Stand up for safe workplaces
BC Centre for Women in the Trades, in partnership with the BCFED Health and Safety Centre, is excited to announce Stand Up for Safe Workplaces.
Stand Up for Safe Workplaces is a comprehensive workplace culture and safety training that provides workers, leaders and organizations in the construction industry with practical approaches to create more welcoming, healthy, respectful and safe workplaces. The program applies a justice, equity, diversity and inclusion lens to occupational health and safety.
This train-the-trainer program provides tools and resources to better equip workers and leaders in construction to recognize and prevent toxic workplace culture; recognize and support mental health and substance harm reduction, and create workplaces where everyone is respected, safe, and feels they belong.
The program uses interactive, scenario, discussion and skill-based learning to empower and prepare participants to transfer skills learned to their workplaces. Participants will be provided with presentations, toolbox talks, videos, posters and other materials and resources to bring back to their workplaces, organizations, training institutions, unions and communities.
Topics covered include psychological safety; respectful workplace; bullying, harassment and discrimination; mental health first aid and suicide awareness; harm reduction and the toxic drug crisis, and trauma informed care.
This pilot program will launch in Spring 2025.
The program’s development is being funded from the BC government’s Workplace Innovation Fund, part of the Stronger BC: Future Ready Action Plan announced last year.
- Who is this training for?
- We encourage leaders in the construction industry who want to create more welcoming, healthy, respectful and safe workplaces to take part in the training.
- Participants can include tradespeople (including apprentices), health and safety professionals, Joint Occupational Health and Safety committee members, union stewards, employers and leaders (supervisors, forepeople, managers and others), human resources professionals, and all other workers in the construction industry. This training is open to those who live or work in British Columbia.
- We target participants who consider themselves to be leaders due to the program’s train-the-trainer delivery method. Following the training, participants will be encouraged to then re-deliver shorter and customizable versions of the training to their respective workplaces, organizations, training institutions, unions or communities.
- Is there a cost?
- The program is free for successful applicants. Tuition and materials for the train-the-trainer program are fully-funded, made possible with funding from the Ministry of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills’ Workplace Innovation Fund.
- Currently, additional travel, accommodations, lost wages and childcare expenses will not be covered. Consider asking your employer, union, organization or community for support for participation in the training. Visit BCCWITT’s Resources page for more information on funding, scholarships and bursaries.
- When will the training be offered?
- We aim to launch Stand Up for Safe Workplaces in the Spring of 2025. The training will be offered regularly throughout British Columbia between Spring of 2025 and March 2027.
- Where will the training take place?
- The training requires both virtual and in-person participation. The training will have some pre-training online components, then up to 3-4 days of consecutive in-person training. The in-person training portions will be offered throughout the province of BC.
- What makes this different from other training?
- The training takes a comprehensive approach to workplace culture and safety, by integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion training into occupational health and safety. The goal of the program is to help shift the culture of the construction industry to create more psychologically safe workplaces. The training provides practical tools that all participants can apply to their workplaces.
- The training is developed with the support of construction and health and safety subject matter experts, industry leaders and stakeholders.
- This training will borrow from BCCWITT’s Be More Than A Bystandertrain-the-trainer model, to ensure proven results in shifting workplace culture. Through the train-the-trainer method, the program will provide capacity for ongoing training within organizations, extending the reach throughout the construction industry in BC. The training incorporates the BCFED Health and Safety Centre’s expertise and experience in creating healthy and safe workplaces. Since 2001, the BCFED Health & Safety Centre has developed leading-edge training to help train workers and workplace representatives to act with confidence and competence on their legal rights and responsibilities as provided by occupational health and safety law.
- Why is this training relevant to the construction industry?
- We recognize the ongoing challenges in recruiting, retaining and maintaining safety and wellbeing of workers in the construction industry. Recruitment of workers is impacted by the negative perception of construction workplaces as sites of bullying, harassment, discrimination and other types of toxic workplace culture. Other significant problems including mental health challenges, substance use, and the toxic drug crisis disproportionately impact the industry.
- By creating healthier, safer, and more respectful workplaces and industry for all, this program will help address existing gaps to help improve worker satisfaction and contributions to the workplace. Workers in psychologically safe workplaces can bring all of themselves to work. They are more likely to stay at that workplace, less likely to leave the skilled trades, and generally feel a sense of belonging.
- How can I host the training for our workplace or community in BC?
- We will be looking to host the training in as many regions and communities of BC as possible and are looking for partners to co-host these sessions. Please contact us at info@bccwitt.ca.
- Is this training available to those who work and live outside of BC?
- This training is only available to those who live or work in British Columbia. We may have other workshops and training courses available to those who live and work outside of the province (fees may apply). See BCCWITT’s News and Events page for more information on upcoming opportunities.
- How do I learn more or sign up for the training?
- Fill out the Stand Up for Safe Workplaces interest list form.
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The BCCWITT office is located on unceded core territory of the Kwikwetlem First Nation and lies within the shared traditional territories of the Katzie, sc̓əwaθenaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsawwassen) and S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō) nations.
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