Home builders support Professional Builders Institute and accredited training in BC

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association recently passed a resolution supporting a Professional Builders Institute of BC (PBIBC) and accredited education and training in British Columbia. “CHBA-Victoria brought this resolution to CHBA’s National Conference to get support for the PBIBC and accredited education and training program. This will help protect consumers while energy efficiency for new homes continues to increase in the Building Code. In addition, an accredited education program will provide a formal career path for students interested in becoming a builder,” said Casey Edge, executive officer, CHBA-Victoria. BC’s Homeowner Protection Office (HPO) and Attorney General’s office have been in the process of writing a regulation for the Professional Builders’ Institute of BC and a minimum accredited education and training standard for builders in BC. CHBA-Victoria recently wrote to Premier Christy Clark and the Honourable Rich Coleman, Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas and Minister responsible for Housing requesting their support to finalize the regulation. In 2006, minimum education and training was agreed to by the HPO and industry associations CHBA-BC, BCCA, ICBA, UDI, and warranty companies. The Main Task Group Report to the Homeowner Protection Office – Results of a Collaborative Process to Design a Minimum Qualification System for Licenses Under the Homeowner Protection Act is available on the HPO site at www.hpo.bc.ca/files/download/Report/Collaborative.pdf. The PBIBC and education and training requirements were announced by the BC government in a 2010 news release.