NEW WESTMINSTER – New Democrat MLAs Aman Singh and Jennifer Whiteside say at-risk youth in New Westminster will be able to gain skills in in-demand fields thanks to BladeRunners, an employment and skills training program that provides wrap-around supports for young people.

“The pandemic has been hardest on those who were already more vulnerable, including many young people,” said Aman Singh, MLA for Richmond-Queensborough. “BladeRunners will give an extra boost to youth who face barriers to employment, putting them on solid footing as our economy recovers.”

Eastside Movement for Business & Economic Renewal Society (EMBERS) has received $1,770,000 in funding over three years to offer this program to youth who face barriers to employment in several communities, including New Westminster.

“BladeRunners makes a real difference for young people, giving them valuable skills that will serve them for years to come, at work and in life,” said Jennifer Whiteside, MLA for New Westminster. “With this investment, more youth in New West will be able to reach their full potential.”

The MLAs say the BladeRunners program empowers youth aged 15-30 to take control of their futures, gain valuable skills, and find new career opportunities in areas such as construction, culinary arts, health care, retail, hospitality, and office administration. In addition to job skills and work experience placements, youth build life skills and receive mentorship and other supports to help them participate and succeed in the program.

The New Democrat government is allocating $18.6M over three years to support the BladeRunners program being delivered by 11 organizations serving 50 communities across B.C. More than 4,000 young people will benefit from this funding, 65-70% of whom are expected to be Indigenous.