Author: Jordan Bateman

Happy New Year from the ICBA training department! 

We invite you to register now for our January 17 breakfast session in Burnaby, Drugs and Alcohol in the Workplace – Employer Rights and Obligations.

With the prevalence of prescribed marijuana for medical reasons, employers need to be aware of their options. How do you deal with an employee in a safety-sensitive role who has a medical marijuana licence? Are they still allowed to perform their safety sensitive job? If an employee with a licence says they need to use their marijuana at the workplace, how is this addressed? Are employees with medical marijuana licences exempt from drug testing?

Here’s what will be covered:

• Drug and Alcohol Policies
• Testing for Drug and Alcohol Use
• Consequences for Testing Positive
• Pre-employment Situations
• Impaired at Work Situations
• Accommodation requirements for workers with drug and or alcohol addiction
• Suggested wording on Medical Marijuana to update company policies.

You’ll also earn 1.5 Group A CPD Points from BC Housing! Check out this course and all of our upcoming workshops at www.icba.ca/training, and subscribe to our newsletter at www.icba.ca/trainingnewsletter for the latest updates.

Don’t forget, members receive a discount on their course registrations! You can become a member now by visiting www.icba.ca/become-a-member.

ICBA Communications Director Jordan Bateman joined HoweStreet.com’s Jim Goddard just as news broke that Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson will NOT run for re-election. They talked about Robertson’s run as mayor, next month’s BC Budget, and why Premier John Horgan is leaving his energy minister at home while he goes on a trade mission to Asia.

The popular Harassment in the Workplace – Employer Responsibilities breakfast session is back! Our next session will take place on January 24 in Burnaby; don’t miss out!

The presenter will cover the following issues:

• What is bullying and harassment and what are the risks?
• What should an Employer do when faced with a potential bullying and harassment situation?
• Employer’s duty to investigate
• Workplace training
• Disciplinary responses
• Complaints made for improper reasons
• Creation of policies
• Access to information
• Workplace training
• Proactive steps to help protect the workplace

Participants will be provided with real life examples involving the above topics together with practical business-based solutions.  There will also be time for questions, so feel free to think about some real-life situations you may need some assistance with. You will also earn 2 Group A Continued Professional Development points from BC Housing.

To register for this course or any of ICBA’s other training sessions, visit www.icba.ca/training. Or, send our training team a message at training@icba.ca. They’d love to chat with you.

Want bi-weekly updates on our courses in your area? Subscribe to our training newsletter at www.icba.ca/trainingnewsletter.

Chris Gardner and Jordan Bateman talk about the BC Liberal leadership race, the swan song of Gregor Robertson (and Greg Moore), B.C.-Asia trade, and minimum wage. Watch us now – or download later as a free audio podcast in the iTunes or Google Play stores (just search for ICBA Cast).

It was a record-setting year for ICBA’s professional development department, as nearly 5,000 people trained and/or apprenticed with ICBA last year.

As highlighted in our inaugural Annual ICBA Training and Apprenticeship Report, ICBA is the single-largest sponsor of construction apprentices in British Columbia, with 1,173 spread through two dozen different trades. Check out the report to read about some of those apprentices – the future of B.C. trades.

We also trained 3,346 people in courses all over B.C. – 12 different cities, in fact.

Read the full 2017 Annual ICBA Training and Apprenticeship Report HERE.

In 2017, the BC Building Code added the BC Energy Step Code in an effort to increase energy efficiency requirements and map the transition to Net Zero Energy Ready buildings in our province over the next 15 years. The code is voluntary but our training department wants to help you better understand it!

They invite you to register now for our The Energy Step Code: What Energy Modelling will mean for Designers, Builders, and Trades in BC breakfast session in Burnaby on January 26. You can also earn 2 Group A CPD Points from BC Housing! 

This performance standard requires energy modelling and an air tightness test on all buildings, and removes many of the specific requirements for efficiency of products and equipment. This approach increases flexibility for projects but also requires greater coordination between project teams. 

This presentation will provide:

• An overview of the new requirements 
• Guidance for designers, builders, and trades to take advantage of the flexibility of the Energy Step Code, including research on the specific costs and design changes from the Energy Step Code
• Update on how local governments will be using the Energy Step Code in bylaws and policies, including a standardized inspection checklist.

More information and resources related to the Energy Step Code are available at www.energystepcode.ca.

To register, visit www.icba.ca/training. Have some questions? Email the training team at training@icba.ca or give us a call a 604-298-7795.

Life is stressful, and that is never more apparent than at work.

Approaching deadlines, client phone calls and a growing inbox can are just a few examples. Luckily, our training department is here to help with our upcoming Managing Stress in the Workplace workshops!In this workshop, learn how to recognize stress, how it affects your work and personal life, and effective strategies to handle stress in the workplace. You will also learn how to reduce your stress and set goals for effectively managing internal and external stressors. 

Here’s what will be covered:

  *   What is Stress?

  *   How do we React to Stress?

  *   Exploring our Sources of Stress

  *   Stress Management Strategies

  *   Stress Reduction/Relaxation (including practical exercises)

  *   Personal Goal Setting

Sounds like something you need? Our next session takes place in Victoria on March 16 and Kelowna on March 23. Register now! You’ll also earn 7 Group A CPD points from BC Housing.

Interested in offering this course to your entire office? We can do that too! Email our training team at training@icba.ca and they will be pleased to assist you with all the logistics.

We also invite you to check out our entire list of upcoming courses at www.icba.ca/training.

The NDP Government is currently reviewing the professional reliance model, which uses expertise outside government to vet and critique various projects. ICBA made a submission on behalf of our members, defending the current way this work is done. Here is an excerpt:

In our view, B.C.’s professional reliance system is not broken. Many professional disciplines are engaged in providing professional reliance, and overall ICBA believes this approach has generally served B.C. well. In a province as rich and diverse as ours’, the professional reliance model allows government and industry to source expertise — across many disciplines and both domestic and international – suited to specific technical considerations as needed on a project-by-project basis. The result is a review framework that is both rigorous and robust.

It is also important to understand that professional reliance is not a “one-way street” in which government decision-making has somehow devolved to qualified professionals. Rather, government always retains responsibility for setting legislative goals (and cascading regulation, policy and guidelines), and inspecting, reviewing and monitoring for desired outcomes in the public interest. Statutory decision making – including approvals and permitting – are the final steps in the project-development process. Flexibility provided by the professional reliance model allows government and proponents to source highly qualified professionals with specific on-the-ground expertise for which they are then accountable to their governing professional body. Self-governing professional organizations are an important aspect of making modern, responsive regulatory regimes function. Professional associations – with appropriate government consultation and oversight – are generally best-placed to determine where improvements are required within their respective “communities of practice”.

Our full submission to the review panel can be found HERE.