Does your office use Bluebeam Revu? This award-winning software is used by some of the largest construction companies in the world and our training department wants to teach you how to use it! We have two courses coming up in Langley that will help you learn how to better use this software.

We’re starting with Field Quality and Deficiency Management with Bluebeam Revu on September 26. This course will provide you and your staff with the knowledge and skills to get the quality of work on your projects under control, and how to develop an effective tracking system that is easy to manage. You’ll also earn 7.5 CPD Points from BC Housing!

On September 27, we’re offering Document Control with Bluebeam Revu, which will teach you document control practices using the software. You will learn how to take plain PDF construction documents and create smart PDFs that can give project teams accurate and up to date information at all times. This course will give you 1 Gold Seal Credit and 7 CPD Points from BC Housing.

We also have Bluebeam Basics on September 24, and Estimating with Bluebeam Revu on September 25!

Register for these or any of our other upcoming sessions at www.icba.ca/courses.

Jordan and Maclean talk about the leaders, the campaign launch, the bad fact checking, why people feel the CBC is biased, and more — plus Doug Donaldson’s forestry Hail Mary, Kater, and Alberta coming for BC’s place atop the population podium.

The Fall 2019 edition of ICBA’s Construction Monitor is out, and it looks at the role of open shop companies in training apprentices. 

It’s their last seemingly plausible claim to fame and relevance: the notion that the B.C. Building Trades unions play a uniquely important role in training construction workers.

Their only problem: it’s a complete myth.

At ICBA, we’ve always known the open shop is leading the way in apprenticeships, and now we’ve proven it. Data obtained from the Industry Training Authority shows an even smaller role in apprenticeship training for the old-school unions than most might have guessed.

In B.C. today, non-union construction companies – like the ones who make up ICBA – sponsor four times as many apprentices as unions. Open shop accounts for 23,172 – or 81.5 per cent – of the 28,432 British Columbians currently pursuing construction trades certification. The unions’ share is only 15 per cent.

Apprenticeship training is fundamentally important to the long-term health of our industry and to our provincial economy. And ICBA members and other open shop contractors are the ones taking on the largest share of this crucial responsibility.

The Building Trades often forget that learning a skill and mastering a craft happens on the job working side-by-side with colleagues who have experience and expertise.

All of this makes the NDP Government’s move to Building Trades-union-only monopolies on major taxpayer- funded projects so offensive. Freezing out 85% of construction workers is unfair, discriminatory and costly to workers and taxpayers.

For the full Construction Monitor, click HERE.

ICBA is a member of Merit Canada.

Merit Canada, representing more than 70 per cent of Canada’s construction industry—today released Building Confidence in Canada: Growing National Prosperity, a five-pillar plan to unleash significant, sustainable and shared prosperity for all Canadians as we enter a new decade. The five pillars are:

1. Investment, Trade and Growth;
2. Open and Fair Government Procurement;
3. Responsible Resource Development;
4. Building Enabling and Sustainable Infrastructure; and,
5. Skills, Training and Education.

“A growing economy provides people with jobs and governments with tax revenues to pay for health, education and social programs,” said Walter Pamic, Merit Canada Spokesperson. “Merit Canada is providing the blueprint to support a strong construction sector which employs approximately 1.5 million men and women, grow our economy, and ensure prosperity for all Canadians.”

“The stakes are high in this federal election,” said Pamic. “On October 21, we encourage all Canadians to think carefully about the challenges our country is facing and to cast a ballot for candidates committed to the investment, jobs and opportunities required to support the important health, education, and social programs upon which we all depend.”

Please visit www.meritcanada.ca/decision2019 to read the detailed blueprint.

Merit Canada is the national voice of Canada’s provincial Open Shop construction associations. Its roughly 5,000 members employ more than 100,000 Canadians. Merit Canada is the voice of the approximately 70 per cent of the construction contractors and the men and women working in construction who build more than 70 per cent of the industrial, commercial, and institutional, and residential construction projects across the country. Merit Canada was created in 2008 to fight for fairness and transparency in government infrastructure project procurement on behalf of construction contractors and workers. Through its provincial partnerships in seven provinces across Canada, Merit Canada helps Open Shop employers develop the next generation of construction trades workers.

Surrey’s LMS Reinforcing Steel Group s one of BC’s great success stories – and a proud ICBA member. But they’re part of the 85% of the BC construction industry that the Horgan NDP don’t want working on the new Pattullo or Broadway subway.

And it’s taxpayers who will be hurt most, as they explained to Business in Vancouver:

While LMS has worked on many of B.C.’s largest infrastructure projects over the past 20 years, it won’t be working on the $1.4 billion Pattullo Bridge project.

Are you a front-line supervisor or manager? Our Supervisors Bootcamp October 11 in Langley, October 16 in Victoria and November 8 in Prince George is designed specifically for you!

Participants will be given a leadership “tool kit” as well as self-assessment questionnaires and exercises based on the actual work they do and the people they lead.

The ideas covered in this course will assist employers to tackle important and emerging issues facing business operations today, including:

• Greater productivity and quality outcomes
• Greater safety program effectiveness
• Greater worker retention and engagement

You’ll also earn 1 Gold Seal Credit and 7.5 CPD Points from BC Housing! Register for this or any of our other upcoming courses at www.icba.ca/courses. If you miss this course, we are offering it again in Burnaby on December 18.

And don’t forget, you don’t have to be a member of ICBA to take our courses. Everyone is welcome!

One week ago, tickets went on sale for the 44^th Annual ICBA Gala Dinner, to be held Nov. 5 in Vancouver. Our special guest this year, NFL Hall of Fame QB Troy Aikman, has caused quite a response: more than 70% of our tickets have sold in this first week.

And it even got discussed on TSN 1040’s Sekeres and Price Show yesterday. Listen to that clip below:

Don’t miss out on the biggest celebration of construction in B.C. that will be held this year. We expect tickets to sell out soon, so go to icba.ca/agm and buy your tickets today.

The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA) and WorkSafeBC are pleased to announce the 2019 Gord Stewart Construction Workplace Health and Safety Innovation Award is now open for entries from eligible ICBA members and their employees.

About the Award

The Workplace Health and Safety Innovation Award is presented annually to acknowledge individuals and companies for their efforts in the prevention of workplace incidents, injuries and illnesses. By honouring safety leaders and sharing their ideas ICBA and WorkSafeBC hope to encourage new programs, policies, and projects that improve the health and safety of workers.

The award recognizes the employee or team of employees who come up with an innovative program, policy, tool or project that demonstrates a proven accomplishment in the area of health and safety for the construction industry sector.

There is a $5,000 prize for the best submission and will be presented at the ICBA Gala Dinner on Tuesday, November 5, 2019, at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Eligibility

All employees of ICBA member companies are eligible for the Annual Awards for Innovation in Workplace Health and Safety for Construction.

For an application or more information, click HERE or email sabine@icba.ca.