This past December, Canada’s Secretary of State (Labour), the honourable John Zerucelli, visited the College of Carpenters and Allied Trades (CCAT) to announce federal funding for the UBC Sustainable Jobs Mass Timber Project through the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy’s Union Training and Innovation Program.
The project will establish 10 mass timber training modules delivered at select UBC training centres across Canada, preparing members to meet growing demand for sustainable and modular construction. Mass timber is an innovative building technology that offers faster build times, reduced emissions, and a lower environmental footprint compared to traditional materials like steel and concrete.
The training will equip participants with specialized, in-demand skills, including hoisting and rigging, mass timber product handling and assembly, and exterior envelope and curtain wall installation. Each course blends classroom learning with hands-on instruction using the latest mass timber technologies.
To support Canadian lumber and forestry jobs during ongoing trade uncertainty with the United States, all materials will be sourced from Canadian forest products.
“Through the UBC Sustainable Jobs Mass Timber Project, we’re ensuring Canada’s workers have the training needed to build infrastructure and housing quickly and sustainably with mass timber construction,” says Jason Rowe, UBC Canadian District Vice President, “This project will ensure that UBC members and signatory contractors are ready to meet the growing demand and investment in this emerging building technology and can lead the way in sustainable construction across the country.”
