The wood manufacturing sector is facing a critical labour shortage — and on Vancouver Island and the surrounding Gulf and rural islands, that shortage is felt acutely in small shops and family-run mills that rarely have the capacity to train a new hire from scratch. The Wood Manufacturing Council (WMC) has launched Connecting Youth to the Canadian Wood Manufacturing Industry, a national initiative built to close that gap, and MakeSpace North Park (makespacenorthpark.ca) has been selected to deliver both of British Columbia’s cohorts.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) and running through March 31, 2028, the program supports youth aged 18 to 30 who face barriers to employment. British Columbia is one of just five provinces hosting these cohorts — and for island and coastal communities, that’s a rare chance to build a career in wood manufacturing close to home, rather than having to leave the Island for training.
For Island and Rural Youth: How to Take Part
For young people on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, or other rural coastal communities, distance and transportation are often the first barrier to a program like this. MakeSpace North Park is building this cohort with that reality in mind, and wants to hear from youth in smaller and more remote communities, not just those near the main hub. If you’re unsure whether getting to training or a placement is workable from where you live, reach out and ask — that’s exactly the conversation this program needs. Once enrolled, participants move through two paid phases:
- Phase 1 — Skill Development (8 weeks): the paid Woodwork Employee Readiness Curriculum (WERC), covering project-based woodworking instruction, technical skills, individualized coaching, workplace essentials, and all required PPE.
- Phase 2 — Work Placement (7 weeks): a paid, hands-on placement with a local employer. The WMC reimburses that employer for up to 30 hours per week at the provincial minimum wage — which matters on the Island, because it means even a small shop can take on a trainee without absorbing the full cost of a new wage.
This project creates opportunities for young people who are eager to build meaningful careers while giving employers access to motivated, job-ready participants. — Audra Denny, President, Wood Manufacturing Council
For Rural and Island Employers: How You Can Support a Work Placement
This program only works on Vancouver Island if local wood manufacturers step up to host it — and MakeSpace North Park knows plenty of island and rural shops don’t show up on standard industry registries. If your business is a cabinetmaker, a millwork or architectural woodworking company, a furniture manufacturer, or a production woodshop anywhere along the coast or on the rural islands, there are a few ways to get involved:
- Host a participant for a paid, wage-reimbursed 7-week work placement.
- Host a training cohort at your facility.
- Share your expertise as an instructor.
For smaller operations especially, the wage reimbursement is meant to make mentoring a new trainee financially realistic — turning a seven-week placement into a genuine trial run for a long-term hire, and, for family-run shops thinking about succession, a low-risk way to bring new talent through the door.
How to Get Involved
Whether you’re a youth interested in joining a cohort, a business owner who could host a placement or training cohort, someone willing to guest-instruct, or you simply know of a rural or island shop that should be on MakeSpace North Park’s radar — reach out directly. A partner tracking spreadsheet is available here.
Get Connected: Visit the official Wood Manufacturing Council website to learn more about participation and support.
