CRC Trades Instruction Made Available in B.C.

SEP 20, 2023 - Rob Duncan, who belongs to the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, is an instructor in Prince George for the Carpenters’ Regional Council (CRC), of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.

"I teach Fall Protection, Confined Space, mobile elevated work platforms, scaffolding, apprenticeship, and deliver programs we call ‘boot camps,’ job-specific courses to give community members the basic knowledge about opportunities in the trades," specifically in carpentry and scaffolding.

FireWise Consulting delivers Fire Safety knowledge that saves lives

FireWise Consulting was started in 2008. The principals in the company were aware of the 2004 Judgement of Inquiry looked into the line of duty death of a paid-on-call firefighter in Clearwater, B.C.. The inquiry made three recommendations. The most significant recommendation was that every fire department in the province of B.C. should be audited to comply with safety standards, best practices, equipment, and maintenance. 

At this point, FireWise Consulting became involved in audits of fire departments on request. In the following years FireWise Consulting conducted more than 150 audits and inspections in B.C. and Alberta. The audits and inspections were not punitive.  They were status reports of where fire departments were standing in compliance with the safety of the firefighters.

The status reports made recommendations creating a roadmap for fire departments and their governing bodies to improve.

FireWise Consulting’s Ernie Polsom believes local governments need to step up to the plate on funding, and all the relevant public safety agencies need to face funding issues, WorksafeBC issues, occupational health and safety regulations and priorities. FireWise pointed out to the fire departments the necessity of interacting with jurisdictional authorities. “It is a team effort with assigned responsibilities and duties to meet the duty of care and standard of care obligations,” says Polsom

"Our main concerns are always the duty of care standards that must be met according to established service levels employed by the local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).” 

ICBA continues to lead . . .

 . . . in training and apprenticeship

When it comes to training and apprenticeship, the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) is at the head of the class.

The construction industry is constantly evolving, and continual training is needed so workers don’t fall behind. Everyone needs to stay current with safety tickets, technical changes, code updates and more in order to get ahead in their careers. Whether you are new in the construction industry or would like to add to your experience, ICBA has courses for you. This year, they offered more than 900 courses and that number keeps growing.

ICBA trains thousands of people every year in everything from blueprint reading to supervisory and management skills to fall protection and Occupational First Aid.

ICBA offers a range of courses in the classroom, in a live virtual format, and online self-paced. The courses are quality assured and audited on a regular basis to ensure participants always receive the best training possible. In addition, most of ICBA’s courses are recognized with Gold Seal and BC Housing.

Each year ICBA adds new courses to their calendar including sessions in their popular HR Series, computer skills workshops, and leadership programs. Live virtual training remains the most popular course format, as it allow anyone, anywhere in Canada, to attend.

For their contractors in the painting and decorating industry, ICBA’s Painter and Decorator Interprovincial Red Seal Exam preparation course has been a huge success. The 14-week program allows the participants to work through the content for level 1, 2 and 3 with online courses, virtual classroom sessions, video demonstrations, and live labs. ICBA has successfully run several cohorts and the majority of the students are now Red Seal certified.

Workers do not need to take time off for the program as it takes place in the evenings. With only one school in the province currently offering the technical training necessary to become a Red Seal Painter and Decorator, ICBA is helping its members and their experienced workers achieve their journeyperson certification through a different channel. Other Red Seal trades challenge courses are in the works.

In addition to professional development training, ICBA is the single largest sponsor of construction apprentices in British Columbia, and has been for well over a decade.

With nearly 1,700 apprentices throughout BC in more than 20 construction trades, ICBA knows extremely well how to assist apprentices and their employers with navigating the apprenticeship system.

This gives ICBA members the time to focus their attention on training the apprentice instead of worrying about handling the paperwork. Additionally, ICBA is the liaison between contractors and the training system on everything from wait times for training seats to curriculum reviews.

ICBA is also among the largest sponsors of female and Indigenous apprentices in the province and adds new apprentices to their ranks nearly every day. ICBA-sponsored apprentices receive bursaries for each level of technical training they complete, giving out nearly $200,000 per year. They are also proud to be able to assist their apprentices when they are looking for work.

While the skills shortage in construction is acute, ICBA works with school districts, colleges, service agencies and other organizations to facilitate job placements with its members.

Trades job shouldn’t be a last option – the construction industry offers good-paying, rewarding careers and there has never been a better opportunity than now to start your path toward a successful future. For more information about ICBA’s professional development and apprenticeship programs, visit www.icbatraining.ca or email mailto:training@icba.ca