 percent of all BC-based businesses and employs nearly 60 percent of the total workforce. Historic trends indicate that small businesses will continue to be a major contributor to jobs and remain a vital part of British Columbia's economic landscape for the foreseeable future.
Getting started on a business plan is an important first step and there are lots of excellent resources to help prepare employees transition to employers. Among those resources is TradeUPBC, which provides easy access to a wide variety of short courses and professional development programs offered by British Columbia's Post-Secondary Institutes.
The following two online courses are just a sample of the many business courses for tradespeople starting a business that are currently available on the TradeUPBC website.
Cost: $398.87
Learn how to think, act, and become a successful entrepreneur. Gain an important understanding of "big picture" principles, motivations, and attitudes through real-world examples and hands-on application. Explore, pursue, discover, and assess opportunities. Get rid of self-limiting beliefs and learn to embrace failure through ongoing practice and "smart fails."
Schedule: May 6 to June 3, 2025 | 15 hours - 5 sessions - Tuesdays 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
View our course page to start your registration
Cost: $398.87
Acquire the fundamentals of bookkeeping and accounting for small businesses. Become familiar with accounting terms, financial statements, and other important bookkeeping procedures. Discover how to record business transactions from start to finish as part of an established accounting cycle.
Schedule: May 5 to June 9, 2025 | 15 hours - 5 sessions - Mondays 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.