December 3, 2020, Toronto, ON – Concert Properties Ltd. and their supporting industry partners have made a $50,000 donation to The Central Ontario Building Trades Hammer Heads Program.
The Hammer Heads Program supports youth in finding an effective way of overcoming hurdles by achieving meaningful employment, exposing participants to a variety of construction trades and ensuring they have the necessary social and professional skills to successfully obtain a rewarding full-time career in construction.
Through a decade-long partnership, Concert Properties and partners have donated annual funds to this important initiative to support at-risk youth, and this year were able to exceed the fundraising goal. It is a shared mission of the Hammer Heads Program, Concert Properties and their supporting partners to champion trades education and raise awareness of the transformative power of an applied education.
“Concert, and our supporters, are proud to continue annual financial support of this important and meaningful program as it works to address the shortage of skilled workers available for the construction industry, especially this year with the ongoing challenges brought on by COVID-19”, says Brian McCauley, President & Chief Executive Officer of Concert Properties. “Concert has in fact successfully hired many quality graduates from the Hammer Heads Program to work on a number of our projects in Toronto.”
“We thank Concert Properties for their ongoing support and also commend them for all of their efforts in both Toronto and Vancouver to support trades training and education. We are proud to work together with them in our efforts to provide opportunities for under-resourced youth within the skilled construction trades, especially as we work through COVID - 19”, says James St. John, Director of Hammer Heads and Business Manager / Financial Secretary of the Central Ontario Building Trades (COBT).
Video link: https://youtu.be/HVIGB4gFVUw
About Hammer Heads
The Hammer Heads program was created by the Central Ontario Building Trades (COBT) in 2009 to support at-risk youth through a skill and employment-based training program within the construction industry, offering apprenticeship career opportunities to the youth of under-resourced neighbourhoods in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Hammer Heads has started 502 apprenticeships and has been instrumental in dramatically decreasing the demand for social assistance. To date, 158 Hammer Heads graduates no longer require the support of Ontario Works for an approximate savings of just over $4 million and counting.
About Concert Properties
Founded in 1989, Concert is active in developing rental apartments, condominium homes and seniors’ lifestyle communities, acquiring and developing commercial, industrial and infrastructure properties and in property management. With operations in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario and the backing of more than 200,000 Canadians represented by the union and management pension plans, Concert is committed to building strong, sustainable communities across Canada, and is proud of its long history of supporting trades training across Canada.
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Media Contacts:
John Corry Director, Communications
Concert Properties
604-812-1370
JCorry@ConcertProperties.com
James St. John, Director
Hammer Heads Program
416-449-5115, ext. 222