Construction Industry Training Network

WEBINAR: Field Productivity 101
2021-02-11 07:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | Online
Contractor success depends heavily on the field production of tradespeople. Lead towards efficiency and start seeing improvements to your bottom line. This seminar will define Field Productivity, discuss the effects of low Field Productivity, and outline approaches to increasing Field Productivity.
This one-day workshop covers:

Introduction to Field Productivity
The Contractor’s Role in improving Productivity
The Supervisor’s Role in Improving Field Productivity
Labour Productivity
Equipment Productivity
Factors that Impact Productivity
Quantifying Lost Productivity

Who should attend? Anyone whose work is described in industry contracts: Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Construction Managers, Superintendents, General Foremen, Foremen and Estimators of all levels will benefit from the workshop. This course is for Contractors and Sub-Contractors in all segments of the Construction Industry.
This course is a CCA Gold Seal Certified Course (1 Credit).
Duration: 7 Hours
Webinar time: 7:00am – 3:00 pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Instructor: Phil Perry of Perry Educational Services Ltd has 30 plus years in the Construction Industry, most of which was Project Managing Industrial Projects for General Contractors. He has been teaching Post-Secondary Construction Management Courses for the last twelve years for organizations such as the Edmonton Construction Association, Calgary Construction Association, Winnipeg Construction Association, Ontario Roadbuilders Association, Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Association, University of Alberta Faculty of Extension, and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. He has been facilitating Better SuperVision programs since 2009. He has facilitated over 350 courses and over 2500 students over the last four years. In his spare time, Phil is a Master Course Facilitator for a National Sports Organization and chaired their National Coaching/Instructional Program for four years. He was the recipient of the 2018 IG Wealth Management Community National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Coach Developer Award.
Register Now!

WEBINAR: Workplace Harassment - What It is and What to Do About It
2021-02-11 11:00 - 13:00 | Online
Harassment in the workplace can come in a variety of forms, with the potential for far-reaching effects on the health and well-being of workers, as well as on their job tenure, job stability and job satisfaction. Did you know that overall- in Canada, 19% of women and 13% of men reported that they had experienced harassment in their workplace in the past year? Workplace harassment includes verbal abuse, humiliating behaviour, threats to persons, physical violence, and unwanted sexual attention or sexual harassment.
This type of behavior has harmful effects on the victims such as health and self-esteem problems, as well as negative impacts on the workplaces where it occurs, including decreased productivity and increased absenteeism.
In this 2-hour live online session we will explore strategies on:

How to prevent harassment from occurring
What sorts of policies should be in place?
What should managers do to protect their employees?
And if a complaint is filed, what will we do?

While this session is part of a series, participants are not required to attend all sessions in the series or attend in any sequence. Each session can be attended independently.
Presenter: Pamela Bragg
Pamela Bragg is the owner of Sarkany Management Inc., a Human Resources Consulting firm, which offers a broad range of HR services. Pamela has a comprehensive background in executive level human resources and holds a Masters Certificate in Strategic Human Resources & Organizational Change.
Disclaimer: The content of this presentation is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.
Webinar time: 11:00am – 1:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Register Now!

Construction Industry Ethics - Vancouver
2021-02-16 08:30 - 16:30 | Vancouver Regional Construction Association, 3636 E 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5M 1M3, Canada
By maintaining high ethical standards, and being consistent in our practices, we thrive both personally and professionally. This course will help you navigate the ethical grey areas you face every day.
Effective 2017, the online ethics course PLUS a full day classroom ethics course will be mandatory to receive Gold Seal Certification. Gold Seal has allocated a total of 3 credits to this course (2 for the online portion and 1 for the classroom portion).
Note: Participants are required to complete the Construction Industry Ethics online course prior to enrolling in the classroom course.
Instructor: Tim Williams, MBA, B.Econ., CPA, GSC, is the President of BGC Partners Inc. BGC Partners provides training services tailor made for the construction industry. Tim has worked with numerous construction companies for over twenty years. He is a Gold Seal Certified project manager. He is an experienced and sought after trainer who has trained construction owners and managers across the on behalf of construction industry associations across Western Canada.
Register Now!

WEBINAR: Earned Value Management (EVM) for Construction
2021-02-17 07:00 - 15:00 | Online
Earned Value Management (EVM) is a project planning and control approach which provides cost and schedule performance measurements. It compares actual accomplishment of scheduled work and associated cost against a baseline schedule and budget plan. Its benefits include projections of anticipated project schedule, and cost trends, and the ability to take timely corrective actions for undesired variances.

EVM is one of the most powerful and productive concepts used in managing today’s complex projects in private, commercial, and government environments.

The fundamentals of EVM will be presented in a down-to-earth, basic approach, along with hands-on exercises and examples that will allow participants to apply the concepts.

Participants will:

• Obtain basic knowledge in understanding and using an effective performance management system in managing construction projects effectively
• Detect both positive and negative trends in a timely manner
• Forecast the Projected Final Cost (Estimate at Completion) using several techniques
• Confidently and quickly make project decisions concerning scope, cost, and schedule
• Learn to avoid the project-management pitfalls by identifying and mitigating risks

Who should attend? Anyone whose work involves planning and progressing the work: Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Construction Managers, Superintendents, General Foremen, and Estimators of all levels will benefit from the workshop. This course is for Owners, Consultants, Contractors and Sub-Contractors in all segments of the Construction Industry.

This course is a CCA Gold Seal Certified Course (1 Credit)

Duration: 7 Hours

Webinar time: 7:00am – 3:00 pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Instructor: Phil Perry of Perry Educational Services Ltd has 30 plus years in the Construction Industry, most of which was Project Managing Industrial Projects for General Contractors. He has been teaching Post-Secondary Construction Management Courses for the last twelve years for organizations such as the Edmonton Construction Association, Calgary Construction Association, Winnipeg Construction Association, Ontario Roadbuilders Association, Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Association, University of Alberta Faculty of Extension, and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. He has been facilitating Better SuperVision programs since 2009. He has facilitated over 350 courses and over 2500 students over the last four years. In his spare time, Phil is a Master Course Facilitator for a National Sports Organization and chaired their National Coaching/Instructional Program for four years. He was the recipient of the 2018 IG Wealth Management Community National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Coach Developer Award.
Register Now!

Site Leadership - Kelowna
2021-02-17 08:00 - 16:30 | Fairfield Inn and Suites Kelowna, 1655 Powick Road, Kelowna, BC, V1X 4L1, Canada
Would you like to improve your construction site leadership skills?
This course will enhance your ability to build a collaborative team culture with their staff, improve job site productivity and complete projects on time, on budget, and safely. Ideal for lead hands, foremen and front-line supervisors that want to increase their leadership effectiveness.
At the end of the course participants will be able to:

Identify and apply different leadership styles and approaches
Enhance the motivation and engagement of construction workers and teams
Utilize leadership techniques to build cohesive and effective crews
Understand the Eight Wastes in order to reduce downtime and inefficiencies on site
Understand different personality styles and how to communicate effectively with each one
Recognize substance abuse and how to deal with it appropriately
Improve their training skills and conduct a successful toolbox talk
Deal with difficult people, conflict and confrontational situations
Use collaborative decision-making skills and build a collaborative culture
Understand the importance of ethics and safety first when leading others

Instructor: Tim Williams, B.Econ., MBA, CPA, GSC is the President of BGC Partners Inc. BGC Partners provides training services tailor made for the construction industry. Tim has worked with numerous construction companies for over twenty years. He is a Gold Seal Certified project manager. He is an experienced and sought-after trainer who has trained construction owners and managers on behalf of construction industry associations across Western Canada.
Register Now!

Responsibilities of Joint Health & Safety Committees - Burnaby
2021-02-17 08:00 - 16:30, 2021-03-17 08:00 - 16:30 | Universal Health and Safety, 201-4199 Lougheed Hwy, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5C 3Y6, Canada
On April 3, 2017, changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation regarding joint health and safety committees and worker health and safety representatives took effect. All new joint committee members selected on or after April 3, 2017 must receive eight hours of training. This course will help participants fulfill the new requirement.
Participants will:

Know how to use the OHS Regulation and WC Act to access health & safety requirements;
Explain the roles and functions of the Joint Committee and the Worker Representatives;
Learn how to perform an incident investigation;
Learn how to perform a formal site inspection; and
Develop a foundation in knowledge to:

Promote workplace health and safety
Assist in ensuring the health and safety program elements are implemented;
Conduct and participate in Joint Committee Meetings; and
Work cooperatively to address workers’ health and safety concerns.

Topics covered:

Use of WorkSafe OHS Regulation;
Joint Health and Safety committee and workers representatives;
OHS Program;
Safety Inspections;
Incident investigations;
Refusal of unsafe work;
How to work as a committee;
Different types of recommendations; and
Hazard management.

Due to WorkSafe regulations around the required number of training hours, this workshop will begin at 8:00 AM sharp. Late arrivals will not be accepted.
What previous participants have said:
“The facilitator was the key to making this class a success. It could be dry, boring and tedious, but not with this instructor!”
“Very good, informative and interactive.”
Register Now!

WEBINAR: Diversity and Systemic Discrimination in Today's Workplace
2021-02-17 09:00 - 12:00 | Online
You have heard the term a lot in the media. Is there systemic racism in Canada? How would you recognize it in your organization?
This session takes a Canadian perspective on a topical conversation. We talk about some of the barriers that have been set up to make it difficult for marginalized groups to function effectively in Canadian society, debate the pros and cons of solutions aimed at addressing systemic racism and examine our own, individual responses to others.
In this 3-hour live online session, we will cover:

Awareness: Systemic discrimination and the Canadian experience
Motivation: Why we need to take collective action?
Pathways: How we can make a difference?

Presenter: Christian Codrington, CPHR
Christian has held senior management roles with a number of significant employers throughout his career prior to starting Forum HCM. In his previous engagement, Christian built the human resource function at the Industry Training Authority (ITA). This has included updating and implementing a revised compensation framework, marketing and updating the benefits plan and developing a performance management system.
Prior to this role and while at the Chartered Professional in Human Resources – BC (CPHR), he led teams responsible for professional development, metrics, and the office of the registrar for the CHRP designation. Christian was also responsible for government relations, starting the association down its path to become a self-regulated profession.
Before CPHR, Christian was with Best Buy Canada, leading a human resource team. He has also worked at Starbucks Coffee, as an employee/labour relations specialist and coach to senior leaders and staff; the Children’s & Women’s Health Centre of BC (C&W), and Service Canada in various HR/LR roles. In his previous jobs he has been responsible to deliver many human resource related initiatives, negotiated, interpreted and managed within the parameters of numerous collective agreements, as well as represented each organization at administrative tribunals, such as the Labour Relations Board, the Human Rights Tribunal and small claims courts.
He has appeared in dozens of radio, print and television features including the Vancouver Sun/Province, Globe & Mail, Business in Vancouver, Global News, CBC News, the Current, the Early Edition providing expert commentary on human resource related subjects.
Christian graduated from Simon Fraser University with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration concentrating in Organizational Behaviour. He also supplemented those learnings with two certificates from the Justice Institute of BC. One in Conflict Resolution and Third Party Negotiation and another in Mediation.
Webinar Time:
February 17, 2021 – 9:00am to 12:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Register Now!

WEBINAR: Construction Drawings 101
2021-02-18 07:00 - 11:00 | Online
This is an interactive half-day seminar that will cover the fundamentals of interpreting construction drawings. The seminar will deal with the basics of interpreting information from plans, elevations, sections, details, and notes contained in typical drawings.

Course Topics
• List the components of a typical construction drawing set
• Identify typical drawing types, symbols, notes and scales
• Recognize the common types of drawing sets and explain their differences
• Extrapolate specific information from a drawing set and cross-reference it to the construction specification
Who should attend? Anyone who is new to using Construction Drawings. This course is for Owners, Contractors, Sub-Contractors and Suppliers.
Duration – 1/2 Day – 4 Hours
Instructor: Phil Perry of Perry Educational Services Ltd has 30 plus years in the Construction Industry, most of which was Project Managing Industrial Projects for General Contractors. He has been teaching Post-Secondary Construction Management Courses for the last twelve years for organizations such as the Edmonton Construction Association, Calgary Construction Association, Winnipeg Construction Association, Ontario Roadbuilders Association, Newfoundland and Labrador Construction Association, University of Alberta Faculty of Extension, and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. He has been facilitating Better SuperVision programs since 2009. He has facilitated over 350 courses and over 2500 students over the last four years. In his spare time, Phil is a Master Course Facilitator for a National Sports Organization and chaired their National Coaching/Instructional Program for four years. He was the recipient of the 2018 IG Wealth Management Community National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Coach Developer Award.
Register Now!

Construction Law - Kelowna
2021-02-18 08:00 - 2021-02-19 16:30 | Fairfield Inn and Suites Kelowna, 1655 Powick Road, Kelowna, BC, V1X 4L1, Canada
Participants will develop an understanding of contract law as it relates to construction and the various CCDC/CCA and other contracts used within the industry. Participants will also learn the other legal means to resolve construction disputes and avoid litigation. At the end of the course participants will be able to:

Understand the basics of contract law –intention, offer, acceptance, consideration, capacity and legality
Be familiar with various CCDC/CCA contracts -how and why they are used
Be familiar with various legal terms used in contracts
Understand the contract responsibilities of various parties
Understand the bidding process and contractual obligations
Define back charges and how to avoid them
Avoid construction disputes and claims from the site level
Write RFIs and Change Orders
Understand the dispute resolution process – negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and litigation
Use the Builder’s Lien Act to obtain security
Use the small claims process to collect debts
Understand environmental law and how it impacts projects
Understand safety law and it impacts construction companies
Understand how specifications and drawings fit within the contractual hierarchy
Understand the contractual relationship between contractor and sub-contractor
Compile and submit proper extras and claims

Topics to be covered:

The basic concepts of contract law
CCA, CCDC and other contracts
Legal terms used in contracts
Bidding process and contractual obligations
Specifications, drawings and the contractual hierarchy
Contractual relationships between contractor and sub-contractor
Compiling and submitting proper extras and claims
Defining back charges and how to avoid them
Avoiding construction disputes and claims from the site level
Writing RFIs and Change Orders
The dispute resolution process
The Builder’s Lien Act
The Small Claims process
Environmental law
Safety legislation and regulations

Two days (16 hours) of lessons with instructors plus an online portion involving research, reading and answering questions (7-8 hours) that will be marked by the instructors.
Register Now!

WEBINAR: Dealing with Difficult People
2021-02-18 11:00 - 13:00 | Online
Success in dealing with conflict comes from understanding how we behave, as well as how we can influence others. If we approach difficulties as needing to take place in one or a series of conversations, and we approach those conversations with a plan, we will find that we have less difficult people to deal with. More often than not, we will also have more meaningful and significant conversations. In this workshop, you will learn how to turn difficult situations into opportunities for growth.
In this 2-hour live online session we will explore strategies on:

How your own attitudes and actions impact others.
New and effective techniques for dealing with difficult people.
Techniques for managing and dealing with anger.
Dealing with difficult people and difficult situations.

While this session is part of a series, participants are not required to attend all sessions in the series or attend in any sequence. Each session can be attended independently.
Presenter: Pamela Bragg
Pamela Bragg is the owner of Sarkany Management Inc., a Human Resources Consulting firm, which offers a broad range of HR services. Pamela has a comprehensive background in executive level human resources and holds a Masters Certificate in Strategic Human Resources & Organizational Change.
Disclaimer: The content of this presentation is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.
Webinar time: 11:00am – 1:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Register Now!

WEBINAR: Microsoft Project Expert
2021-02-22 08:00 - 16:30 | Online
The expert course is for participants who have completed the core Project course and who want to gain further skills in creating customized reports, running or overseeing multiple projects, the use of a shared resource pool and exporting to Excel. The course will also build skills and strategies for creating organizational templates that will create standardized projects across the company.
The following list summarizes skills that participants will be comfortable with after this course.

Create customized reports
Conditional formatting applied to Gantt chart
Customized tables and fields
Create master projects, insert and work with sub-projects and create links to external tasks
Creating and sharing a resource pool
Create export map to Excel
Creating and sharing organizational Project templates

IMPORTANT NOTE: Participant are required to have the Microsoft Project and Microsoft Excel progams on their computer to participate.
This hands-on course is taught by a certified Microsoft Master Instructor. Participants will receive authorized Microsoft manuals and Microsoft approved practice exercises.
Course Pre-Requisites: This course assumes that all students have completed the Microsoft Project core course.
Workshop Time:
February 22 – 8:15 AM to 4:30 PM Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Register Now!

Civil Sitework Estimating - Abbotsford
2021-02-22 08:00 - 2021-02-23 16:30 | BGC Partners Inc. Office, 200-2296 McCallum Road, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 3P4, Canada
Participants will learn skills and knowledge to estimate civil sitework construction projects and prepare a successful bid. The course is designed for those interested in becoming civil sitework estimators and for workers with experience in construction that desire to improve their knowledge of sitework estimating.
At the end of the course participants will be able to:• Calculate work quantities from engineering drawings
• Adjust for material swell and shrink factors
• Assemble efficient crews, and determine productivity
• Put into practice effective methods for determining job costs.
• Use essential formats for clearly estimating equipment, labor, material and other service costs related to completing a project.
• Assess and decide how a variety of physical site complexities may affect the estimated cost of a project. Use methods to counteract these variances.
• Better identify and interpret general site conditions, special conditions and technical specifications associated with sitework projects.
• Analyze projects and decide on which ones to bid
• Understand risk analysis and how to price this into a bid
• Do competitor analysis and understand how this impacts the bid
• Do client risk analysis and how to price this into bids
• Record material and other prices and maintain contact lists
• Formulate a bid strategy
• Understand how to prepare an estimate and the estimating process
• Become familiar with Construction Division Codes
• Understand how to present a bid
• Be familiar with how to use the bid depository
• Understand the requirements for bonding and insurance
• Understand the post-bidding process
• Work with project managers to pass on knowledge of the bid
The instructors:
Mark Waters, CTech., GSC as worked in the civil and environmental construction industry for the past 30 years and is an experienced project manager and estimator. He graduated from the BCIT Geomatics Technician program with honours in 1996 and joined the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians Association of BC (ASTTBC) in 1997. Mark spent many of his earlier civil construction years as a project superintendent and engineering surveyor.
Tim Williams MBA, B.Econ., CPA, GSC, is the President of BGC Partners Inc. Tim has worked with numerous construction companies for over twenty years. He is a Gold Seal Certified
project manager. He is an experienced and sought after trainer who has trained construction owners and managers on behalf of construction industry associations across Western Canada.

Register Now!

WEBINAR: Providing Exceptional Customer Service
2021-02-23 08:30 - 2021-02-24 12:30 | Online
Set up in 2 – 1/2-day live instructor lead online training sessions (8:30am – 12:30pm each day) this seminar will cover the same content as the in-person seminar.
In today’s competitive market, how do you differentiate you and your organization from others? How do you ensure that you’re adding value?
This interactive seminar will help you to develop crucial customer service skills to build strong relationships with your clients, whether one-on-one or with a group. You’ll learn how to engage with the customer, and how to proactively recommend additional products and services to your client, as part of the overall service you provide. You’ll also learn how to best represent your organization and build your customer service reputation. In addition, we’ll cover aspects related to negotiations, cross and up-selling, and closing the deal.
Through a series of hands-on workshops, you’ll build your confidence and competitive advantage to provide exceptional customer service for existing and future customers.
In this seminar, you’ll learn to:

Develop your customer engagement and experience strategy
Apply effective listening skills
Draw out what your clients really need, and how to add value
Work with difficult and demanding customers
Build strong and lasting relationships with potential and existing clients

Instructor: Eric Tung is a Business Communications Instructor at SFU’s Beedie School of Business, and an English Instructor at UBC’s Extended Learning, where he teaches business and technical writing courses. Eric also designs and delivers customized workshops to engineering, construction, and consulting firms. He works with clients and coaches them on developing their effective communication skills, negotiation skills, and customer service and sales skills.
In addition to teaching and coaching, Eric is a business transformation and change management consultant, where he advises firms on large-scale organizational-wide changes. Eric’s clients range from smaller consulting firms to larger organizations such as the City of Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, BC Hydro, TELUS, BC Pension Corporation, BC Safety Authority, and Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group.
Webinar times:
February 23, 2021 8:30am – 12:30pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
February 24, 2021 8:30am – 12:30pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Register Now!

Construction Law - Vancouver
2021-02-25 08:00 - 2021-02-26 16:30 | Vancouver Regional Construction Association, 3636 E 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5M 1M3, Canada

WEBINAR: Navigating a Multi-Generational Workplace
2021-02-25 11:00 - 13:00 | Online
We are at the generational crossroads of workplace composition in Canada. For the first time in modern history there are 4 generations in the average Canadian workplace, and it is estimated that by 2020, at least 50% of the workforce in Canada will be Millennials.
This workshop will explore some of the challenges and opportunities businesses face as the generational balance tips as the Boomers continue to retire and the Millennials and Gen Z take their place. What will this mean for your managers and supervisors? What will be the impact on your organizational culture, trends, social norms and recruitment and retention strategies?
In this 2-hour webinar session, we will:

Gain insight into the generations represented in today’s workplace
Look at the generational difference & similarities in the workplace (myths and facts?)
Explore how to manage a multi-generational workforce
Discuss options on how to reward and motivate all generations
Discuss how to remove generational barriers and stereotypes
Examine how the baby boomer’s retirement will create leadership opportunities for Millennials
Talk about work life balance and is it really just the Millennials who care?
AND, explore the concept of managing individuals, not generations

While this session is part of a series, participants are not required to attend all sessions in the series or attend in any sequence. Each session can be attended independently.
Who Should Attend This Session?
Anyone who works with, or leads cross generational teams, as well as Senior Management and HR Professionals who lead recruitment, retention and engagement activities.
Presenter: Pamela Bragg
Pamela Bragg is the owner of Sarkany Management Inc., a Human Resources Consulting firm, which offers a broad range of HR services. Pamela has a comprehensive background in executive level human resources and holds a Masters Certificate in Strategic Human Resources & Organizational Change.
Disclaimer: The content of this presentation is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

Webinar time: 11:00am – 1:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Register Now!

Introduction to Blueprint Reading - Abbotsford
2021-03-03 08:00 - 16:30 | BGC Partners Inc. Office, 200-2296 McCallum Road, Abbotsford, BC, V2S 3P4, Canada
Participants will learn how to read a set of construction blueprints and specifications. Using both residential and commercial samples of blueprints, participants will gain experience and practical knowledge for their day-to-day work in construction companies. This course is ideal for those who have little or no background in blueprint reading. At the end of the course participants will be able to:

Have an elementary knowledge of blueprint reading as it relates to building construction projects
Understand in general terms the design process and the role of design professionals
Understand how Building Codes and Bylaws impact blueprints
Understand specifications and the contractual hierarchy
Be able to find trade information using blueprints
Be able to answer basic construction questions related to the layout and installation of materials
Be able to identify elementary problems or short comings of the blueprints you are using
Be familiar with architectural, civil, electrical and mechanical drawings, and how they fit together
Understand and be able to use architectural & engineering scales
Understand how to convert engineering dimensions to architectural
Know what a floor plan, section and elevation are
Understand symbols, notation, abbreviations and material schedules
Be able to work with the drawings to obtain basic information on dimension, finishes, details, area calculations, and the ability to do simple material take offs
Be familiar with both commercial and residential blueprints

Topics to be covered:

Blueprint reading basics
Design process and the role of design professionals
Building Codes, bylaws and building permits
Find trade information using blueprints
Layout basics
Architectural, civil, electrical and mechanical drawings, and how they fit together
Architectural & engineering scales
Floor plans, sections and elevations
Symbols, notation, abbreviations and material schedules
Dimension, finishes, details, area calculations, and material take offs
Understanding specifications
Commercial and residential blueprints

Register Now!

Civil Blueprint Reading - Kamloops
2021-03-03 08:00 - 16:30 | Holiday Inn & Suites Kamloops, 675 Tranquille Road, Kamloops, BC, V2B 3H7, Canada
Participants will learn how to read a set of civil construction blueprints, drawing specifications and general notes. Using various samples of civil blueprints, participants will gain experience and practical knowledge for their day-to-day work on construction projects.
At the end of the course participants will be able to:
• Have an elementary knowledge of civil blueprint reading as it relates to building construction projects
• Understand in general terms the design process and the role of design professionals
• Understand how Building Codes and Bylaws impact blueprints
• Understand specifications and the contractual hierarchy
• Be able to find trade information using blueprints
• Be able to answer basic construction questions related to the layout and installation of materials
• Be able to identify elementary problems or short comings of the blueprints you are using
• Be familiar with civil, architectural and structural drawings, and how they fit together
• Understand and be able to use architectural & metric scale rules
• Understand how to convert metric dimensions to architectural (imperial) dimensions
• Know what a floor plan, section, detail, profile and elevation are
• Understand symbols, notations, abbreviations and material schedules
• Be able to work with the drawings to obtain basic information on dimensions, finishes, details, area calculations, and the ability to do simple materialtakeoffs
Audience: Ideal for those who have little or no background in civil blueprint reading.
The instructor: Mark Waters, CTech., GSC has worked in the civil and environmental construction industry for the past 30 years and is an experienced project manager and
estimator. He graduated from the BCIT Geomatics Technician program with honours in 1996 and joined the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians Association of BC (ASTTBC) in 1997. Mark spent many of his earlier civil construction years as a project superintendent
and engineering surveyor.
Register Now!

Civil Sitework Estimating - Kamloops
2021-03-04 08:00 - 2021-03-05 16:30 | Holiday Inn & Suites Kamloops, 675 Tranquille Road, Kamloops, BC, V2B 3H7, Canada
Participants will learn skills and knowledge to estimate civil sitework construction projects and prepare a successful bid. The course is designed for those interested in becoming civil sitework estimators and for workers with experience in construction that desire to improve their knowledge of sitework estimating.
At the end of the course participants will be able to:
• Calculate work quantities from engineering drawings
• Adjust for material swell and shrink factors
• Assemble efficient crews, and determine productivity
• Put into practice effective methods for determining job costs.
• Use essential formats for clearly estimating equipment, labor, material and other service costs related to completing a project.
• Assess and decide how a variety of physical site complexities may affect the estimated cost of a project. Use methods to counteract these variances.
• Better identify and interpret general site conditions, special conditions and technical specifications associated with sitework projects.
• Analyze projects and decide on which ones to bid
• Understand risk analysis and how to price this into a bid
• Do competitor analysis and understand how this impacts the bid
• Do client risk analysis and how to price this into bids
• Record material and other prices and maintain contact lists
• Formulate a bid strategy
• Understand how to prepare an estimate and the estimating process
• Become familiar with Construction Division Codes
• Understand how to present a bid
• Be familiar with how to use the bid depository
• Understand the requirements for bonding and insurance
• Understand the post-bidding process
• Work with project managers to pass on knowledge of the bid
The instructors:
Mark Waters, CTech., GSC as worked in the civil and environmental construction industry for the past 30 years and is an experienced project manager and estimator. He graduated from the BCIT Geomatics Technician program with honours in 1996 and joined the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians Association of BC (ASTTBC) in 1997. Mark spent many of his earlier civil construction years as a project superintendent and engineering surveyor.
Tim Williams MBA, B.Econ., CPA, GSC, is the President of BGC Partners Inc. Tim has worked with numerous construction companies for over twenty years. He is a Gold Seal Certified
project manager. He is an experienced and sought after trainer who has trained construction owners and managers on behalf of construction industry associations across Western Canada.
Register Now!

WEBINAR: From Hiring to Termination
2021-03-04 11:00 - 13:00 | Online
Almost everything in business depends on the competency of your employees; therefore, the people you hire are critical to your success. Just as critical is letting go of those workers who are no longer contributing to the organization.

Both tasks can be difficult, even tricky if you are not well prepared. What you do not want to do is find yourself defending your practices.

In this two-hour live, instructor lead webinar, we will introduce participants to these basic hiring and termination concepts:

How to hire the best people possible from inside or outside of the organization to fill open positions.
Understand your legal obligations when it comes to “for cause” and “not for cause” terminations.
How to comply with Canadian legislation in both the hiring and termination process.
How to identify the many forms of discriminatory hiring and termination practices.
Some key takeaways and best practices to implement in your workplace

While this session is part of a series, participants are not required to attend all sessions in the series or attend in any sequence. Each session can be attended independently.

Presenter: Pamela Bragg – Sarkany Management Inc.

Pamela Bragg is the owner of Sarkany Management Inc., a Human Resources Consulting firm, which offers a broad range of HR services.

Pamela has a comprehensive background in executive level human resources and holds a Masters Certificate in Strategic Human Resources & Organizational Change.

Webinar time: 11:00am – 1:00 pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)

Register Now!

WEBINAR: Negotiation Skills Workshop
2021-03-09 08:30 - 2021-03-10 12:30 | Online
Set up in 2 – 1/2-day live instructor lead online training sessions (8:30am – 12:30pm each day) this seminar will cover the same content as the in-person seminar. There is no opportunity to re-schedule or request for a partial refund if a student cannot attend both sessions. Please plan to be fully engaged in the class and clear your work schedule just as you would for the in-class program.

The truth is that in our professional lives we don’t get what we deserve – we get what we negotiate. Are you finding your customers, clients, employees or boss or employers increasingly demanding, wanting more for less? Do you ever feel that you are being taken advantage of? Many individuals often fail in negotiation not because they are unable to get an agreement, but because they walk away from the table when they could have done much better. In this seminar you will learn a proven, practical step-by-step approach to win-win negotiations and how to protect yourself from “hardball” negotiators.

Topics to be covered:

The most common negotiating mistakes people make and how to avoid them
Understanding the difference between Collaborative “win-win” and Competitive “hardball” negotiations and how to know what game you are playing
The characteristics of highly effective negotiators
Understanding the different sources of negotiating power
How to strengthen your bargaining position
How to create an open communication flow that allows you to deeply understand the other party
The 5 steps process to quickly and effectively plan and prepare for your negotiations
How to determine your “walk-away point”
How to defend yourself against “hardball’ negotiators
How to counter the 5 common manipulative strategies being used against you
How to create win – win outcomes that ensure the other party lives up to their end of the bargain

Instructor: Greg Campeau has delivered over 2400 presentations and workshops throughout North America providing strategies and solutions that support both personal and organizational success. He has established a client list that includes organizations like Finning, Lafarge, NHL Coaches Association, BC Hydro, Rogers Wireless, APEG BC, SNC Lavalin, Klohn Crippen Berger and many more.

What previous participants said:
“Found it productive and informative.”
“A great course for personal and business relationships.”
“Very informative. I learned a lot about my current habits and weaknesses to overcome.”
“Great catalyst for a lot more than negotiating.”

Register Now!

Project Accounting & Cost Control - Vancouver
2021-03-10 08:00 - 16:30 | Vancouver Regional Construction Association, 3636 E 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5M 1M3, Canada
Participants will learn how to design and read various construction financial reports and improve the business systems of their construction company.
At the end of the course participants will be able to:
• Understand the various types of contracts within the construction industry and the implications to the design of project financial management and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Understand the estimating process from bid to award to mobilization. Be able to read and understand a General Summary Sheet of the bid and the steps to producing a Project Budget.
• Understand the various types of Change Order methods within the contract and the implications for Change Order reporting. Be able to link the site resources to a Daily Extra Report and the coding to the General Ledger.
• Be able to read financial statements: income statement, balance sheet, cashflow, job cost reports, etc and make decisions on a timely basis.
• Be able to forecast percentage of completion reports: projected income statements, job costing and cashflow to satisfy internal and external stakeholders eg., banks, bonding company.
• Understand and calculate various financial ratios used to understand financial reports and create company dashboards.
• Understand the holdback requirements of the Builder’s Lien Act and typical invoicing processes used at month end.
• Be able to calculate aged accounts payable and receivables separate from holdback amounts.
• Understand the importance of payroll reporting and being able to link this to the project schedule and labour productivity assumptions used by the estimating team.
• Understand the importance of procurement internal controls and the normal process used for both accrual based accounting and committed cost accounting.
• Understand the normal close out processes and the reports expected for project budget vs actual, deficiencies and warranties.
Instructor: Tim Williams, B.Econ., MBA, CPA, GSC is the President of BGC Partners Inc. BGC Partners provides training services tailor made for the construction industry. Tim has worked with numerous construction companies for over twenty years. He is a Gold Seal Certified project manager. He is an experienced and sought after trainer who has trained construction owners and managers on behalf of construction industry associations across Western Canada.
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WEBINAR: Fueling a Working Day
2021-03-10 13:00 - 14:00 | Online
Everyone is familiar with that “hitting a wall” feeling when you haven’t eaten properly, or feeling like you’re surrounded by junk food while in the office. However, a healthy diet in the office doesn’t have to be complicated or mean you can’t partake in the occasional treat.
In this 1-hour interactive session we will discuss:

Benefits of healthy eating
What does a balanced plate look like?
Importance of regular meal timing
Potential challenges to healthy eating at work
Steps to eat healthy during your workday
Meal planning/prepping

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Describe how eating well can impact your life.
Understand macronutrients and their roles in our health.
Recognize how regular mealtimes impact blood sugars, and peaks and dips in energy levels.
Plan and prepare healthy meals for work

Presenter: Jessica Cochrane, Performance Dietitian, BSc. HNU, RD
Jessica is a Registered Dietitian (RD) with extensive experience includeing clinical work for Fraser Health’s nutritional services, as well as sport nutrition expertise obtained while consulting for recreational athletes and sports teams. By using her clinical skill set and passion for food and sport, Jessica is able to assess each client’s unique needs and provide a tailored dietary plan to help fuel performance, enabling the individual to over come the barriers themselves and their health goals.
Webinar Time: 1:00 pm – 2:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
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Supervisory and Management Skills - Kamloops
2021-03-11 08:00 - 2021-03-12 16:30 | Holiday Inn & Suites Kamloops, 675 Tranquille Road, Kamloops, BC, V2B 3H7, Canada
Participants will improve their skills in leadership, management and supervision of staff. Participants will learn skills to enhance their ability to build a collaborative team culture with their staff and on job sites.

At the end of the course participants will be able to:
• Understand the differences between leadership, management and supervision
• Identify different leadership styles and approaches
• Apply different leadership styles to deal with various situations
• Knowledge of motivational theories – Mazlow, Herzberg, MARS
• Ability to enhance individual and group performance and engagement
• Understand different personality styles and how to communicate appropriately
• Effectively manage time
• Understanding stress and how to manage it at work
• Knowledge of substance abuse, recognition and prevention
• Conduct a successful toolbox talk
• Appropriately discipline and/or terminate staff
• Apply various negotiating skills
• Deal with difficult people, conflict and confrontation
• Use collaborative decision making skills
• Understand a systems approach to management of construction companies

Two days (16 hours) of lessons with instructors plus an online portion involving research, reading and answering questions (7-8 hours) that will be marked by the instructors.
What previous participants said:
“Great Class! Instructor was able to hold our attention for long periods of time.”
“Excellent course layout and and presentation.”
Register Now!

WEBINAR: Progressive Discipline
2021-03-11 11:00 - 13:00 | Online
The majority of employees conform to rules and regulations and have a genuine desire to do a good job. On occasion though, even good employees make mistakes, and need to be given direction before those mistakes repeat and the behaviour gets to the dismissal stage.

Progressive discipline allows supervisors and managers to build on the skills of their workers and to make clear what their job expectations are by holding them accountable- and providing them the opportunity to improve. This includes setting expectations of the job and the consequences of what will happen if those expectations are not met.

In this 2-hour live instructor lead webinar, we will introduce participants to these basic progressive discipline concepts:

What is “Performance Management”
What is “Progressive Discipline”
Management’s “People” Responsibilities
Sample Policy
Incompetence vs. Misconduct
The Steps to Progressive Discipline
Putting it into Practice

While this session is part of a series, participants are not required to attend all sessions in the series or attend in any sequence. Each session can be attended independently.

Presenter: Pamela Bragg – Sarkany Management Inc.

Pamela Bragg is the owner of Sarkany Management Inc., a Human Resources Consulting firm, which offers a broad range of HR services.

Pamela has a comprehensive background in executive level human resources and holds a Masters Certificate in Strategic Human Resources & Organizational Change.

Webinar time: 11:00am – 1:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Register Now!

WEBINAR: Writing Effective Letters, Scope Documents, Reports and Proposals
2021-03-16 08:00 - 2021-03-17 12:30 | Online
Set up in 2 – 1/2-day live instructor lead online training sessions (8:30am – 12:30pm each day) this seminar will cover the same content as the in-person seminar. There is no opportunity to re-schedule or request for a partial refund if a student cannot attend both sessions. Please plan to be fully engaged in the class and clear your work schedule just as you would for the in-class program
What are key elements of an effectively written document? What should I focus on in my letters, bids, proposals, work plans, reports, and documentation?
Potential clients often judge you based on whether you can clearly articulate the services you provide. Clients may skim your documents, so you need to ensure that your content is organized and that your key points stand out. Your writing ability is important.
This seminar is focused on helping you to do exactly that: to write more effectively. You’ll learn to tailor your writing for your audience and purpose. You’ll apply the strategies required for effective scope documents, letters, and reports. In addition, you’ll also incorporate key principles for editing and revising your documents.
We’ll cover multiple topics, including:
1. Planning your scope documents
2. Writing effective letters
3. Responding to bids and proposals
4. Structuring your reports and project documentation
Instructor: Eric Tung is a Business Communications Instructor at SFU’s Beedie School of Business, and an English Instructor at UBC’s Extended Learning, where he teaches business and technical writing courses. Eric also designs and delivers customized workshops to engineering, construction, and consulting firms.
In addition to teaching and coaching, Eric is a business transformation and change management consultant, where he advises firms on large-scale organizational-wide changes. Eric’s clients range from smaller consulting firms to larger organizations such as the City of Vancouver, District of North Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, BC Hydro, TELUS, BC Pension Corporation, BC Safety Authority, and Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group.
Webinar times:
March 16, 2021 8:30am – 12:30pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
March 17, 2021 8:30am – 12:30pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Register Now!

WEBINAR: Meaningful Performance & Development Conversations
2021-03-18 11:00 - 13:00 | Online
Managing the performance of others is more than just an annual review. Meaningful performance management is an ongoing process that results in continuous improvement, enhanced performance, clear expectations and objective measurement. However, there are times when you need to hold employees accountable and having documented performance management processes is in your best interests.

In this 2-hour interactive session we will discuss:

How to prepare for the conversation
How to monitor performance
How to communicate feedback
How to be specific and hold employees accountable

While this session is part of a series, participants are not required to attend all sessions in the series or attend in any sequence. Each session can be attended independently.

Presenter: Pamela Bragg

Pamela Bragg is the owner of Sarkany Management Inc., a Human Resources Consulting firm, which offers a broad range of HR services. Pamela has a comprehensive background in executive level human resources and holds a Masters Certificate in Strategic Human Resources & Organizational Change.

Disclaimer: The content of this presentation is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

Webinar time: 11:00am – 1:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Register Now!

Sales Skills Workshop - Burnaby
2021-03-23 08:00 - 16:30 | Accent Inn, 3777 Henning Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5C 6N5, Canada
Today’s customers have more choice and power, which means they are more demanding and less loyal. This new reality renders traditional selling strategies and techniques dangerously obsolete. Do you want to be more competitive? Increase your margins? Keep your work flow steady and less cyclical?
This workshop will help everyone in your company grasp the strategies and tactics required to meet your best potential clients and close the sale. Participants will learn a new mind-set, skill-set and tool-set essential for achieving sales cycle success in the new economy.

Participants will learn:

A customer-centered and value-based approach to selling.
Strategies and techniques on how to build and sustain relationships and create customer loyalty.
How to ensure you are having the right meeting with the right people at the right time in the right place for the right reasons.
The eight step customer buying/decision-making process and when to apply the appropriate selling strategies and skills.

The three types of buying decisions and how to conduct a stakeholder analysis to identify all buying influences and who has the real decision making power.
How to present solutions in a powerfully persuasive manner.
How to successfully secure commitment without using high pressure, manipulative closing techniques.
Negotiating strategies and tactics that create win-win margin-maintaining outcomes.

Instructor: Greg Campeau has delivered over 2400 presentations and workshops throughout North America providing strategies and solutions that support both personal and organizational success. He has established a client list that includes organizations like Finning, Lafarge, NHL Coaches Association, BC Hydro, Rogers Wireless, APEG BC, SNC Lavalin, Klohn Crippen Berger and many more.

What previous participants said:
“Very impressive! Complete eye opener and gives a new outlook on everything.”
“Easy to follow, very active.”
“I thought it was great content. Lots of food for thought.”

Register Now!

Supervisory and Management Skills - Vancouver
2021-03-25 08:00 - 2021-03-26 16:30 | Vancouver Regional Construction Association, 3636 E 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5M 1M3, Canada
Participants will improve their skills in leadership, management and supervision of staff. Participants will learn skills to enhance their ability to build a collaborative team culture with their staff and on job sites.

At the end of the course participants will be able to:
• Understand the differences between leadership, management and supervision
• Identify different leadership styles and approaches
• Apply different leadership styles to deal with various situations
• Knowledge of motivational theories – Mazlow, Herzberg, MARS
• Ability to enhance individual and group performance and engagement
• Understand different personality styles and how to communicate appropriately
• Effectively manage time
• Understanding stress and how to manage it at work
• Knowledge of substance abuse, recognition and prevention
• Conduct a successful toolbox talk
• Appropriately discipline and/or terminate staff
• Apply various negotiating skills
• Deal with difficult people, conflict and confrontation
• Use collaborative decision making skills
• Understand a systems approach to management of construction companies

Two days (16 hours) of lessons with instructors plus an online portion involving research, reading and answering questions (7-8 hours) that will be marked by the instructors.
To receive your CPD accredited certificate you must complete the online portion after the 2 day course.
What previous participants said:
“Great Class! Instructor was able to hold our attention for long periods of time.”
“Excellent course layout and and presentation.”
Register Now!

Civil Sitework Estimating - Vancouver
2021-03-29 08:00 - 2021-03-30 16:30 | Vancouver Regional Construction Association, 3636 E 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5M 1M3, Canada
