Canadian CED Network

ESE Idea AcceleratorInterested in exploring the development of an employment social enterprise idea? This fall, TEF will host an ESE Idea Accelerator, a program that will support individuals and organizations developing early-stage employment social enterprise ideas. The accelerator will provide four experiential workshops, which will occur in October and November. Workshops will support participants to strengthen both business and social aspects of their ESE idea. The Accelerator will culminate in a pitch competition on the evening of December 11, 2018, during which participants will have the chance to pitch for $5,000 to $10,000 ‘Catalyzing Grant’ to conduct a feasibility study and develop a business plan for their ESE idea.

Deadline: September 27, 5:00pm

Program Information:

The program will offer participants the chance to strengthen their ESE ideas through four interactive workshops.

  • Workshop 1 – Employment Model: During this workshop you’ll explore the employment needs of your ‘target population’ and refine the various aspects of your employment model and employment intervention.
  • Workshop 2 – Business Idea: During this workshop you’ll refine your product or service idea, and develop a stronger understanding of your target markets.
  • Workshop 3 – Financial Projections: During this workshop, you’ll gain an introduction to financial planning, including developing an initial budget for your employment social enterprise idea.
  • Workshop 4 – Operational Plan: During this workshop, you’ll develop a high-level operational plan, and learn about key aspects of building a great team, advisory board, and operational plan.

Eligibility:

Individuals and organizations in Peel, Toronto and York Region with an interest in exploring employment social enterprise development are eligible to participate in the Accelerator program.

Additionally, to be eligible to participate:

  • You must be able to attend all four workshops of the Accelerator, in-person. Each workshop will be hosted at United Way Greater Toronto, 26 Wellington St. E in Toronto.
  • For the Catalyzing Grant, you must be able to attend the ESE Idea Accelerator Pitch Night on December 11, 2018
  • You must be applying to participate in the Accelerator to work on a new ESE idea

Key Dates:

  • Accelerator Information Session: Thursday, September 20, 2018 from noon – 1:00 p.m. Register now.
  • Accelerator Applications Close: Thursday, September 27, 5:00 p.m.
  • Workshop 1: Tuesday, October 9, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Workshop 2: Friday, October 19, 9:30 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
  • Workshop 3: Tuesday, October 23, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Workshop 4: Tuesday, November 13, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Accelerator Pitch Competition: Tuesday, December 11, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Application:

Please apply to participate in the ESE Idea Accelerator here.

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Bronwyn Oatley at boatley at uwgt.org

Source: Toronto Enterprise Fund

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inclusive innovationToday, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced the release of Inclusive Innovation: New Ideas and New Partnerships for Stronger Communities, the final recommendations from the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy Co-Creation Steering Group.

The report includes 12 recommendations proposing ways that social innovation—ideas that help communities respond to a challenge more effectively—and social finance—financial investments that create a social or environmental impact—could be incorporated into a comprehensive strategy to build more inclusive and prosperous communities, and in doing so, improve the lives of vulnerable Canadians and create a more inclusive middle class.

The Government of Canada has committed to developing a social innovation and social finance strategy to support innovative solutions that find new ways to help communities tackle their most complex and persistent social issues. By breaking down the barriers that prevent Canada’s most vulnerable populations from finding employment and fully participating in their communities, the Government seeks to create a more diverse and inclusive middle class.

The Government is currently reviewing the recommendations of the Co-Creation Steering Group which will inform the Government’s Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy.

Download Inclusive Innovation: New Ideas and New Partnerships for Stronger Communities

 

From the Report

Only big picture thinking will open the space needed for social innovation.

From coast to coast to coast, individuals and organizations across all sectors of society are forming networks of relationships, or ecosystems, where they work together to make their communities more sustainable and inclusive places through social innovation and social finance. We use the term social purpose organizations to refer to the diverse range of organizations engaged in these ecosystems, including charities, non-profit organizations, co-operatives, and private businesses advancing a social or environmental mission.

We believe the Government has a critical role to play in supporting these ecosystems by addressing key gaps that arise across six interconnected areas:

  1. Skills and capacity to equip social purpose organizations with the knowledge and resources to adopt social innovation and social finance approaches;
  2. Funding and capital opportunities so that social purpose organizations have the financial resources to develop, test, adopt, and grow innovative solutions to social and environmental problems;
  3. Market access for social purpose organizations to be able to find buyers for their goods and services;
  4. An enabling policy and regulatory environment that creates the conditions for social innovation, social finance and social purpose organizations to flourish;
  5. Evidence and knowledge sharing to enable social purpose organizations and funders to work together based on what works, develop better goods and services, scale their impact and evaluate progress; and
  6. Awareness and mobilization efforts to spur interest and build support for the growth of social innovation and social finance approaches.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary
1. Introduction
2. What are social innovation and social finance?
3. Canada’s social innovation and social finance ecosystems: achievements and challenges
3.1  Capacity and Skills
3.2  Funding and Capital
3.3  Market Access
3.4  Policy and Regulatory Environment
3.5  Evidence and Knowledge Sharing
3.6  Awareness and Mobilization
4. Indigenous social innovation and social finance
5. Recommendations for an integrated approach in support of social innovation and social finance
5.1  Governance and Public Service Infrastructure
5.2  Capacity and Skills
5.3  Funding and Capital
5.4  Market Access
5.5  Policy and Regulatory Environment
5.6  Evidence and Knowledge Sharing
5.7  Awareness and Mobilization
6. Conclusion
Annex: Consultations and Engagement
References

Download Inclusive Innovation: New Ideas and New Partnerships for Stronger Communities

Source: Government of Canada, Aug 31, 2018

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Libro Social Enterprise Incubator Starting a social enterprise? Embedding social values into an existing business? Creating a sustainable model for your non-profit? Give yourself the best chance of success by immersing yourself in the right environment. Sponsored by Libro Credit Union, the social enterprise incubator gives you a front seat into the world of social enterprise.

Apply to the Libro Social Enterprise Incubator

Participants will spend 6 months at Innovation Works working with Pillar social enterprise coaches, Libro Credit Union staff, volunteer Business Advisors and the Innovation Works community.

Key highlights:

  • 6 months access to Innovation Works
  • 3 Day Orientation Bootcamp to kick-start your enterprise planning
  • 2 months weekly social enterprise & business development workshops (Oct-Nov)
  • 1-1 Coaching with Pillar’s Social Enterprise Coach
  • Support from volunteer Business Advisors specialized in your area of need
  • Access to online databases of legal documents, business plan templates & other social enterprise resources
  • A network of social enterprises at all stages of development
  • Pitch your social enterprise to over 200 guests at Pillar’s Meaningful Market event

Check out what past participants have to say

Criteria:

  • Open to nonprofit, cooprerative & for-profit social enterprises
  • Open to individuals & teams
  • Applicant has a social enterprise business model they want to explore/grow (beyond idea & ready to start)
  • Model uses earned revenue (selling products/services) to fund a major part of operations
  • Model has a strong social and/or environmental impact in the community
  • Applicants do NOT need to have existing revenue, but must have a goal of earning revenue during the 6 months

Key Dates:

  • 3 Day Bootcamp; October 3rd-5th
  • Weekly workshops Tuesdays 3pm-5pm; October 16th to Dec 4th
  • Meaningful Market pitch event; date TBD

Fill in the application form and tell us how being a part of the Social Enterprise Incubator would benefit you. The application should take 15-20 minutes to complete. Questions? Want to learn more? Not sure if you qualify?

Reach out to secoach at pillarnonprofit.ca

Source: Social Enterprise Southwest

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Opportunity for All – Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy

Canada is a prosperous country, yet in 2015 roughly 1 in 8 Canadians lived in poverty. The vision of Opportunity for All – Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy is a Canada without poverty, because we all suffer when our fellow citizens are left behind. We are all in this together, from governments, to community organizations, to the private sector, to all Canadians who are working hard each and every day to provide for themselves and their families.

Overall, Opportunity for All brings together new investments of $22 billion that the Government has made since 2015 to support the social and economic well-being of all Canadians. These actions will help lift about 650,000 Canadians out of poverty by 2019, with more expected as the impacts of these investments are realized in the years to come.

Opportunity for All also sets the foundation for future government investments in poverty reduction. It is based on three pillars to focus Government actions to reduce poverty:

Dignity: Lifting Canadians out of poverty by ensuring basic needs—, such as safe and affordable housing, healthy food, and health care, are met;

Opportunity and Inclusion: Helping Canadians join the middle class by promoting full participation in society and equality of opportunity; and

Resilience and Security: Supporting the middle class by protecting Canadians from falling into poverty and by supporting income security and resilience.

Read Opportunity for All – Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy

For the first time in Canada’s history, the Strategy sets an official measure of income poverty: Canada’s Official Poverty Line, based on the cost of a basket of goods and services that individuals and families require to meet their basic needs and achieve a modest standard of living in communities across the country.

Opportunity for All sets, for the first time, ambitious and concrete poverty reduction targets: a 20 % reduction in poverty by 2020 and a 50 % reduction in poverty by 2030, which, relative to 2015 levels, will lead to the lowest poverty rate in Canada’s history.

A National Advisory Council on Poverty will advise the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development on poverty reduction and will publicly report, in each year, on the progress that has been made toward poverty reduction.

The Government also proposes to introduce the first Poverty Reduction Act in Parliament in Canada’s history. This Act would entrench the targets, Canada’s Official Poverty Line, and the Advisory Council into legislation.

Table of Contents

Dedication
Minister’s message
Foreword from Miles Corak, Economist-In-Residence at Employment and Social Development Canada
Executive summary
Chapter 1: Opportunity for All
Chapter 2: Taking Stock of Accomplishments
Chapter 3: Dignity
Chapter 4: Opportunity and Inclusion
Chapter 5: Resilience and Security
Chapter 6: Working with Provinces, Territories and Communities
Chapter 7: Working with Indigenous Peoples
    First Nations
    Inuit
    Métis
Chapter 8: Ensuring a Lasting Impact
Chapter 9: Improving Measurement of Poverty
Chapter 10: Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+)
Chapter 11: Going Forward: Canada in 2030
Annex 1: The Statistical Fine Print
Annex 2: List of Government Initiatives that Support Poverty Reduction

Source: Employment and Social Development Canada

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At the last meeting of CCEDNet’s Board of Directors, Laurie Cook was selected as the new President of the Board.  She takes over from Ryan Gibson, who had been President since 2015. 

Laurie is Director of Strategic Development and Custom Learning at the Community Sector Council of Nova Scotia. Her passion is community development, and has been active professionally in the field for a number of years as a facilitator and community developer. She was first elected to the CCEDNet Board in 2016.  Read Laurie’s full bio. 

The Board extends its warm appreciation to Ryan Gibson for his leadership over the last three years.

CCEDNet’s new Board Officers are:

  • Laurie Cook, President
  • Carol Madsen, Vice-President
  • Diana Jedig, Treasurer
  • Yvon Poirier, Secretary

Learn more about CCEDNet’s Board >>

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EconoUs2018Can I just say that I am thrilled to be co-hosting EconoUs2018 with CCEDNet?  The thrill is for two reasons…

The first reason is that, in my world, which is the environmental non-profit world, there is often an underlying feeling that we need to fundamentally change how our society views and values the natural environment, and that there is an intrinsic link between social justice and the environment.  Imagine my delight and surprise when I discovered a whole bunch of CED people who think the same way!  In my experience, environment-y folks don’t talk much to CED-y folks, but I have learned over the last year that these two sets of people share a similar vision for a better world.  I am very excited that this conference is focussed specifically on PEOPLE, PLANET, and ECONOMY – to help us all make the links and work better together!

Eco-Confluence 2017

New Brunswick Environmental NetworkThe other reason is that the New Brunswick Environmental Network, as the name suggests, is a provincial organization.  While I occasionally travel to other provinces to talk about our work, it is rare that I get to show off our beautiful province to travellers from away.  I am very excited to share some of New Brunswick’s great people and places with my fellow Canadians and others from around the world.  With that in mind, our team has put together some great local tours that explore both of New Brunswick’s coasts (the rocky Bay of Fundy and the sandy beaches of the Northumberland Straight), Acadian and Mi’Kmaq cultures, the local art scene, and much more.  I can’t wait to see you here!

Raissa MarksRaissa Marks has been with the NBEN since 2006. She grew up in Albert County, New Brunswick. After high school, she was away from the province for about 10 years, living, learning, and working in Montreal, Toronto, and Virginia. Raissa now lives in  Riverview with her husband, Chris, and their two daughters. Little-known fact: Raissa also worked for the NBEN as a summer student in 1998 and 1999!

 
 
 

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The Civil Society Strategy (People, Place, Social Sector, Public Sector, Private Sector)The Government of the United Kingdom has launched their first Civil Society Strategy in 15 years. The Strategy will build stronger communities by bringing together businesses, charities and the public sector, the Government has vowed today.

Civil society refers to organisations and individuals working to create social value, enriching lives and building a fairer society for all.

The new vision places communities at the centre of decision-making and focuses on five key foundations of social value: people, places and the public, private and social sectors.

The work follows the Government’s Industrial Strategy, published last year. The strategy complements plans to grow Britain’s economy and boost productivity by building a more connected society, where everyone can play their part in a fairer, healthier and more prosperous country.

It creates more opportunities for people to actively take part in community decisions, as well as highlighting ways to harness the power of digital and technology for public good.

The Civil Society Strategy will:

  • Unlock £20 million from inactive charitable trusts (those which spend less than 30% of their annual income) to support community organisations over the next two years. The work will be carried out in conjunction with the Charity Commission and UK Community Foundations.
  • Launch an ‘Innovation in Democracy’ pilot scheme in six regions across the country. This will trial creative ways for people to take a more direct role in decisions that affect their local area. This could include Citizens’ Juries or mass participation in decision-making on community issues via an online poll or app.
  • Establish an independent organisation that will distribute £90 million from dormant bank accounts to get disadvantaged young people into employment. This new organisation will harness the experience of grassroots youth workers, businesses, and other local services, to help young people achieve their full potential.
  • Create an independent organisation to use £55 million from dormant bank accounts to tackle financial exclusion and the problem of access to affordable credit.
  • Support charities to make their voices heard on issues that matter to them and ensuring that charitable trustees reflect the diversity of the society they serve.
  • Strengthen Britain’s values of corporate responsibility, through the launch of a major new Leadership Group, formed of senior figures from the business, investment and social sectors, to put social and environmental responsibility at the heart of company decisions.
  • Use digital technology for good to improve the work charities can provide to support healthy ageing, bolster online safety and better connect people in an effort to tackle loneliness.
  • Improve the use of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 to ensure that organisations can generate more social value for communities when spending public money on government contracts.

Source: The Government of the United Kingdom

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The Canadian CED Network’s Policy Council submitted a response to the federal government’s invitation for pre-budget submissions for the 2019 Federal Budget.  This year, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance called for submissions that addressed Economic Growth: Ensuring Canada’s Competitiveness.

Read the full pre-budget submission

Our Recommendations for the 2019 Federal Budget

1. Advance Social Innovation and Social Finance
       a. Invest $375M to support the community priorities of the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy
b. Adopt framework legislation to embed a commitment to social innovation and social finance across the federal government, and create a multi-sectoral Social Innovation Council
c. Create an Office of Social Innovation to promote interdepartmental collaboration in the implementation of the Strategy and coordinate reporting on progress
d. Establish a National Social Innovation Knowledge Sharing Network
2. Make Canadian Businesses More Productive and Competitive
a. Invest $5M over 2 years to expand the capacity and access of Canada Business Network services to social enterprise and co-operative sectors.
b. Provide a supportive regulatory framework giving charities and non-profits more flexibility to pursue business models.
c. Invest $75M over five years to support innovation networks and communities of practice
d. Contribute to the capitalization of existing and emerging community-based social finance investment funds.
3. Help Canadians Be More Productive
a. Invest $15M over three years for training, deployment and measurement to utilize social procurement policies.
b. Engage stakeholders across sectors, including community leaders, to co-create a strong national strategy for Community Employment Benefits, with clear targets and common measures.
c. Study the feasibility of a portable account, financed by contributions from workers, employers and the federal government, for Canadians to draw upon to pay for lifetime learning and job retraining.

Read the full pre-budget submission

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Community Support Small Grant Program: At a GlanceThe Manitoba Government has launched a Community Support Small Grant Program to provide funds for Manitoba’s non-profit and community-led organizations around the following key program objectives:

  • Build capacity within community organizations.
  • Support community driven goals that have a public benefit.
  • Prioritize innovative projects.
  • Increase the reach or effectiveness of successful projects.

Grants: Non-profit and community-led organizations can apply for one-time funding of up to a maximum of $20,000.00. Applicants must provide a minimum of 10% matching cash funding and only one application per organization per year will be considered. Projects must be completed by March 31, 2019.

Consultation Services: Recreation and Regional Services staff can assist community organizations with the application and the application process.

Eligibility Criteria: Non-profit and community-led organizations throughout Manitoba are eligible to apply for the Community Support Small Grant Program. Organizations must have been in existence for at least one year. Ineligible organizations include schools, hospitals, local governments and for profit organizations.

Eligible Costs:

  • Project labour and materials
  • Project supplies
  • Operational cost for equipment
  • Equipment and/or machinery lease costs
  • Promotional materials
  • Training
  • Rental/lease of project facilities for approved project
  • Equipment
  • Furniture / Appliances/Technology
 Ineligible Costs:

  • Ongoing core operation costs
  • Vehicles
  • Music festivals
  • Competitions and tournaments
  • Centennials and homecomings
  • Travel costs
  • Projects that do not have public benefit

Grant Payment Process: Grants to successful applicants will receive an initial payment of up to 60% of grant upon receipt of signed agreement. A final payment of 40% of the grant will be made on submission of a final report. Grants of under $3,000 will receive full payment upon approval.

Application Process: Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis with notification made quarterly. If your community organization is planning a project, please contact your Recreation and Regional Services office to discuss how we can help.

Review the full program guidelines

Source: The Government of Manitoba

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So a friend just shared an article with me about something called Localism. It’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about these days. It’s a huge part of an organization I’ve mentioned before that continues to inspire me out of the UK called Locality.

But the paragraph my friend sent hits the nail right on the head of WHY this movement is so important:

It is a sleeper revolution. It flips the power structure. Under localism, the crucial power centre is at the tip of the shovel, where the actual work is being done. Expertise is not in the think tanks, but among those who have local knowledge, those with a feel for how things work in a specific place and an awareness of who gets stuff done. Success is not measured by how big you can scale, but by how deeply you can connect.

Another thing I’ve been thinking about is the SDG’s…

Has anyone even heard of the SDG’s? Not exactly top of mind these days. Should be. Every government in the United Nations is supposed to be promoting them, supporting them…

The idea is to create a better world for all by 2030. That’s not far off – and we’re really just starting to hear about the SDG’s now.

17 Goals. Yipes! That’s a lot. And seems very overwhelming. Where does one start? At the local level, of course.

Many communities are starting to do just that. Some great examples of how various municipalities are working to raise awareness of the SDG’s around the world are here.

In simpler terms though – the agenda for the SDG’s is about leaving no one behind. #leavenoonebehind

This is not new. An organization I’m on the board of called CCEDNet (Canadian Community Economic Development Network) and many other organizations have been working on this for AGES. BIG national conference on all this coming up in Moncton, NB in September too. Called EconoUs.

Whether we’re talking localism or the SDG’s – the point is to find ways to build strong, powerful and INCLUSIVE communities where everyone benefits from living in those communities.

What can we do? What role do the SDG’s have to play in all this? 

It’s about the ‘sleeper revolution’. This is about each of us doing our bit. Connecting with each other on a human level – looking out for each other, our neighbours.

To me, this is what Localism, the SDG’s and all other rallying cries are really all about. Not that action at various other levels is not important – but we also need to realize we do have some power to make a difference AT. A. LOCAL. LEVEL. 

So, what are you going to do? What can you do with your neighbours? What can you do at any level where you feel you have some power? Because we all do. It’s just a question of feeling it, and acting on it. We need to be the change we want to see happen in our communities – and we need to be it NOW.

Originally published as an article on Laurie Cook’s LinkedIn Profile

Laurie CookLaurie Cook is a Convenor with the Community Sector Council of Nova Scotia and project lead for the United Way Halifax‘s Hub Convening Project. She was also this past year a volunteer Member Liaison for the Atlantic Region of CCEDNet. Her passion is community development, and besides being active professionally in the field for a number of years as a facilitator and community developer, Laurie also lives in Musquodoboit Harbour which is a rural area of the city. In 2006, as a volunteer, she chaired a community visioning process which led to several community initiatives that she was also involved in co-founding. These included:  redevelopment of an old school, design of a co-operative rural transportation service, development of a new women,s organization focused on economic empowerment for women and co-creation of a volunteer peer support group called Eastern Shore Mental Health. 

*The opinions expressed in blog posts are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of CCEDNet

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The government needs to ‘do different,’ by rethinking the way they partner with social purpose organizations and empowering community-level responses to the challenges that matter to them. Let’s unleash the potential of social innovation and social finance to address Canada’s most intractable social and environmental challenges.

What is social innovation and social finance?

Many social purpose organizations are committed to finding transformative solutions, but we face barriers in our efforts.

That’s why the federal Government created a Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy Co-Creation Steering Group. The Steering Group members – from across sectors and regions – led a nationwide engagement over the past year.

It’s time for a Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy for CanadaFind out what they heard in this brochure

Why is this important?

Social purpose organizations form a rich ecosystem as important contributors to both the economy and our collective-wellbeing. Our goal is to have a Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy included in the 2019 federal budget, but we need your help!

So, how can you help?

Make your voice heard. Connect with your MP.

Inform them of your support for a Strategy.

Do you know who your MP is? Use your postal code to find out HERE

Participate in iMPact Day: Invite your MP to visit your organization

From August 15 to September 16, Imagine Canada is challenging MPs to visit social purpose organizations in their regions.

Sometimes the most convincing case is the one seen first hand. Use this opportunity to inform your MP about the real impact a government-supported Strategy could have for the challenges faced by their constituents. Learn more

Not able to participate in iMPact Day? There are other ways to get involved!

Send an email or mail a letter to your MP

To write an impactful letter, try to personalize it! Include relevant barriers you face, with examples of how social innovation and social finance improve outcomes.

For general tips to help you write a more effective letter, send an email to innovate4impact at sisfs.ca

Use Social Media

  • Tweet your MP using hashtags #innovate4impact #sisfs
  • Post in your riding’s Facebook Group
  • Share the video to spread the word about social innovation and social finance
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benefits for workers and communitiesA new, landmark agreement for key public-sector infrastructure projects in B.C. will deliver good-paying jobs, better training and apprenticeships, and more trades opportunities for Indigenous peoples, women and youth around the province.

“With this agreement, we’re not just investing in roads, bridges and other infrastructure, we’re investing in good jobs and new opportunities for people who live in B.C.  And with our focus on expanding apprenticeships for young British Columbians, we’re helping build B.C.’s next generation of construction workers.” Premier John Horgan​

Highlights of the agreement include:

  • A targeted approach to maximizing apprenticeship opportunities on major public-infrastructure projects.
  • Focus on priority hiring and training of Indigenous peoples, and women.
  • Co-ordinated access to existing training programs, while identifying and addressing skills gaps.
  • Priority hiring for qualified individuals who live within close proximity of the projects.
  • Hiring flexibility for contractors, who can request named hires.
  • Wage alignment to prevailing industry rates to promote good wages for all employees.

The first projects to be delivered under the new community benefits framework are the new Pattullo Bridge, and the four-laning projects on the Trans-Canada Highway between Kamloops and Alberta. The request for qualifications (RFQ) for the Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project has been released.

Under government’s new Community Benefits Agreement, a diverse and qualified workforce will be supplied for select major public infrastructure projects through a newly created Crown corporation, BC Infrastructure Benefits Inc. (BCIB). BCIB will hire the project’s construction workers, and will work with unions and contractors to dispatch labour, as well as manage payroll and benefits.

Signatories to the Community Benefits Agreement are BCIB, and the Allied Infrastructure and Related Construction Council (AIRCC), which represents many of B.C.’s building trades. Contractors representing B.C.’s construction industry played an important advisory role as the agreement was developed.

Key benefits of labour agreement

The Community Benefits Agreement allows government to make sure that local people and communities get long-lasting benefits from public investments into major infrastructure projects, while maximizing the number of contractors that can bid on major infrastructure projects.

Key benefits of the negotiated labour agreement include:

Apprenticeships:

  • Increased apprenticeships in the skilled trades is essential to the development of British Columbia’s workforce. 
  • Targets will be aligned with the Government Apprenticeship Policy to maximize work-based training and opportunities to grow the skilled workforce.

Training:

  • The development of construction skills for persons other than the Red Seal apprentices is essential to the development of British Columbia’s workforce.
  • Wherever possible, existing government training programs and services will be leveraged. Training needs will be assessed for each project, and a process will be established to co-ordinate the development of new training where gaps exist, in collaboration with training partners and building trades councils, as required.

Indigenous and under-represented groups:

  • This agreement provides incremental and prioritized opportunities for the participation of Indigenous peoples and other traditionally under-represented groups on government infrastructure projects, in a safe environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.
  • Government has an existing consultation and accommodation process to address impacted Indigenous groups on projects. This process will continue and not be affected by the implementation of a labour agreement.
  • In addition, Indigenous peoples, women, and other traditionally under-represented groups will now have priority access to employment and training opportunities.

Local people and businesses:

  • When local workers have greater access to work opportunities in their communities, local people can, in turn, build, invest and stay in their communities.

Wages:

  • Wages have been negotiated to align with industry wages, based on prevailing construction rates.
  • This provides good-paying jobs to workers on these projects, and provides cost certainty to government.

Source: BC Government News – Office of the Premier

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