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TORONTO – has announced the launch of their Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment (ADAH) training program, calling on government, employers, unions, training centres and industry partners to adopt it as a core training requirement for jobsites.

According to a release, the free program was designed by tradespeople, for tradespeople and directly addresses the systemic causes of stress, exclusion and harm on jobsites.

“ADAH is essential to building safe, respectful jobsites. To strengthen recruitment and retention, it must be mandatory – built into apprenticeship training and a requirement before anyone steps onto a jobsite. Optional culture change isn’t enough,” said Kate Walsh, program manager with the OBCT, in a statement.

OBCT is advocating to make ADAH training a mandatory component of apprenticeship completion.

Findings from its recent show 52 per cent of tradeswomen have experienced harassment at work, highlighting the need for structured, consistent training that equips employers and workers with the skills to identify, prevent and respond to discrimination and harassment.��

With the construction industry projecting a need for 154,100 new workers over the next decade, barriers such as harassment, discrimination and unsafe conditions continue to challenge long-term career success, the release adds.

“It’s 2025, it’s clear that our industry needs change. The ADAH training program is about fostering a stronger collective culture that aligns with the values of fairness, dignity and equity. It is about ensuring that everyone feels safe and supported going to work to support the growth of our industry,” said Karen Pullen, chair of the OBCT and business representative with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 353.

The program explores mechanisms that encourage early reporting and proactive resolution of workplace issues, reducing lost time on harassment-related claims and preventing workplace injury.

It is structured around four core modules and incorporates real lived experiences from tradeswomen across Ontario, which are used as scenarios.

The modules include:

• Stigmas and prejudices 
• Classes of discrimination 
• Classes of harassment 
• Prevention and proactive solutions 

“As a boilermaker and training instructor, I see firsthand how the culture on a jobsite can shape a worker’s entire career,” added Nicole Lavoie, co-chair of the OBCT and training instructor with the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Local 128.

“Apprentices come in ready to learn their trade but if they’re met with discrimination or harassment, many don’t stay long enough to become the skilled workers our industry needs. That’s why ADAH can’t be optional, it has to be embedded in apprenticeship training from day one.”

The ADAH training program is supported by Skills Development Fund Round 3 funding from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

For more information, go to .��