Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) has launched a free program to develop low-carbon skills training for the building sector, the first of its kind in Canada.
The curriculum includes fundamental principles of low-carbon building that can be applied to new construction and building retrofits, covering topics including the business case for low-carbon building and retrofits and how carbon is being considered and measured by evolving codes and regulations during the life cycle of a building, from planning and design to construction and building maintenance and operation.
Courses will begin in October and will be available for free until March 2024. No previous training in sustainability is required.
Training will provide people working in architecture, engineering, construction and commercial real estate with a common language and understanding of low-carbon strategies and solutions to help the sector take advantage of low-carbon building opportunities and investments.
“The needs of the building sector are changing quickly, increasing demand for skills in low carbon construction and retrofits. The industry can no longer afford the status quo where these skills are not integral and required,” said Thomas Mueller, CAGBC president and CEO. “The Low Carbon Training Program is designed to improve collaboration among leading industry associations and increase reach into the industry to effectively build knowledge and skills for low-carbon solutions.
“Companies that upskill their employees will have a competitive advantage in the market.”
Low-carbon construction and building retrofits are expected to play a significant role in helping Canada reach its 2030 and 2050 carbon reduction targets.
According to a study led by CAGBC and Delphi Group, current investments from the government and industry will significantly expand Canada’s green building economy with projections of $150 billion in GDP and 1.5 million jobs by 2030. In addition to growing the workforce, the sector will need to upskill with low-carbon knowledge and training to keep up with the growing demand for low-carbon projects.
The Low Carbon Training Foundations Course will provide professionals across all industries with an introduction to important low-carbon concepts. Delivered over five modules, it will help establish common understanding, approach and vocabulary that will enable collaboration across all building sector professions.
Other partners will offer profession-specific low-carbon training courses that dive deeper into the distinct day-to-day responsibilities and expertise of each professional group.
A workshop for architecture professionals will cover competencies supporting new construction and building retrofits, including climate change literacy, climate-responsive design and integrative design thinking.
The program for construction professionals is an introduction to low-carbon building core concepts and their application to construction. The course will equip construction professionals with operation skills and knowledge to retrofit and build the low-carbon buildings. The CCA will offer the program online starting in November 2023 through its partner associations in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.
Also, Pathway to Net Zero: Decarbonization for Building Operators will examine the foundations of low-carbon building operations, including understanding building performance, decarbonization concepts and strategies, the role of building operators in implementation, and relevant case studies.
More information on the programs is available at lowcarbontraining.ca.