Big Changes for British Columbia Yogis

Last Updated: December 9, 2016

In case you haven’t heard, major changes are coming to the private career training system in British Columbia. These changes are expected to affect yoga teacher training programs (“YTTs”) that are currently regulated by the Private Career Training Institutions Agency (“PCTIA”), a regulatory entity that has set standards for private career training institutions in British Columbia since 2004. On your behalf, Yoga Alliance has been monitoring these developments and assessing how they can best support the yoga community in British Columbia.

We want to provide you with an update on what we have learned about the new regulatory structure, and to gather feedback from you about your experiences. Please let us hear from you so that we can work together to protect the rights of YTT providers and support a thriving yoga community in British Columbia.

Private Career Training Regulatory Transition

Last year, Bill 7, 2015 – the Private Training Act – was introduced to the Legislative Assembly and received Royal Assent. The Private Training Act repeals and replaces the Private Career Training Institutions Act, and shifts responsibility for the regulation of private career training institutions from the PCTIA to the Ministry of Advanced Education. Further, this legislation is expected to result in modified – and possibly more stringent – requirements for regulated institutions.

Originally, the Private Training Act was set to take effect in late 2015/early 2016, but the expected transition has been delayed until summer 2016. We have learned that the government is currently writing the regulations to implement this new law and that the old regulatory structure under the PCTIA will remain in effect until these new regulations are complete.

According to the government, the purpose of the new legislation is to strengthen the private career training regulations; however, we do not yet have details on what this will mean for YTTs in the future. Currently, approximately 13 YTTs are regulated institutions, and we have learned that these schools will receive transition details from the government in the near future.

We Want to Hear from You!

As the largest international nonprofit organization representing yoga teachers and schools, Yoga Alliance works to protect and support the yoga community so its members can freely practice and teach yoga. We oppose unnecessary regulation that stifles the diversity of yoga, serves no benefit to the public or unfairly targets the yoga community.

We constantly monitor issues that are important to the yoga community, and we are carefully watching developments in British Columbia to protect YTTs. To do our best work, however, we need to hear from you. We hope you will take just a few minutes to share your experiences and opinions on how we can best serve you.

If your YTT is currently subject to private career training regulations, you have been contacted by the Government about these regulations, you run a YTT program in British Columbia, or you are a concerned member of our yoga community, we’d appreciate hearing from you.

Please take our short survey or contact us at yaadvocacy@yogaalliance.org with any questions or suggestions. Also please share your contact information in the survey; it is very helpful to have your email and preferred phone number. Thank you in advance!