Toronto, ON, Nov. 02, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toronto Community Benefits Network in partnership with community, labour and construction industry partners is pleased to announce the launch of the first annual province-wide Building Diversity Awards (BDA) and Recognition Program. According to the Ontario Construction Secretariat only two per cent of unionized skilled trades workforce are females, and 11 per cent are visible minorities.
Industry associations like the Ontario General Contractors Association have embraced Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) as a way to bridge the economic divide. Construction industry leaders, like EllisDon, AECON and Tridel are working with their supply chain and building trade unions to advance their goals for community benefits.
“We are thrilled that EllisDon has joined us as our first lead sponsor and event partner,” said, Rosemarie Powell, Executive Director, Toronto Community Benefits Network. “Attracting and retaining a diverse workforce is critical for companies to keep their competitive advantage. As a community-labour coalition, we are committed to working in partnership with construction industry leaders like EllisDon to achieve standardized and coordinated industry recognized systems for preparing, recruiting, tracking, and retaining individuals from local communities in jobs made possible by CBAs.”
BDA will recognize and award exemplary contractors, unions and client/owners as well as industry champions who are leading in diversity, equity and inclusion. Awards recipients will be selected by a committee of diversity, equity and inclusion experts from other industries and jurisdictions. Nominations will be evaluated using the Global Diversity and Inclusion Benchmarks as adapted by BuildForce Canada for the construction industry. Organizations that submit a nomination will be able to measure their progress in building diversity against an industry standard.
"Supporting real efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the construction industry is where we must stand," said Richard Whyte, Chief Estimator, Toronto Civil Division, EllisDon. "Supporting initiatives like the NexGen Builder's Mentoring program for Black youth is one of the reasons we're proud to be a sponsor of the first Annual Building Diversity Awards and TCBN."
To learn more about the nominations process, and get insights about the benchmarks used to decide the winners, join the free online information session held every Wednesday in November at noon.
The nominations period for The Building Diversity Awards will start on November 16th, 2020 and award winners will be announced at a celebration event taking place on May 13th, 2021.
For more information visit: https://www.buildingdiversity.ca/-webinars
About Toronto Community Benefits
The Toronto Community Benefits Network (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. Founded in 2013 members of the TCBN coalition are committed to negotiating Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) ensuring that community members are accessing publicly funded jobs resulting from infrastructure construction contracts, and that hiring targets for diverse groups are met.
About EllisDon
EllisDon, an employee-owned, $5 billion-a-year construction services company that has grown exponentially beyond its modest origins in London, Ontario. With over 5,000 salaried and hourly employees across fifteen national and international offices, EllisDon has become a leader in every sector and nearly every facet of the construction industry. EllisDon’s commitment to Inclusive Diversity is to work together to create an inclusive environment where all of our employees can reach their full potential and individual differences are valued and respected. In 2020, EllisDon founded the Alliance of Black Employee Experience and Leadership (ABEEL) with the goal to educate and raise awareness on how we can all be part of the change to stop anti-Black racism within EllisDon and our communities.