Advancing Sustainable Construction: UBC Delivering Nationwide Mass Timber Training

The UBC Sustainable Jobs Mass Timber Project supports workforce development to meet the growing demand for green building solutions.

VAUGHAN, ON, Dec. 1, 2025 /CNW/ - As Canada's construction industry evolves towards more sustainable and efficient building methods, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America (UBC) is training workers for the future with the UBC Sustainable Jobs Mass Timber Project.

The UBC Sustainable Jobs Mass Timber Project, funded by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) as part of the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP), will establish 10 mass timber training modules delivered at select UBC training centres across Canada.  

Mass timber is an affordable and sustainable building technology, which has emerged as a solution for project owners, developers, and contractors, especially as its modular design also reduces build times. Made from renewable wood that stores carbon and emits less than steel or concrete, it offers an efficient, low-impact path to development.

These training modules will equip UBC members with specialized skills in hoisting and rigging, mass timber product handling and assembly, and exterior envelope and curtain wall installation - areas that are critical to the success of modular, mass timber construction projects. Each course is designed to combine classroom instruction with hands-on training, allowing participants to gain practical experience using the latest mass timber technologies and techniques.

The program also includes comprehensive financial supports to help remove barriers to participation, offering assistance for dependent care, living expenses, and transportation costs. Each session will run for one week (40 hours) and will train a total of 4,000 participants over the duration of the program, preparing Canada's future workforce to meet the growing demand for mass timber construction. Additionally, the UBC's mass timber project will support Canada's lumber production, jobs, and supply chains in the forestry sector amid trade uncertainty with the United States, with all materials sourced from Canadian-made forest products.

"Through the UBC Sustainable Jobs Mass Timber Project, we're ensuring Canada's workers have the training needed to build infrastructure and housing quickly and sustainably with mass timber construction." says Jason Rowe, UBC Canadian District Vice President, "This project will ensure that UBC members and signatory contractors are ready to meet the growing demand and investment in this emerging building technology and can lead the way in sustainable construction across the country."

Funding for the UBC Sustainable Jobs Mass Timber Project is provided through Employment and Social Development Canada as part of the Union Training and Innovation Program.

SOURCE Carpenters' Regional Council