for us old geezers if we have been doing it right something should have been put away for this rainy day, but we are just as stupid as the politicians,spend, spend,until our gonads are between a rock and a hard spot.ever notice how many places there is to spend your money and damn few to show you how to make it and even less to keep it for a time like right now.oh sure look at the banksters they can loan you all kinds of money they don't have, the interest they pay on savings shows you how they are willing to share.

As is usual,any tokens thrown out by the government will be buried in a lot of red tape and conditions.
Whether this funding will affect E.I.is a very good question, and should have been the first thing that was addressed when the announcment was made.
And as is usual,Campbell comes bearing gifts with very little substance and information.
I sometimes wonder if this isn't done on purpose in the hopes that people will just give up in frustration go away!
It's about time they got off their asses and made it easier for those in need of this money to actually access it with out the need of a lawyer!
I still wonder how anybody can "retire" when they are not financially ready for it.
Not an easy thing to do when there is a still mortgage and bills to pay.
The government always makes it sound a lot easier that it actually is, and instead of posting a bunch of technical spin and jargon on a website,perhaps someone needs to actually get out there with those that need the help and explain and assist in a way people can understand?
And there IS an provincial election coming.
The Campbell crew will be throwing bones to the peasants in all directions so beware strangers bearing gifts!

The only good thing about I.E. it provides Jobs for them selves and do we ever pay for it, ask them any Question and Answers are never clear it would be better to pay your money in a Bank Account and use it when needed!

The Provincial Government has no say in matters concerning EI; that's a Federal responsibility. And we all know the Federal bureaucrats don't like talking to the Provincial bureaucrats (and vice-versa).

I don't understand this quote, ".. How do I get assessed to see which program I am best suited to take?" Does this displaced worker really need someone to tell him what his next career should be? Is he going to rely on the same bureaucrats he's complaining about to steer him somewhere?

Getting a proper assessment is prudent and there are several agencies that provide this service. A list should have been provided. A couple of places to start is enquire at Service Canada and Employment and Income Assistance of BC. They should be able to assist you. It is really unnerving when you are NOT given direction as to where to go for help. Sadly, we are all left to fend and research for ourselves. Also peruse the yellow and blue pages in the phone book.

Note to zoo: I doubt the worker is looking for a bureaucrat to steer him. I can tell you from personal experience, that it is wise to have all your ducks in a row BEFORE applying/accessing govt funding.

Thanks tinyapplecork.

The worker quoted does seem to be saying that he needs to be told what (new) career path to take. If that is not the case, as tiny suggests, then I have a question; should'nt a person fortunate enough to be in a position to receive free funding for education have some idea what field they might be interested in? I assume the choices are not limited, I expect that some counselling will be desired, even required perhaps, but you should have an idea anyway, my opinion. By the way, I have a lot of trouble accepting that the government has to be on the hook to "retrain" people. Some of the so called initiatives that I have seen in the last few years, with the noble goal of getting folks off pogey or the dole have been complete and total wastes of time and money. They think that by throwing tons of cash at the problem they can create a whole bunch of entrepreneurs. By paying unemployed people to attend a sort of course where they will suddenly become highly ambitious self starting driven workaholics, who will break their backs for ten years and become viable employers.
Well that is the whole idea isn't it? I am sure that there are some who were able to use the hand up/hand out as a springboard, but from what I have seen in the last ten years that I have been paying attention to these issues, most of the people taking all the government sponsored courses end up back on pogey again anyway. Entrepreneurs are born, or they evolve naturally, seldom are they made, especially with free paid training.
O.K. flame me now, you know you want to.
metalman.

Yes I agree somewhat metalman, that an individual usually has some idea of their next path. However, if you have been employed in that one industry for most of your adult life, would you know what to do next? The job market has changed drastically since most of those in their 50s started in the forest sector. They need to be directed to appropriate services. Also, in regards to the funding, trouble is, there rarely is a one-size fits all when it comes to this type of funding. No one really seems to have any concrete information - at least not until June. Usually, govt funding for retraining is very specific.It is also tailored to individual skill set. My heart goes out to the displaced workers. It isn't the end of the road but it certainly is a foreign road to most of them.
Yes, there are also many who find themselves without work after their training. Same can be said for those completing university programs as well, regardless of how they funded their training. Markets change. Government funding is not solely directed at entrepreneurs either.
And yes, metalman, as with any "project" there is always risk of failure regardless of the best laid plans.

Keep them on pogey until the industry picks up again.
metalman.

As a taxpayer I don't want people on pogey hoping they can pay their bills and wondering when they are going back to work. That is demoralizing to a person.

Hopefully those folks receiving the funding can find some good out of it.

Meanwhile there appears to be no layoffs on any of the Olympic construction projects.

It seems to me that the displaced northern workers are getting a small piece of the pie. It is like the news we don't count on the newshour and we don't count with the government although the biggest portion of the industry is in northern bc.
My husband is a welder and had been employed by the same company for 34 years. He is 53 years young now. Who wants to hire a welder who can no longer see as well as his younger counterparts. Even given the vast amount of experience he has. He will have to go out and upgrade his tickets to keep up. At which point he is still not a prime person to hire because of his age. Time does wear out a person. Perhap the government should help the displaced older employee's early CPP with no deduction in the amount they would receive or some other kindness. Our homes are no longer worth anything because there is no industry in the town we live in.