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HAMILTON, ONT. — A new national project, Resilient Housing and Upskilling for Canada’s Communities, was recently announced by the Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2) to support workforce development in Indigenous and rural communities across Canada. 

The project is designed to facilitate community workforce planning for communities by bringing organizations together from across industries and sectors, identifying high-growth employment areas and finding local sources of labour to meet employer demand, indicates a release.

C2R2 institutions participating in the Resilient Housing and Upskilling for Canada’s Communities project are:  

• British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) – Burnaby, B.C.
• Cégep de Rimouski – Rimouski, Que.
• Mohawk College – Hamilton, Ont.
• Okanagan College – Kelowna, B.C.
• Saskatchewan Indian Institute for Technologies (SIIT) – Saskatoon, Sask.
• Saskatchewan Polytechnic – Regina

C2R2 members will work with up to 20 communities and benefit 204 workers.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) provided over $3 million to C2R2 institutions to execute the project until March 31, 2024.

Launched by ESDC, the Community Workforce Development Program provides an opportunity to test community-based approaches to workforce planning and skills training to support local economic development and growth with the goal to benefit 25 communities, 250 employers and 2,500 workers.

Throughout the implementation of the project, C2R2 is committed to three key goals: consulting with Indigenous communities to identify and co-develop housing opportunities and training needs; creating resources to guide Indigenous communities through the planning and construction of their own housing solutions; and developing certification and skills training for Indigenous workers in trades related to planning and building housing.

Workers who take training offered through the CWDP will experience courses that focus heavily on sustainable building training and will also have the opportunity to learn both online and in person, gain the hands-on experience needed for construction and sustainable building workforce occupations, and have the opportunity to connect directly with industry experts, the release states.