GVCA - Grand Valley Construction Association

Gold Seal Update – November, 2008 

·                     Get ready for program changes, effective January 1, 2009:

o        The minimum experience requirement to be Gold Seal certified via exam moves from three years to five.  Applications received before January 1, 2009, are not affected.  Note that applicants holding provincial CSO certificates which conform to the Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA) standard, as well as applicants holding CEC and PQS certificates from the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors, will continue to enjoy automatic eligibility to write the Gold Seal exam until January 1, 2010.

o        Recognizing that professional development is being delivered in a wider variety of formats, education and training will be treated as one category, with no minimum course length. 
 

o        The Gold Seal policy of applying a surcharge for applications from individuals working for companies who are not local association members will be rescinded.  All applicants will pay a standard fee, currently $300 + GST.  Gold Seal rebates to local associations will also be adjusted.

·                     CCA has sent out renewal notices and invitations to subscribe to the Gold Seal Champions program. Gold Seal Champions can be certified construction managers or non-certified individuals, contractors, suppliers, owners and related construction professionals who support Gold Seal as the only management certification program run by industry for industry.  These people are “Champions” of the Gold Seal ideals and objectives - in their businesses and communities they demonstrate support for the program by posting marketing material, providing information and mentoring program applicants.  If you haven’t received a notice and would like to participate, contact the Gold Seal office at goldseal@cca-acc.com.

·                     The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, is requiring LEED capability as well as a Gold Seal Certified Superintendent from general contractors bidding on a project involving renovations to two of its major buildings.

·                     At the recent Annual General Meeting of the Construction Association of Nova Scotia, CCA Chair Paul Charette made a special presentation to Jean-Marc Gallant of Atlantica Mechanical Contractors of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.  In his remarks Charette noted that “Jean-Marc Gallant joined CCA’s Gold Seal Committee in 2000 and served until this past year.  He helped to build very strong ties between the Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada and ourselves – he reviewed virtually all Gold Seal applications from mechanical contractors across Canada in that period – he advanced the interests of Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada -  and he helped to quadruple the rate of annual applications in the program, making it one of CCA’s most valuable and visible member services.”

For more information on Gold Seal visit www.goldsealcertification.com