Fin MacDonald

At the recent CaGBC National Conference in Toronto the EGB National Committee presented a poster presentation to highlight what sort of events EGBs across Canada have been doing to attract students and new professionals to the green industry.  I designed the poster, which contained a submission from each CaGBC chapter across Canada outlining an event that they hosted and the impact it had on those who attended.  The poster was on display this week in the Expo Hall at the conference.  A copy of the poster is below.  Here is a description of the events:

Halifax

Halifax EGBs hosted a social for BuildGreen Atlantic, which is the local green building conference.  Social events bring EGBs and other chapter members together to network share ideas.

Montreal

At the Quebec Chapter’s GreenDating participants had the opportunity to learn about the Living Building Challenge during the cocktail hour. Afterwards students and young professionals met with employers and participated in a job fair in the form of a speed-dating activity.

Ottawa

Ottawa’s Green Jobs 101 is an educational job skills event. Presentations from professionals introduce the different types of jobs available in the green building industry and the skills required to do them well. After the presentations attendees have the chance to meet with the presenters.

Toronto

Toronto holds an annual Green Building Bike Tour. The tour focuses on buildings that have sustainable features and provides participants the opportunity to exercise, learn, and be inspired.

Winnipeg

Winnipeg EGBs held a green building trivia night at a local pub. Trivia nights educate participants on green building and also allow for networking opportunities.

Saskatchewan

In Moose Jaw, EGBs partnered with a local ASHRAE group to take a group of students for a tour of a local LEED building. Hard-hat tours are a great way to learn about building materials and construction methods.

Edmonton

The Edmonton EGB’s coordinate a bike tour along the Edmonton Eco-Solar Home Tour to raise awareness of local environmental construction as well as provide a healthy alternative to transportation.

Vancouver

Vancouver held a speed mentoring event similar to speed dating, which connected EGBs with industry professionals to get career advice and insight.