Volume 47, Spring 2012
Canadian Publications Mail Agreement # 40739009
ENHANCING THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF PROPERTY MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS
REDY - Reducing Energy Demand with Youth Inside President's Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
IHM Profiles Its Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Attracting A Millennial Tenant Base to Your Property . . . . 3
What is Workplace Health and Safety Management? . . . . 9
Reducing Energy Demand with Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Spring-Cleaning Checklists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
New IHM Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
IHM 2012 Annual Educational Conference Program at a Glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
IHM Certificate in Property Management Course Completions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Feature
Reducing Energy Demand with Youth Tackling youth unemployment, energy costs and the need for maintenance together in Windsor, Toronto and Brockville By Jeff Herrle, Communications Manager Housing Services Corporation There’s been a lot of gloomy economic news lately — a global economic downturn, spending cuts across the board and youth unemployment at nearly double that of average workers. Housing providers and property managers have also been affected. With less money flowing through the economy, they have needed to do more with less.
‘REDY graduates get an edge on the tough job market and a head start on the green jobs sector.’
But it’s often when conditions are at their toughest that great opportunities emerge to meet current needs and prepare for the future. Housing Services Corporation subsidiary GLOBE is looking to help property managers, housing providers and contractors meet these needs with a youth jobs training program it is delivering this spring in Windsor, Toronto and Brockville. Reducing Energy Demand With Youth (REDY) offers employers access to a pool of graduates professionally trained on energy and water conserving building retrofits — such as weatherization, plumbing and electrical work. Graduates also come with training on job safety, workplace etiquette and WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System). In addition, employers who place REDY graduates may be eligible for wage subsidies. “REDY graduates are ready to work”, says coordinator Cheryl Shour. “Employers minimize their hiring risk and turnover rates by having access to pre-trained entry level help, and we get
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to deliver some broader benefits” she adds. The benefits that Shour is referring to are environmental and economic: REDY graduates get an edge on the tough job market and a head start on the green jobs sector. The work they’re qualified to do helps reduce energy and water costs, improves the quality of housing stock and benefits the environment. That’s helpful because the current energy efficiency incentive programs offered by utility companies for lowincome housing mean there should be a lot of meaningful job opportunities for the graduates.
This year marks the second year of the REDY program, having kicked off last year in Kingston, Toronto and London. In 2011, graduates were placed at employers that ranged from social housing providers like Kingston Frontenac Housing Corporation to contractors like Shea Construction. Frank Melo, President of Toronto-based property and project management firm JTM Inc., continues to employ 3 REDY graduates from last year’s program. “The program provided us with a range of skilled youths that we integrated into
IHM News • Spring 2012
our work teams,” Melo says. “As an employer I am grateful for the program. It’s a great resource for us as it provides professional recruiting services and hands-on basic training for general maintenance and workplace health and safety” he adds. Melo also recommends the program on its broader social merits and encourages other employers “to participate and train the next generation of skilled maintenance workers”. The broader benefits of the program also attracted this year’s community sponsor for the Windsor portion of the program. “At Union Gas we believe in being environmental stewards and supporting important educational and ecological programs in the communities we serve” said Dave Simpson, Union’s general manager of in-franchise sales and marketing. “We are pleased to support the REDY program, which gives local youth the skills and opportunity to be involved in energy conservation work in their communities”.
IHM News • Spring 2012
Interested in hiring a REDY graduate? REDY graduates will be trained in the three participating cities from mid-March to late-April and eligible to work immediately afterward: • Windsor: available early April • Toronto: available mid -April For more information on REDY, visit www.globeservices.ca REDY is a GLOBE program, delivered in partnership with First Work: The Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres and Housing Services Inc. and made possible thanks to the generous support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation Future Fund and Union Gas. n
• Brockville: available early May For details on hiring a graduate or other program inquiries, contact Cheryl Shour at 1-866-268-4451 x 306 or cshour@hscorp.ca
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