Ontario Construction News staff writer
Nominations are open until March 30 for the first Building Diversity Awards and Recognition Program, a partnership with construction industry partners including the Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN), EllisDon and Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA).
Ontario Construction News is proud to be a media sponsor for the program.
“This initiative will be the first ever of its kind and launch a much broader conversation about the future of the construction industry,” said TCBN executive director Rosemarie Powell.
“This first annual awards and recognition program recognizes those contractors, unions and individuals in Ontario that are leading the way by working together to increase diversity within the construction industry.”
TCBN is a 120-member community- labour coalition representing an innovative coalition made up of trade unions, trades training centres, workforce development agencies, grassroots groups and community organizations serving under-represented groups that works closely with governments, employers and foundations.
The Building Diversity Awards will recognize and award exemplary contractors, unions and client/owners as well as industry champions who are leading in diversity, equity and inclusion to increase the participation of Black, Indigenous and racialized workers, including youth, women and newcomers within their organizations. Recipients of this award will be recognized at an Awards Celebration taking place on May 13.
EllisDon is one of the event sponsors.
“At EllisDon, we are committed to supporting real efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the construction industry. That’s why we are sponsoring Toronto Community Benefits Network (TCBN) and this year’s first annual Building Diversity Awards (BDA),” the company states on its website.
Award recipients will be recognized for one or more steps they are taking that correspond to the Global Diversity and Inclusion Benchmarks (standards for organizations around the world), as adapted by BuildForce Canada for the Construction Industry.
All recipients will then be eligible for assistance to develop a comprehensive plan to recruit and embrace the diversity of their local workforce.
Award categories:
Community Benefits Champion Award
- Recognizes an individual working for a private developer, local union, municipality, government agency, school board, academic or health institution who is making extraordinary efforts to ensure underrepresented groups are accessing and succeeding in the trades.
NexGen Builders Champion Award
- Recognizes a current or past mentee or a mentor from your union or job site, or from TCBN’s NexGen Builders Mentoring Program. As a Mentor, the nominee has excelled in supporting the professional growth and development of a Mentee. As a Mentee, the nominee has experienced exceptional progress in taking the steps needed to succeed in a trades career.
Leading on Diversity Award – Owner/Client
- Recognizes an Owner Client that is making extraordinary efforts to ensure underrepresented groups are accessing and succeeding in the trades.
Leading on Diversity Award – Contractor
- Recognizes a Contractor that is making extraordinary efforts to ensure underrepresented groups are accessing and succeeding in the trades.
Leading on Diversity Award – Union
- Recognizes a Union that is making extraordinary efforts to ensure underrepresented groups are accessing and succeeding in the trades.
To nominate an individual or organization for an award, select the award category you wish to nominate them for and fill the corresponding nomination form. You will need to create a free nominator account.
The Toronto Community Benefits Network has built a strong community-labour partnership with a support base of workforce development agencies, learning institutions and funders.
TCBN announced a partnership with Aecon last spring to provide support to construction workers who have been laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing access to training and mentoring programs.
The NexGen Builders Mentorship Program prepares workers who have been historically underrepresented in the construction industry to enter the workforce. The program is geared towards those in their final stages of pre-apprenticeship training, to support them through the intake process with the union and the first year of their apprenticeship.
Nominate a co-worker or organization making amazing efforts to ensure unrepresented groups are accessing and succeeding in the trades while creating and supporting a respectful, and inclusive workplace.
For more information contact Varni Tayalan at bda@communitybenefits.ca or text (647) 699-4430.