• WEB BANNER

    The courses in this program are established at a college level and are primarily intended for First Nation participants. FORMAT: The courses have been arranged into units of study that will help you acquire both the general and technical knowledge to related to housing and inspection services. The program is offered mainly on a “web-based platform” and provides both an introductory overview as well as a greater depth of detailed study in the more advanced courses. 

    Our "flipped classroom" delivery method aims to increase student engagement and learning by having the learners complete readings at home and work on live problem-solving during contact time. This pedagogical style moves activities, including those that may have traditionally been considered homework, into the "webinar" meeting sessions. With a flipped classroom, students read course notes, watch online resources, collaborate in online discussions, or carry out research at home, while actively engaging in concepts in the classroom, with a facilitator's guidance.
    • Certain courses requires approximately 1 to 2 hours periodically in interactive webinar sessions offering “direct instruction” with the course facilitator via pre-arranged Skype or a similar internet based program.   Many of the courses are independent studies with an opportunity for contact the course instructor by email. 

    The following core courses are offered in our current program of study: 

    • FN101 – Construction Estimating – 40 hours 
    • FN102 – Construction Administration – 40 hours 
    • FN103 – Maintenance & Repairs – 16 hours 
    • FN104 – Inspections & Reviews – 16 hours 
    • FN105 – Contractors & Build Projects – 24 hours 
    • FN106 – Project Costs & Procurement Management  – 24 hours 
    Digital Badges are offered for courses upon successful completion. These range in colour from green and up to gold depending upon the course requirements and complexity. 
     

Available courses

AI-101 Trax

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we work - but you don’t need to be a tech expert to understand and benefit from it. Whether you are new to AI or are already using it, this practical, hands-on course is designed for professionals working with regulations, such as building officials, inspectors, planners or fire prevention officers who want to explore what AI can (and can’t) do in their professional context. Through case studies and guided activities, you’ll learn how to approach AI tools informed, critically, and responsibly. Along the way, you’ll gain the experience of effectively collaborating with an AI tool, through designing and refining effective ‘prompts’, AI-powered permit reviews, and AI-assisted cross-checking for building code compliance. Learners will build a personalized plan for actionable use of AI in their professional context.

FN101 Construction Estimating

Construction Estimating: This is a basic level estimating course focuses on construction estimating for residential construction. Participants will gain the knowledge and skills required to perform an estimate for a residential home through a series of estimating activities and a final project. All the skills and competencies attained in this course will assist those in the estimating sector to support and advance their estimating skills for the 2nd level of estimating. 


FN102 Construction Administration

Construction Administration: This course focuses on practical applications and administration of construction contracts from the contractual viewpoint. Participants will learn about some of the contractual relationships found in the building industry and gain an understanding of the crucial role that a contract administrator plays in all construction projects.


FN 103 Maintenance & Repairs

Maintenance & Repairs: This course is delivered through a series of system based topics with a focus on home maintenance. The responsibility for housing upkeep and maintenance varies from community to community. All homes require maintenance and you may have to remind the occupants of its importance and a general knowledge and understanding of how some systems work. These may fall upon the occupants or a housing maintenance department. One of the key elements is helping to increase the lifespan of a home through periodic maintenance. This element is directly related to a proactive approach of putting into action the importance and value of general home maintenance.


FN 104 Inspections & Reviews

Inspections & Reviews: This course will begin with an overview of building inspections. The purpose of an inspection is to ensure that work and or building conditions meet a specific health and safety standard. The inspection topics will also include those regulated by public law and regulation as well as those with respect with contractual requirements. The course will highlight the importance of conducting inspections as well as recognizing risk and how to manage it.


FN105 Contractors & Build Projects

Contractors & Build Projects: This course focuses on the topic of dealing with contractors and project builds. The responsibility of a contractor in construction is the execution of the work activities that are required for the completion of the project. The roles and responsibilities of contractors may be slightly different from one project to another. Regarding construction projects, there are many different factors to consider. This course covers the important things to keep in mind when choosing a contractor for a construction project.


FN106 – Project Costs & Procurement Management

Project Costs & Procurement Management: Procurement functions are about much more than bringing goods and services into an Indigenous community. It comes with huge expectations especially when you’re spending the community’s money. You need to operate transparently – dealing with dynamics of Chief and Council – all while navigating a web of procurement policies, procedures and legislation. This course focuses on the main principle of procurement, describe the key stages in the procurement cycle, and how to develop your own procurement policies and procedures.


FN107 Print Reading for Building Construction

Construction Drawing Print Reading: Print reading for building construction is essential for professionals in the industry to interpret and visualize construction prints accurately. Construction drawings are graphic tools that communicate what needs to be built or made, what materials are needed and what specifications are required. This course begins with an overview of the language of architecture and construction drawing and continues through a series of common plans primarily for a residential project.

BC200 Technology & Inspections

Technology & Inspections: This course is offered primarily as a self-directed online 16 hours of course content. It contains several periodically scheduled direct (webinar) instruction interactive video conferencing sessions. The primary focus is on construction drawing plan reviews and technical tools and reporting to assist with building inspections.

BC201 Authority Having Jurisdiction

Authority Having Jurisdiction: This course contains primarily 8 hours of information and self-directed study specifically designed for First Nation housing inspectors to help gain a better understanding of key building code topics including Authority Having Jurisdiction, Legal issues and Risk Management. 

MC202 NBC House (Private Training Group)

NBC House: This course provides 40 hours of technical content from selected units of study for First Nation Housing related to the NBC (National Building Code of Canada). The course is delivered in an in-class setting. The intended audience includes contractors, housing managers, inspectors, and other interested technical support representatives.

The course content includes study modules that helps participants in finding, understanding, and applying the code requirements for housing. Questions and exercises are also provided to ensure reasonable benchmarks of understanding the technical nature of building code related to house construction. Successful course completion requires a minimum of 70% or better on a final course exam. 

An exam is facilitated on the last day of class. 


MC203 Plumbing (Private Training Group)

NPC Plumbing: This building code course focuses on the plumbing principles and requirements found in Division B Part 7 of the National Building Code. This Part applies to the design, construction, extension, alteration, renewal or repair of plumbing systems. The course helps you gain an understanding of the NBC and NPC requirements applicable to plumbing systems.

You must have a general understanding of the building construction process, basic blueprint reading skills and completed course primary NBC course MC202 The House. This course contains approximately 35 hours of course training. 

MC204 NBC Energy 9.36 (Private Training Group)

This course will prepare participants with required knowledge and tools needed to meet the requirements of Section 9.36 Energy Efficiency in Houses and Small Buildings using both compliance path options prescriptive and trade-off. Classroom experience will also assist in code interpretation and code compliance as code articles will be examined one by one. Explanations and examples will be used throughout the course to enhance the participants’ understanding.

Participants will develop the ability to interpret and apply the requirements of the Section 9.36. The Section 9.36 course is intended for Building officials, design professionals, contractors or anyone working in the field of Part 9 construction. The goal of this course is to promote problem solving techniques and critical thinking skills using the code knowledge gained in the course and applying it to practical examples in class. This course contains approximately 15-18 hours of training. 


BC202 NBC Intro House (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

This course provides 4 hours of online video conferencing introducing the building code. The 4 hours of online delivery provides an introductory online understanding with navigating and using the National Building Code. This is followed up with 36 hours of practicum scheduled in class training. ACBOA’s NBC House training material will be utilized in this course along with a series of Part 9 NBC applications of the building code through a series of activities and hands-on learning exercises. At the later part of this course participants are provided with a building code exam that is based on prior building code exam questions with the intent of preparing participants with the familiarity of what to expect on a provincial based code exam.

Most Building Code programs are delivered with the understanding that participants come away with knowledge and skills on the Codes. This course will provide the participants with instructions on how to navigate the use of the Code books and where items are in the Code and how an inspector can and cannot enforce the Codes. A series of activities are provided to engage the participants in various house construction code issues to understand what standards apply in a set of circumstances.

The course is limited to detached housing, semidetached housing, town houses and row houses.


BC203 House - Health & Safety (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

This course has been designed to enhance the knowledge of the Building Code in the area to gain competence in the practice of Part 9 - Health and Safety requirements in housing. This NBC Health and Safety course is based on providing course participants with an understanding of key building code requirements related to health and safety in housing. 

This technical course has been designed to enable code practitioners to interpret and implement the principles of the Building Code during both the examination of plans and in the inspection of the health and safety components of the House. 

The course is completed with an exam in which participants require a passing grade of 70% applicable for code certification. 

BC204 House - Building Envelope (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

This course has been designed to enhance the knowledge of the Building Code in the area to gain competence in the practice of Part 9 – Building Envelope requirements in housing. The NBC House Building Envelope course focuses on the critical details with regards to the environmental separation between the indoor and outdoor building elements. 

The course provides participants with an introduction to the Building Code focusing on the perimeter building envelope including below-grade components, insulation requirements, air barrier, vapour barrier and exterior finishes.

The course is completed with an exam in which participants require a passing grade of 70% applicable for code certification. 

FN301- Construction Drawings & Estimating

This course provides the link between understanding construction drawings and basic knowledge of construction estimating. 

FN302 Construction Drawings

This course primarily is actually a series of webinars and presentations regarding construction drawings and plan reviews. Additionally it also covers construction documents and steps for achieving better contract management. 

CPM500 Construction Project Management

This program will teach course participants learn how to plan, budget, manage and supervise a broad range of construction projects. It involves a series of courses that are both self-paced online prerequisites as well as 2 days of intensive in class learning that culminates in a final project case study. 

HM100 Train-the-Trainer

Home Maintenance: This project (Train the Trainer) is a collaborative effort between the First Nations National Building Officers Association (FNNBOA), the First Nations Housing Professionals Association (FNHPA), and the Manitoba Working Group. All core information, resources, and guidance in this training originate from FNNBOA, with additional insights, edits, and regional adaptations contributed by the Manitoba Working Group. This partnership ensures this training for trainers is both nationally aligned and locally relevant.

IED20-Building Science

Intro to the house-as-a-system. A house is much more than the four exterior walls and a roof. It is an interactive system made up of many components, structure, ventilation, and filtration. Each component impacts the performance of the entire system. Buildings perform in very predictable fashion. These performance characteristics are based on four simple principles of physics. Although solid design and building structure provides a good starting place for a healthy home, proper and ongoing maintenance is important for both interior and exterior components to function as designed.

IED21-Structures

Home inspectors are expected to recognize structural defects and have a basic  understanding of the significance of structural concerns. The inspector may be required to refer to applicably codes and building standards to best understand how a structure is intended to perform. Although this is not a building code course, the content will cover various aspects to help the inspector recognize visual problems and clues and be able to help in mitigating concerns and where applicable offer remedial advise. 

IED22-Building Envelope

The course on building envelope (exterior) provides a basic understanding of the performance expectations in context to residential structures. Water, moisture and air infiltration are often the common enemy of maintaining good sound residential structures. The course content is intended to help inspectors and others understand the importance of the building envelope. 

IED23-Plumbing

Plumbing is  a very specialized field when it comes to maintaining water quality and waste water removal. An inspector must be able to understand the complexity and importance that plumbing requires to maintain healthy living conditions. 

IED24-Heating

This heating course provides information regarding a wide range of heating systems. The information includes a variety of topics such as fuels, distribution of heat and basic heat loss. Typically inspectors are generalist and therefore this course provides general knowledge about the various systems. 

IED25-Electrical

Electrical systems is another very specialized and tightly regulated field. Local codes and installations can vary . Because electrical systems are very complex it is all about safety for the occupants as well as the home. The information in this course provides good basic information for understanding and reviewing residential electric systems. 

IED26-Fire Safety

Fire safety is also a specialized field. Because residential fire poses a potential life and safety concern to the home occupants inspectors must be aware of the fire safety concerns and understand the basics of reviewing for fire safety considerations. Some materials and conditions or lack of safety features can pose a high level of fire risk. 

IED30-Inspections

This course discusses the steps in the inspection of a building and suggests ways that may help to simplify or bring order to the work of the person assigned to carry out the on-site physical inspection and prepare a report on conditions found. This course also shows where the inspection function fits into the phases of the overall housing rehabilitation process, and provides a systematic approach to the physical inspection or problem analysis, and to the completion of the inspection assignment in accordance with the terms of reference of the project.

IED31-Report Writing

After the inspection has been completed, there is often a need for further action on the part of the inspector. Additional information to help the client to decide whether to proceed with the project may be required. This course reviews various styles and practices to writing the inspection report.  

IED51 - Reference

This is a reference document that may be used for any of the courses.