Institutions: Selkirk College (Lead), College of the Rockies, Vancouver Community College, Coast Mountain College, Okanagan College, and North Island College.
A number of CETABC members offer a variety of programming related to facilities maintenance, including such programming as Building Service Worker and Residential Building Maintenance. However, enrolments have also been declining despite many members hearing from industry that workers in this area are in short supply. In order to meet industry needs we proposed a two phased approach in 2020 to ensure the design of the program will meet industry standards but also create a model that is applicable to multiple regions in the province Through Phase 1 of the project the specifics skills required for employment were determined (see final March 4, 2021 report to the CETABC Innovation Fund committee).
Near the tail end of Phase I, CETABC partners also applied for and received Provincial micro-credentials funding to develop six training modules based on the preliminary draft Phase I report at the time (general facilities management, carpentry, plumbing, roofing, flooring, and HVAC systems). The CETABC Innovation funding for Phase I was instrumental in our ability to successfully apply for additional soft-funding from the Province.
The goal of this two-phased project is to create a program that provides students with the opportunity to gain the necessary hard skills required by industry combined with soft skills to ensure maintaining employment. Identifying barriers to training and employment in this field are an essential component that will be addressed by this training.
While this program is not specifically linked or a pathway to ITA training programs such as Residential Building Maintenance Worker (currently not funded by the ITA) or Carpenter (and similar), successful students who move into a maintenance field could use their experience to then find apprenticeships and/or move into an ITA foundation program. Those successful students who continue to work in the maintenance field could conceivably challenge the Residential Building Maintenance Worker Level 1 ITA certifications once they achieved 6,750 work hours. Please note that a Foundation program of Residential Building Maintenance Worker does not currently exist with the ITA.
The goal of this project is not necessarily to create a pathway to Trades Training as certified by the ITA but provide skills and training to individuals that meet industry’s specific needs.