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The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) and Vancouver Community College (VCC) are partnering to launch an Inclusive Leadership in Construction and Trades micro-credential course “designed to equip construction and trade professionals with the skills needed to foster a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace,” a VRCA release said.

The 30-hour hybrid course is self-paced and instructor-led, VRCA workforce development manager said and is being offered to not only VRCA members but the broader community.

“It all started when we talked to our members last year about how to create inclusive workplaces, especially safe and welcoming worksites in construction and we’ve (already) been partnering a lot with the VCC team for several projects,” she said.

“There’s so much out there when it comes to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), but not so much specifically designed for trades people and construction so that’s whey we came together and invited industry leaders to support program development with consultations,” Ciesielska added.

“We had an industry roundtable where we invited 17 people from various backgrounds working in trades, many women (in industry), lead electricians, pipefitters, sheet metal workers and other coming into one table to discuss what the industry needs and how work conditions on site can be improved as well as creating a more diverse and welcoming work environment,” she said.

The program has been developed by individuals in the trades, she added, “so it’s not just theory, it’s real-life, hands-on examples based on what was brainstormed together,” Ciesielska said.

Construction professionals who participate in the course are also eligible to earn up to ten Gold Seal Credits, she added, and the course is eligible for the Future Skills Grant, which covers up to $3,500 of eligible costs for select courses and programs at B.C.’s public post-secondary institutions.

“You can either sign up for a VRCA discount if you’re an association member or sign up through the Future Skills Grant, so there are two different routes to registration,” she noted.

VRCA members will receive a $100 discount on tuition, according to the VCC website, which lists the non-discounted price as $463.50.

Completion of the course also earns participants a digital badge which Ciesielska said is also a way to encourage further training.

“We were thinking of creating a community of practice (as a next phase of the course) where people can meet up, brainstorm, discuss ideas and experiences, where everyone brings their own perspective and it’s enriching for the whole program,” he said.

VRCA president Jeannine Martin said the course “fits right in” with the association’s other EDI initiatives.

“We’re trying to serve our membership both in upskilling and with the labour shortage, upskilling in the way we’re looking at and leading in a different way with programs like this but also creating inclusive environments which helps our labour shortage,” Martin said. 

“If 50 per cent of the work force are women and there are other percentages of underrepresented groups if we can’t attract them there’s no way we’ll mitigate our labour shortage and these are steps in that direction and so I think this goes hand in hand,” she said.

Information on the course is available on the . The course runs on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., starting Sept. 24 to Nov. 26.