Sustainability

Climate change is impacting our environment and providing new economic opportunities.

We’re championing sustainable solutions to create a resilient workforce, mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, and help young people (ages 18 to 30) facing barriers prepare for new careers.

As part of our new strategic plan we are also integrating sustainability into all areas of our work including supporting veterans as they build green businesses and reducing our carbon footprint.

For 2020-2021 we are moving forward with our first initiative in this area, focused on urban forestry and green trades. We will be gradually broadening our work, including learning from and acting with Indigenous peoples on environmental stewardship and healthy relationships with the land and the natural world.

“Global warming, climate change and the devastating loss of biodiversity are the greatest threats humanity has ever faced – and one largely of our own creation… Looking forward new employment opportunities, entire new industries and markets rooted in sustainability are within our grasp… 2020 is the time for solutions and practical action.”

– HRH The Prince of Wales
World Economic Forum 2020

Urban Forestry and Tree Planting

Given the power of trees to mitigate climate change, we are raising awareness of career opportunities in the sector. We will work with industry leaders like the University of British Columbia who are changing young people’s perceptions of this resource sector from a low-growth commodity, to an evolving and exciting career opportunity with an expanding number of value-add, long-term jobs.

Young people in Canada are well positioned to make significant contributions to global forestry now and in the future. Our programs also help them build personal and economic resilience.

The programs outlined below are in the design and development stages and are expected to launch in 2020-2021.

Discover Urban Forestry

Prince’s Trust Canada introduces young people in urban centres to careers in the urban forestry sector. This is a sector with currently untapped employment opportunities, and our goal is to create a future workforce that is knowledgeable and excited about how urban forests and tree canopies can support climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The program:

engages young people in exploring careers in urban forestry and related fields
provides practical training, career exposure and mentoring support
helps young people get involved and pursue training in the range of jobs required for healthy urban forests

Tree planting

We are providing opportunities for young people and communities to plant trees and learn more about the important role they play in our ecosystem. This initiative also contributes to the federal government’s ambitious plan to plant two billion incremental trees in the next decade.

Green Trades

Through employability training and work placements, Prince’s Trust Canada empowers young people with barriers by giving them the opportunity to gain the skills and confidence they need to contribute to a sustainable economy. We are targeting green trades, including mass timber construction and retrofits, given the growing demand for talent in these roles.

Discover Green Trades

Our goal is to create awareness of the opportunities in green and heritage trades including mass timber construction and retrofitting jobs. A low-carbon future must include energy retrofits on an unprecedented scale. This one-to-four-day program exposes young people to entry-level positions, and offers actionable next steps to pursue such opportunities.

Get Into Green Trades

The Get Into program is a comprehensive employability training opportunity for young people facing barriers including those who are Indigenous, newcomers, precariously housed and affected by mental health challenges. We will focus on trades including carpentry for mass timber construction and pre-fabricated Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) as well as maintenance and retrofitting of existing buildings to increase their energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

The program:

tailored to the specific work opportunities committed by the employer partner and take place over a period of several weeks or longer
engages potential employer partners, unions and community partners who support young people interested in a career in the trades
offers training on a range of trades include mass timber construction, water retrofits, trades skills (including power tools, painting, carpentry and plumbing), health and safety and essential skills (including trades math and soft skills training)

Learn more about our Get Into program and our work supporting young people into employment.

Our carbon footprint

At Prince’s Trust Canada, we are deliberately embedding sustainability into our programming, managing our operations and reducing our carbon footprint. We will be joining our Prince’s Trust colleagues from around the globe to share best practices and report on our impact.

To support our work, become an employment partner and for more information, please contact: Janet.McCausland@princestrust.ca