With coverage of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continuing to dominate the news, VRCA has launched a new resource page to help member companies and their employees be informed about the illness and current advice from health professionals. The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) resource page includes: • Up-to-date information provided by HealthLinkBC; • Advice on [...]
Employment in British Columbia’s construction industry is expected to grow by nearly 8 per cent – approximately 16,600 jobs – over the coming decade. At the same time, B.C.’s construction workforce is getting older. By 2029, some 44,200 men and women – approximately 22 per cent of construction workers – are expected to retire. [...]
VRCA is excited to announce that a brand new CCDC workshop, hosted by the Canadian Construction Association, will be debuting this spring. Join us on May 14 for a one-day workshop that will cover: A description of the changes to CCDC 2 ‘Stipulated Price Contract’ Introduction of a new master specification for Division 01 [...]
Contractors wanting to understand how B.C.’s Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) will be applied may find the answers they need in an updated Contractor & Subcontractor Q and A document produced by B.C. Infrastructure Benefits Inc. (BCIB). The updated Q&A, which was posted recently to a redesigned BCIB website, provides answers to several questions VRCA [...]
The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is aware of concerns related to rising insurance costs for certain lines of business, such as commercial condominium, commercial trucking and school boards. Consumers in other sectors may also experience similar challenges. To address the concerns, IBC has created a National Commercial Insurance Task Force to examine the [...]
VRCA members surveyed tell us the No. 1 issue keeping them up at night is the skilled labour shortage. And with good reason: The Lower Mainland will be short 7,300 skilled tradesmen and women by late 2021, and short 17,400 by 2029. Province wide, the construction industry will be short 11,700 skilled trades professionals [...]
The VRCA school outreach program recently visited Kwantlen Park Secondary School in Surrey and explored a fresh new way to engage with the students there. The school had planned a Career Speed Chat event, where volunteers from various industries could meet with smaller groups of students and have more in-depth chats, a different scenario [...]
VRCA members surveyed tell us the No. 1 issue keeping them up at night is the skilled labour shortage. And with good reason – the Lower Mainland’s construction industry is busy and unemployment in the construction industry is below 4 per cent, placing it near historic lows. On Feb. 6, BuildForce Canada released its [...]
VRCA members are invited to register for a complimentary seminar focusing on Incident Investigation on May 8, 2020. Hosted by the Employers’ Advisors Office, this 3-hour seminar will provide attendees with information on when accident and incident investigations are required, and how to conduct these types of investigations. Case studies will be used to [...]
Are you looking for an in-person opportunity to explore whether your company may be eligible for Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) investment tax credits? Ben Pritchard, a consultant from London-based Invennt Business Inc., will be in Vancouver from March 4-6 and available to meet with VRCA members. To encourage and boost innovation in [...]
Construction is evolving into a tech-savvy industry with an ever-increasing appetite for innovation. To support this, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) launched the CONtact innovator mentorship program, creating a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators to connect with industry leaders to help hone their solution for industry adoption. First piloted in Spring 2019, the [...]
Have you recently been promoted to a foreman position? Are you interested in developing your skills in this area for a future foreman role? Join us at VRCA on March 27 for How to Be a Better Foreman. In this workshop, you will learn why many great tradespeople struggle with becoming a foreman due [...]
Would you like to meet members of the Vancouver Lean Community of Practice and learn how Lean is applied in construction? Join us on March 4 to gain an introduction to Lean construction, hear stories from the field, and participate in activities! This complimentary session will be held at the VRCA office. Register today [...]
VRCA is pleased to announce two new courses that can help you manage your projects more efficiently and effectively. On February 12, we are hosting a new workshop to help you mitigate risk when responding to tenders containing non-standard clauses. This one-day workshop is intended for general and subcontractors, project owners, architects, engineers, bonding [...]
On February 11, VRCA will host a one-day workshop called Love Them or Lose Them: Employee Retention. This engaging workshop will teach participants strategies for retaining key talent and ensuring the continued growth of their businesses. Past sessions of this workshop have had amazing feedback, and VRCA is excited to host it again for [...]
Are you a VRCA member working in Alberta? If so, you will want to learn about the new Vendor Performance Management (VPM) program implemented by Alberta Infrastructure to track, analyze, and manage the performance of individual vendors in an effort to control costs, mitigate risks, and drive continuous improvement throughout the contract life cycle. VRCA [...]
Are you interested in expanding your skillset in electrical estimating or electrical blueprint reading? VRCA can help! On March 2 and 3, VRCA will host an Electrical Estimating workshop. Participants will develop skills and knowledge to estimate electrical construction projects and prepare successful bids. The course is designed for those interested in becoming electrical [...]
Owners of older forklifts, excavators, and other non-road diesel engines have until the end of January 2020 to register their equipment with Metro Vancouver in order to continue using them across the region. Metro Vancouver requires all Tier 0 and Tier 1 non-road diesel engines, which have little-to-no emission controls, to be registered and [...]
Mental health issues in the workplace are among the top concerns for organizations of all sizes. For this reason, VRCA has expanded the resources section on its website to include information about mental health and wellness. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, one in five Canadians experience a mental health problem or [...]
An updated version of CCDC 11 – Contractor’s Qualification Statement is now available for purchase through the VRCA store. The 2019 edition of CCDC 11 has been streamlined for a better user experience and includes the following changes from the previous version: The TRIF question has been removed from the table for worker’s compensation [...]