BC Business
Sponsored Content
BCBusiness + City of Abbotsford Abbotsford, BC, is known for its agriculture—amounting to $1.8 billion—but did you know the City is also growing a skilled workforce? The labour market in Abbotsford is young, with a median age of 37.9 years old. The city was recognized in 2018 as one of the Top 7...
Abbotsford, BC, is known for its agriculture—amounting to $1.8 billion—but did you know the City is also growing a skilled workforce?
The labour market in Abbotsford is young, with a median age of 37.9 years old. The city was recognized in 2018 as one of the Top 7 intelligent communities in the world, with half of the population holding a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree.
Abbotsford is home to the local university’s main campus: The University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) is an accredited, public university enrolling 15,000 students. UFV is beloved by parents across the Fraser Valley because it is large enough to offer variety—including a BA in Indigenous Studies—and yet small enough to allow students to get to know instructors and learn in a hands-on environment: A perfect combination for students choosing to live at home.
Growing a workforce begins at the root, and Abbotsford’s extensive network of grade schools help 19,200 young learners to embrace diverse educative opportunities through programs such as International Baccalaureate, Integrated Arts, French Immersion, Sports Academies, Virtual School and Indigenous Education. The City is keen to engage youth early in the discovery of local career opportunities, and runs an Edgefactor multimedia project together with the school district to match high school students to potential careers with real companies—including those in Abbotsford.
Beyond farming and agri-tech, business in Abbotsford offer its workforce dynamic positions in aerospace, technology, manufacturing, retail and construction. The city is 70 kilometers from Vancouver with its own international airport, and its location and transportation network along the Canada/US border provides affordable, highly efficient access to the whole of North America, the US Pacific Northwest and Asia Pacific.
Another fast-growing local industry is filming, and Abbotsford takes take pride in its popular “Abbywood” shooting locations. But hiking, local food culture and circle farm tours easily eclipse screen time for residents as the city’s moderate climate offers year-round outdoor play. Abbotsford is home to the Abbotsford Canucks, as well the Abbotsford International Airshow, Agri-Fair, the Berry Festival and Canada Day celebrations, and boasts a large (30%) South Asian population, contributing to a strong Indo-Canadian business community in all sectors.
Visit Abbotsford.ca/economicdevelopment to learn more about living and working in Abbotsford.
Connect: Facebook | Instagram