Building Builders mentorship program opens
By Adam Freill
Construction Labour Leadership Skills DevelopmentB.C. program provides opportunities for young people in the construction industry to get personal career guidance from industry leaders.
(PHOTO: © AMORN / ADOBE STOCK)
The Building Builders program is underway. The mentorship program is now connecting under-employed and unemployed workers with experienced mentors across all disciplines in B.C.’s construction industry. The program, created and managed by the B.C. Construction Association (BCCA), is the only province-wide mentorship program serving B.C.’s construction industry. BCCA sees the program as filling an important gap in an academic-leaning culture that it says often does not adequately encourage the skilled trades as a career path.
Expert guidance can be difficult to access for job seekers without connections inside the industry, and it can take years for talent to get on an accelerated path. BCCA hopes that Building Builders will help first-year apprentices get started earlier and stay in the system by providing personalized, ongoing career guidance.
“If you don’t have the right contacts, it can be hard to navigate a career in the construction industry,” said Chris Atchison, president of BCCA. “Guidance counsellors, parents and teachers aren’t always fully informed about the opportunities or encouraging of a non-academic path. BCCA is thrilled to connect industry leaders with young talent, get their questions answered, get them personal advice from experts who really know the way, and help them fulfill their career goals.”
The association is asking anyone seriously interested in exploring a construction career to apply for one of the 300 mentee positions. Building Builders will carefully match each mentee with a successful leader in construction who aligns with their goals and life experience. All mentors are carefully screened to ensure they have been working in the industry for at least 10 years, and program staff will stay connected and help facilitate a productive experience for everyone.
Early adopters to the program include EllisDon, Penfolds Roofing and Corrcoat Services Inc.
Building Builders is funded to run for three years, and support 300 mentees through 12-month mentorship periods. Mentees will receive Site Ready safety training, and mentees and mentor companies will receive culture training through the Builders Code.
