Canadian Building Trades Union Receives Grant to Study Climate Literacy in Canada’s Trades Training System

November 25, 2021

The Canadian Building Trades Union has received a 4-year grant to carry out a study on climate literacy in Canada’s trades training system. It will focus on examining the curriculum for the building trades in both apprenticeship and working trades’ training programs. A team of researchers, the Climate Industry Research Team, from English Canada, Quebec, the US, and Europe are currently carrying out a literature review on what has been published on ‘green’ construction training in Canada and Internationally. This is being supplemented by an environmental scan that involves interviewing trades trainers to identify best practices and innovative training programs that advance the issue of low carbon construction methods.

Following the needs analysis, SkillPlan will develop curricula incorporating components of climate literacy, based upon industry subject matter experts, which will be initially tested at a number of selected training facilities. The purpose will be to assess the extent to which it effectively promotes learning outcomes about key issues associated with a successful implementation of low carbon construction. Social Research and Demonstration Corporation will be leading the impact research for this initiative.

Once the initial phases of the project have been completed, the project team will be asking for support from selected employers who are interested in providing their trades’ workforce with the opportunity to learn more about green construction principles and practices. This will provide a chance for those who are interested in having a skilled and educated workforce participating in low carbon construction in the pilot projects which will begin in the spring of 2023. Having a trades’ workforce with these additional competencies may give some employers a ‘leg up’ in obtaining contracts that specify low or zero-carbon building outcomes.

The Canadian Building Trades team plans to reach out to interested employers early in the new year to identify who might be interested in joining the project. More information on the program will be provided in the new year.

Go HERE for more information on the Building It Green program

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