VICA Launches The Tailgate Toolkit Leadership Training to Support Safer, Healthier Construction Worksites
Vancouver Island, B.C. (January 5, 2026) – The Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) is pleased to announce the launch of Tailgate Toolkit: Leadership Fundamentals, a new professional development training designed to support construction leaders in fostering psychologically safe, healthy, and resilient worksites. The initial launch of this training will take place in British Columbia.
Developed specifically for the construction industry, Leadership Fundamentals equips supervisors, forepersons, project managers, and company leaders with practical tools to address mental health, substance use, and pain-related challenges on job sites. The training focuses on early recognition of distress, reducing stigma, understanding legal responsibilities, and leading with confidence and compassion.
“Mental health leadership starts at the top,” said Rory Kulmala, Chief Executive Officer of VICA. “Construction leaders play a critical role in shaping workplace culture. This training gives them practical, industry-specific tools to support their crews and create safer, healthier job sites.”
Participants will learn how to recognize signs of distress, respond appropriately, and support workers while strengthening team safety and resilience. The course emphasizes harm reduction, trauma-informed leadership, and building a workplace culture grounded in care, respect, and accountability.
Course content includes:
- The drug poisoning crisis in the construction industry
- Stigma and its impact on seeking help
- Understanding pain and substance use disorder
- Harm reduction approaches
- Mental health and trauma
- Indigenous perspectives (guest speaker)
- Legal obligations of construction leaders (guest speaker)
- Providing support and building a culture of care
The program combines four hours of self-paced online learning, available in four languages, with eight hours of in-person, instructor-led training featuring facilitated discussions and expert guest speakers. Participants who complete the course receive a certificate of completion and Gold Seal eligible credits, where applicable.
To reduce barriers to participation and encourage widespread industry uptake, Leadership Fundamentals is currently available at no financial cost to participating organizations.
As part of a recommended learning pathway, organizations are encouraged to first schedule a Tailgate Toolkit Toolbox Talk to introduce crews to these topics; however, this is not a requirement to participate in the leadership training.
Leadership Fundamentals builds on VICA’s broader Tailgate Toolkit initiative, which aims to reduce stigma, improve awareness, and strengthen harm reduction and mental health education across British Columbia’s construction sector.
For more information or to register, visit: https://training.thetailgatetoolkit.ca/w/courses/2-supervisor-training
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Media Contact:
Rory Kulmala
Chief Executive Officer
Vancouver Island Construction Association
rorykulmala@vicabc.ca