Source: Vancouver Sun Published: Friday, May 29, 2020

BCCA’s Builders Code expands with Crew App and online training

Business Examiner, March 5, 2020 Article

Important information for Construction Industry Employers, including a downloadable Health and Safety Notice to share with employees.

Nine months after unveiling the resources to help the industrial, commercial, and institutional construction sector set a standard code of conduct on worksites in B.C., the Builders Code has honoured six companies for their leadership at the inaugural Builders Code Champion Awards. Hosted by the BCCA and Minerva BC at the Ocean Pointe Resort in Victoria yesterday, the awards recognized companies with advanced policies and practices that seek to ensure all employees can reach their full potential in the skilled trades.

As part of its ongoing efforts to address bullying, hazing, and harassment on B.C. construction worksites, the BC Construction Association (BCCA) is marking National Construction Day with the beta launch of a new Builders Code Crew Training App that uses animation and humour to help construction workers recognize the difference between “Cool or Tool” behavior on the worksite.

Source: Globe and Mail, published November 15, 2019. Written by Kerry Gold. It’s no secret that many average income earners have been shut out of the Greater Vancouver housing market – and that’s a problem for employers.

Tax-free impact investment vehicle supports housing affordability for BC tradespeople, teachers, firefighters. Essential workers in B.C. struggling to afford a home in the community where they work may soon have access to a new first-time homebuyer mortgage financing solution. A mortgage investment corporation (MIC) launched by the non-profit BC Construction Association (BCCA) aims to make securing a mortgage easier for B.C.’s skilled tradespeople, medical care providers, educators, and emergency responders, while at the same time provide the growing impact investment market with a tax-free vehicle that supports housing affordability.

Increase in number of construction companies and average wage highlight strong sector performance

Mortgage Investment Corporations (MIC) could bring the dream of home ownership to essential workers.

The BC Construction Association welcomes Wednesday’s (Aug. 21) announcement by Trans Mountain Corporation President and CEO Ian Anderson that construction work on the project will resume in communities along the route, including an immediate return to work at B.C.’s Burnaby Terminal and Westridge Marine Terminal. According to Trans Mountain, this will see 4,200 contract workers working along the route in B.C. and Alberta in the fourth quarter of 2019.

New Builders Code training for site supervisors, forepersons and union business managers on how best to deal with the perpetrators and targets of worksite bullying and harassment was announced today in Prince George, along with a new local Employer Advisor for the northern region. The training, which supports the construction personnel that work most closely with tradespeople on construction sites, was announced by Northern Regional Construction Association (NRCA) CEO Scott Bone.

Construction is changing. With a skilled labour shortage and other pressures affecting our industry, it is more important than ever to innovate and become a future-forward construction company. New technologies that help us become more productive and efficient are critical to moving the construction industry forward, but can also feel overwhelming at times.

In the midst of a sector-wide drive for greater innovation and productivity in the face of a booming industry and a looming skills shortage, a recent State of Construction Technology survey conducted by the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) shows B.C.’s construction employers are underserved by a tech sector that is largely unaware of the huge potential market they represent.

The BC Construction Association welcomes today's decision by the federal cabinet to proceed with the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project.

As reported yesterday, Liberal MLA and Opposition Critic Mary Polak introduced an unexpected Bill for Prompt Payment Legislation in the House.

The training will look to improve worksite culture and tackle harassment, hazing and bullying by providing training for construction company owners, executives and HR managers.

Awards honour province’s best as part of BC Construction and Skilled Trades Month

Skilled labour availability, procurement and productivity are key issues across construction sector

Industry Seeks to Improve Retention of Skilled Tradeswomen by Addressing Worksite Behaviour. Construction employers who want to address diversity or harassment issues on their worksites but lack the human resources personnel or expertise to do so will now have access to confidential advisors with experience in HR management, mediation and conflict resolution as part of the Builders Code recently launched by the BC Construction Association and project partners.

The Province of B.C. and the BC Construction Association (BCCA) marked International Women’s Day today with the launch of the Builders Code, a comprehensive program that aims to address B.C.’s skilled labour shortage by reducing harassment, bullying and hazing on construction worksites. The Builders Code defines an Acceptable Worksite and provides employers with tools, training and resources to improve and promote safe and productive worksite behavior.

The BC Construction Association (BCCA) has today issued two Contractor’s Alerts warning BC contractors of “Onerous Bidding Conditions” on two Prince George construction projects being procured by BC Housing. The projects are a building envelope remediation on Westwood Court and renovation work on the Hart Haven Group Home at Dagg Road, both in Prince George. Total value of both projects is $9.5M - $5M on Westwood Court and $4.5M on the Hart Haven project.

LNG Canada and the BC Construction Association (BCCA) today announced that Marissa McTavish, an electrical apprentice from Prince George, has become the 1,000th participant in LNG Canada’s Trades Training Fund (TTF) and her employer, Primus Electric, the 500th employer to sponsor an employee with the Fund.

Pre-arrival settlement services are a key element of Canada’s immigration program. They provide newcomers, including refugees, with the information and settlement support they need to make informed decisions about their new life in Canada before they arrive, such as how to prepare for finding a job. To help deliver these important services, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be providing funding of $3.4 million to the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA).

It’s been another busy year for BC’s ICI construction sector. Emerging issues are plentiful -- but according to employers, the #1 issue is still the over-arching shortage of skilled workers.