SkillsPlus provides hands-on building maintenance training to our non-profit and Indigenous partners.
SkillsPlus training is currently accepting participants for our Janitorial & Floor care modules. Please email us at [email protected] to sign up.
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Course details
SkillsPlus is a building maintenance program. We currently offer the program to all Maintenance, Building Service Workers, and Building Managers working for BC Housing, as well as provincially-funded Non-Profit housing providers, including our Indigenous Partners.
The modules give the participants the increased capacity to improve service to tenants and can lower building maintenance costs by reducing the need for outside contractors.
The modules were developed in consultation with our maintenance team and our building managers. Each module takes place over two to three days and consists of 12-18 training hours in our classroom. BC Housing trainers deliver the sessions at BC Housing’s Downtown Eastside Learning Centre as well as provides an outreach program in remote and rural areas.
The modules are hands-on, experiential, and focused on best practices. Participant guides are included with health and safety components related to each module.
The Downtown Eastside Learning Centre
Our Downtown Eastside (DTES) Learning Centre serves as a resource for learning and meeting space for all our non-profit partners and community agencies.
Located in MacLean Park, near one of our housing developments, The Learning Centre serves as a resource for learning and meeting space for our non-profit partners and community agencies.
Eligibility
We currently offer the program to all maintenance workers, janitorial staff, and building managers working for BC Housing, provincially-funded non-profit housing providers, and our Indigenous partners. We accommodate other requests as time and resources allow.
We offer five training modules
Common Building Maintenance
- Knowledge building and sharing
- Use of tools
- Carpentry terminology and glossary
- Health and Safety Information
- Drywall repair
- Caulking
- Removal and replacement of anchors
- Nails, screws, fasteners and hinges
- Troubleshooting doors (opening and closing)
- Removal and Installation of Door Hardware
- Door and door closure maintenance issues
Electrical Safety and Troubleshooting module
- Knowledge building and sharing
- Use of tools
- Electrical terminology and glossary
- Job safety assessment and material safety data sheets
- Circuit structure and troubleshooting
- Breaker boxes, outlets, shut-offs, grounding and switches
- Troubleshooting stoves and fridges
HVAC Safety and Troubleshooting module
- Knowledge building and sharing
- Use of tools
- HVAC terminology and glossary
- Troubleshooting domestic hot water tanks
- Troubleshooting thermostats and zone valves
- Furnace sequence of operation and troubleshooting
- Boiler room log book use and tour of working boiler room
Janitorial
- Knowledge building and sharing
- Correct use of janitorial equipment and products
- Janitorial terminology and glossary
- Floor care and maintenance
- Glass cleaning
- Bio-hazard and trash handling
- Task-related time estimating
- Vacant unit move-in/move-out cleaning process
- All common area cleaning and disinfecting, such as restrooms, lounge areas, entrances and laundry rooms
Plumbing
- Knowledge building and sharing
- Use of tools
- Plumbing terminology and glossary
- Faucet, toilet and drainage structure
- Troubleshooting faucets, toilets and drainage
- Remove and replace faucets and toilets
One-Day training
Floor Care
- Discuss floor care products and procedures including spray buffing and scrubbing
- Use floor machine
- Scrub floor area and apply sealer and finish
- Floor stripping
Half-Day training
Safety Elevator
Apex Elevator Consulting and BC Housing are offering an introductory Elevator Safety Workshop designed to provide front-line staff of non-profit housing providers including building managers, maintenance, and janitorial workers with a fundamental understanding of how an elevator system runs.
The training aims to increase the knowledge of what front-line staff can do to proactively increase the in-service time of their elevators.
Topics covered:
- A high-level explanation of how an elevator system runs
- Determining when and who to call for a service
- How to assist the elevator contractor or fire department
- Review a checklist of daily actions to ensure elevators are in-service more than they are out-of-service
- Learn what to look for on a regular basis to assist in the prevention of elevator interruptions
- On-site elevator demonstrations will be provided relating to cleaning and safety
Cost
There is no cost to attend the sessions for eligible employees of all provincially funded, non-profit housing providers. Travel costs and other related expenses are not included.
Additional information
We schedule one separate two-hour coaching session for each participant as an extension to the SkillsPlus Janitorial module. We hold these sessions at your individual buildings to enhance the learning covered in the training session. This gives participants the opportunity to ask questions about what they learned and review specific scenarios that relate to their own buildings.