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VICTORIA — B.C. will continue to fund a doubling of nurse training spots at the B.C. Institute of Technology as it seeks to recruit and train in-demand health care workers for a system facing a staffing shortage.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said Monday the province will fund an additional 611 training seats at BCIT for 2020-2021, at a cost of $7.9 million. The lift in seats gives the school 1,000 total spots in its speciality nursing program.

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The extra seats were first announced in 2018. Dix said the intention now is to provide the annual funding “on a permanent basis” for the school.

“What we need to continue to do for the future of health care, is to ensure that we have a new generation of health care professionals that provides us with a level of care that we’re going to need in the future, not just as an aging society, but as more broadly in society,” said Dix.

“If you can’t provide care and support, and home support, and community nursing, and supports in community, then those communities are going to have a very difficult time sustaining themselves.”