Government Licensed Professionals Are BC’s Experts

From professional oversight to emergency response, public service professionals are critical to the work of the BC Government.

More than 1,800 Government Licensed Professionals work for numerous ministries and agencies across British Columbia, employed by the provincial government. As BC’s experts they include argologists, engineers, foresters, geoscientists, lawyers, pharmacists, psychologists, and veterinarians.

Staffing levels within the public service continue to face ongoing challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified professionals because of:

• Compensation – When compared with public service jobs at the municipal and federal level, as well as many other provinces and private sector jobs within the province, BC public service professionals are compensated less. This is frequently cited as the main reason why professionals leave the BC public service.
• Burnout – These experts report high rates of concern with their ability to meet the mandate of their ministries. This leads to stress and burnout. This burnout is further heightened by the conditions faced by members involved in emergency responses such as wildfires, flooding and slides.
• Position vacancies – Without compensation structures to allow for career development and progression, these professionals are forced to leave the public service to further their career growth.

The following profiles describe the day-to-day work of Government-Licensed Professionals, who are the experts BC counts on.