June 25, 2025
BC's transportation sector employs a wide spectrum of highly trained trades professionals who play a vital role in supporting the economic growth and stability of the province. Whether by air, rail, road, or sea, the industry relies heavily on repair and service technicians, planning and logistics specialists, and a host of other specialized tradespeople to ensure the quick and efficient transport of people and products throughout British Columbia, Canada, and the world.
As global populations increase, so does demand for infrastructure development, which in turn creates an abundance of career advancement opportunities for both new and experienced tradespeople. While many of these roles require specific skills training, such as certifications or apprenticeship programs, those who wish to advance their careers must also keep up with rapidly changing workplace and industry demands.
To this end, the BC government created TradeUpBC, a pioneering initiative to help tradespeople stay resilient, adaptable, and inclusive by providing easy access to specially designed short courses and certificate programs offered at BC's post-secondary institutions. In addition to trade-specific skills and knowledge upgrading, there are a variety of unique professional development courses, including but not limited to climate change, people management, accounting, business, and more.
The following links are just a small sampling of some of the courses with flexible learning options currently available to trades professionals working in BC's transportation sector. For a complete list, visit TradeUpBC.
BCIT - View Course Details
Coast Mountain College - View Course Details
Selkirk College - View Course Details
This program is offered at post-secondary institutes in the Lower Mainland and in multiple areas of BC’s Interior. It generally lasts three to four days and is for licensed automotive, commercial, or heavy-duty transport mechanics. Those enrolled will gain a deep understanding of government rules and regulations related to commercial vehicle operation, how to apply it, and how to properly inspect and certify vehicles based on established standards. By the end of the course, students will be well prepared to take the written exam and practical tests required to earn a Commercial Vehicle Inspection Certificate.
Schedules
BCIT: Nov. 14-17, 2025 | 22.5 Hours | Online & In-Person (Annacis Island)
Coast Mountain College: Nov. 21-23, 2025 | 24 hrs | In-person (Terrace Campus)
Selkirk College: TBD
University of the Fraser Valley - View Course Details
Coast Mountain College - View Course Details
Similar conflict resolution courses are offered by two of our partner post-secondary institutes. Both courses teach managers, future supervisors, and employees about the causes of conflict and offer insight and techniques to help better manage relationships with both customers and colleagues. Students will learn about individual conflict resolution styes, dealing with anger, understanding the difference between internal and external customer conflict, and becoming aware of the signs of potential conflicts and how to use proactive communication techniques to stop conflict before it begins.
Schedules
Univ. of the Fraser Valley: TBD | 15 hours | Hybrid
Coast Mountain College: Sept. 13, 2025 | 6 hours | Online
Vancouver Island University - View Course Details
This self-guided, 6-course bookkeeping certificate program is offered completely online and is designed for experienced trades professionals currently working in administration, preparing for a future administrative or supervisory role, or planning to launch their own business. The courses, offered in two levels, provide the fundamental principles of accounting and bookkeeping from the ground up. Students will learn to post to ledgers, journalize transactions, create financial statements, and to prepare for and close books at year-end.
The program is offered twice each year, in the Spring and Fall. The Fall 2025 session begins in September and registration is now open. Registration for the Spring 2026 session opens in October 2025. As the program is always in high demand, the university advises perspective students to add their name and number to the interest list to ensure a seat in either the Fall or Spring sessions as early as possible.
Schedule
Courses begin in Sept. 2025 | 108 hrs | 6 courses | Online, Self-guided
More Transportation Courses