OTTAWA, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 7, 2024 – Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) has announced the launch of Building It Green, a groundbreaking climate-focused construction education curriculum. Developed by tradespeople for tradespeople, this comprehensive program aims to empower trainers, journeypersons, and apprentices as Canada strives to achieve its environmental targets.
Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy’s Union Training and Innovation Program, Building It Green will be available in over 200 union training centres nationwide. This initiative aims to support CBTU’s employer and contractor partners, with a national rollout planned in the coming months.
Building It Green is designed to equip apprentices, journeypersons, and trainers with a deep understanding of the intersection between climate change, sustainability, and the construction industry’s impact on Canada’s future. The curriculum was developed by CBTU in collaboration with SkillPlan, Climate Industry Research Team (CIRT), and Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC). These partners, alongside funding from Employment and Social Development Canada’s Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy, dedicated several years to understand the construction industry’s challenges in meeting Canada’s net-zero goals.
Skilled tradespeople play a pivotal role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, said Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages. By investing in this project with the Canada’s Building Trades Unions, our government ensures that apprentices and journeypersons possess the on-the-job skills required to contribute to Canada’s growing clean economy.
Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions, emphasized the importance of tradespeople in carrying out the green transformation of infrastructure and communities. He expressed CBTU’s commitment to enriching their members’ training and long-term skill development, providing a program that encourages collaboration and learning across various trades.
The first implementation of Building It Green is being spearheaded by the Mainland Building Trades Council in Nova Scotia. The curriculum was guided by an Advisory Committee comprising affiliate members of Canada’s Building Trades Unions and national training directors from coast-to-coast, ensuring trade-specific expertise was incorporated.
Brad Smith, Executive Director of Mainland Nova Scotia Building Trades, highlighted the increasing incorporation of climate considerations in project plans. He sees the program as a means to meet these workforce needs and expressed pride in being the first program to launch in Canada.
The creation of Building It Green represents an unprecedented collaboration between skilled trades workers, climate experts, union training centres, and workforce development specialists. Kyle Downie, CEO of SkillPlan, commended this collaboration and reinforced the program’s significance in ensuring Canada has a skilled workforce prepared to tackle the challenges of climate change.
With Building It Green, Canada’s Building Trades Unions are leading the way in promoting sustainable practices within the construction industry. By empowering tradespeople with the knowledge and skills to contribute to a greener future, this curriculum will play a crucial role in achieving Canada’s climate goals.
For further information, please visit: www.buildingtrades.ca/workforce-dev/building-it-green/
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Media Contacts:
Nathan Carr, 416-333-8732 | ncarr@buildingtrades.ca
Amy Burlock, 613-301-4795 | aburlock@buidingtrades.ca
About Canada’s Building Trades Unions:
Canada’s Building Trades Unions is an alliance of 14 international unions specializing in the construction, maintenance, and fabrication industries. Collectively, they represent 600,000 skilled trades workers in Canada. Through substantial investments in apprenticeship training and education facilities, these unions and their partner contractors produce highly trained craft workers, contributing significantly to Canada’s GDP. For more information, please visit www.buildingtrades.ca.
SOURCE: Canada’s Building Trades Unions
View the original press release on accesswire.com
