CANS wins CCA Gold Seal Association Award of Excellence

The Construction Association of Nova Scotia is proudly celebrating its latest accomplishment – winning the Canadian Construction Association’s 2019 Gold Seal Association Award of Excellence.

“CANS strives to be the leading provider of industry education and training to the construction industry,” says CANS president and CEO, Duncan Williams. “We are constantly evaluating, evolving, and growing in order to engage our members, provide quality training and promote Gold Seal Certification. The recognition of this award is an incredible opportunity to proudly showcase our achievements on a national level.”

CCA’s Gold Seal Certification program supports the development of skilled construction and heavy civil management professionals across Canada, and its success is in no small part due to the support of the CCA partner associations. The Gold Seal Association Award of Excellence recognizes an association that has gone above and beyond in bringing this program to its members and its local industry.

“Supporting Gold Seal has always been an easy decision and a driving factor for our education program offerings,” says CANS manager of education and training development, Chantal Arsenault. “Once a program is Gold Seal certified it receives the industry’s stamp of approval. ‘By industry for industry’ has always been our motto when selecting and developing training courses.”

Since July 2017, eligible CANS members have been able to receive a 50% discount on its education and training program’s courses. This funding has been made available through a partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour and Advanced Education’s WIPSI program.

In 2018-2019, CANS provided over $250,000 in discounts towards Gold Seal accredited training, and over 620 learners, representing more than 155 unique member companies enrolled in CANS courses. CANS entire education and training course catalogue is Gold Seal accredited (over 60 courses), and CANS education staff provide Gold Seal assessments and customizable training plans to help members achieve their certification more efficiently.

In 2019 CANS successfully secured two Gold Seal projects – Marco Group of Companies’ Berkeley Retirement Residence in Halifax, NS and Lindsay Construction’s Police Station in Glace Bay, NS. CANS Gold Seal Award of Excellence Bursary was also established in 2019, providing a $1000 award to a student entering their second year in the Construction Management Technology program at the Nova Scotia Community College.

“Supporting our members in Gold Seal Certification not only benefits individual professional development goals but consistently elevates the industry,” says Arsenault. “Learning, professionalism, and excellence are key pillars of the construction industry and showcased through the Gold Seal Certification.”

Looking ahead to the future, CANS education will continue diversifying program offerings and how they are delivered by providing various options for members to take training through e-learning, CANS Connect or in-class, ensuring that they receive the best training when working towards Gold Seal. CANS will also continue to focus on securing Gold Seal Projects in Nova Scotia, further celebrating companies that actively engage and support their staff in Gold Seal.

“On behalf of CANS, we’d like to extend our thanks to everyone who has had a hand in making this award happen, including the CANS team, education committee, training partners, and to our membership for their continued support and commitment to the enhancement of the construction industry,” says Williams.