May 10, 2010

SICA

Work is proceeding on the engineering and management building at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus promotes Gold Seal certification

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

Workers on a construction site in Kelowna were encouraged to consider Gold Seal certification and the project is also being used to raise awareness about the national program.

The still-unfinished engineering and management building a the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Okanagan campus was selected to showcase the benefits of certification.

“We chose this project at an educational facility to highlight the concept of education and experience working together,” said Debbie Hicks, president of the Southern Interior Construction Association (SICA).

“The project has to be of a size to have a large workforce, who we can talk to about obtaining Gold Seal.”

Hicks said SICA held the event to promote building excellence and to encourage young construction workers to continue their education by becoming supervisors and site mangers.

The $74 million construction project has about 80 workers, who were given the opportunity to consider the benefits of obtaining Gold Seal certification.

“The significance of this event was the exposure of the program and all components of Gold Seal in one project, such as estimation and project management,” said John Blasko, manager of contract services with Defense Construction Canada.

“It is an opportunity for the industry to sell itself to the owner or buyer of construction. When I walked through the site, it appeared that there was a real team working together. The site was immaculate, which showed the pride of all the workers.”

The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) Gold Seal Certification Program is a national program for construction project managers, superintendents, estimators, owners’ project managers and safety co-ordinators.

“I think there is a direct link between the UBC project and Gold Seal, because one of the workers on this project is in my class,” said Terry Brown, SICA chairman and Gold Seal instructor.

“There are two main entities, UBC and a major contractor, who both recognize the value of continuing education and the spin offs of a better educated worker, such as increased satisfaction and productivity.”

Gold Seal certification is based on the candidate’s education, experience and their ability to satisfy the standards of the program.

“The workers can see that there is an opportunity for them to advance,” said Brown.

“In our industry there is a fair amount of mobility Gold Seal is something that can be taken that is a recognized and proven benchmark.”

According to the national Gold Seal committee chair John Schubert, there have been more than 7,500 certificates issued under the Gold Seal Program.

It can improve career prospects.

“There is a shortage of good quality managers, and you are only as good as your supervisors,” he said.

“We want young people to join our industry and the best way to do that is to offer a career.”

Owners of building projects often prefer to work with construction companies that provide quality, which can be demonstrated by achieving Gold Seal Certification.

Kelowna and Kamloops require municipal projects with a value of more than $1 million to have site superintendents with Gold Seal certification.

“When you do a Gold Seal project, you need buy in from owners and contractors,” said Hicks.

“(It) helps owners, because they get a better quality project.”

The curriculum is based on a number of areas including safety, communication, law, human resources, estimating, planning, the environment and others.

Dominion Fairmile Construction is the construction manager on the UBC project.

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