Nova Scotia’s Building Trades Unions First in Canada to Introduce Building It Green

Skilled Trades Workers Training – Direct Pathways to a Rewarding Career

Construction activity in the province is at an all-time high and Nova Scotia is facing an urgent demand for large numbers of skilled trades workers. To respond to this need, Nova Scotia’s Building Trades Unions have consolidated training centers, creating the Building Trades Advancement College (BTAC) of Nova Scotia to promote access to skilled trades […]

Helmets to Hardhats – Value Added By A Veteran, 365 Days A Year

Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) is a national non-profit organization that supports the Canadian military community in finding meaningful second careers in the skilled trades. Helmets to Hardhats work with Veterans, reservists, cadets, military family members and Afghan interpreters. We believe that because of the dedicated service of our Veterans, it is now our responsibility to […]

Expansion of Union Training

Construction of a training centre for International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Workers – Local 752 was recently completed at our Lakeside Training Facility. Local 752 invested $1.2 million into the project with the shop being used to train Ironworkers from across the province. Ironworkers Local 752 delivers the apprenticeship level training for […]

CBTU Report on National Childcare Program

Childcare has been a long-standing issue for families employed in the construction sector in our province and across Canada. Our national organization, Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) consulted with parents in our industry, gathering information on their experiences and the realities of working in the construction industry and managing childcare. The construction and maintenance sector […]

CBTU Report on Community Benefits Agreements

Our national partner, Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) has been strongly advocating for the inclusion of Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) in federally procured construction projects. CBAs enable the value of a project to extend far beyond the building of infrastructure. They create pathways to apprenticeship for those in the communities where infrastructure is built, including […]

Best Value Procurement and Community Benefits

At our Building Trades Conference in 2018, we introduced the concept of Community Benefit Agreements (CBA’s). Over the past several months, members of Build Right Nova Scotia (a partnership of professional unionized tradespeople and contractors), have been lobbying various government departments on the benefits of CBA’s, particularly as they are related to the upcoming significant […]

Guidance To Reduce Transmission of COVID-19

Building Trades Advancement College – For the trades. By the trades.

The first course of the Building Trades Advancement College of Nova Scotia (BTAC) started September 16, 2019. The Electrical Construction and Industrial Pre-Employment Program will run for 35 weeks, including a five week work term placement with an Industrial-Commercial-Institutional Contractor. This cooperative vocational education program leads to Level One electrician theory accreditation with credit for […]