What SkillPlan does

SkillPlan (legal name: BC Construction Industry Skills Improvement Council) is a Canadian non-profit society founded in 1993 and headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, with a second office in Ottawa. The organization designs and delivers workforce development programs for the unionized construction trades industry, serving employers, contractors, building trades unions, training providers, apprentices, pre-apprentices, and government stakeholders across North America. Its core product is the Build Your Skills Learning Hub, a learning management system built on the Brightspace (D2L) platform that delivers trade-specific content — video tutorials, practice activities, quizzes, and assessments — aligned with Red Seal certification standards for 14+ construction trades. Complementary offerings include the Mentorship Matters program (a structured Six Skills methodology for journeyperson-to-apprentice knowledge transfer, supported by iOS and Android mobile apps for competency tracking), a Workplace Series of short courses, and a catalogue of trade-specific publications sold individually or as class sets. The company also delivers fee-for-service customized training design, train-the-trainer programs, tutoring, and research/evaluation services.

The business model is dominated by government grant funding flowing through multiple federal and provincial programs — notably the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP), Future Skills Program, Apprenticeship Service Program, and Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness (STAR) Program — with documented inflows of approximately CAD $5.5M (May 2024), CAD $9M via the Green Futures Partnership (December 2025), and CAD $10M via UTIP Sustainable Jobs (February 2026). Secondary revenue comes from publications sales (items priced roughly CAD $5.50 to over CAD $100), quote-based customized training delivery under multi-year contracts, and limited enterprise access to the Learning Hub, while the Learning Hub itself is free to individual learners. Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve product-led growth motion for individual learners sits alongside a relationship-driven enterprise channel in which SkillPlan works through 14 international building trades unions — anchored by Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU) and extended into the US via North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) — and through affiliated training providers across all Canadian provinces.

Name

SkillPlan

Legal name

BC Construction Industry Skills Improvement Council

Website

https://skillplan.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SkillPlan is a Canadian non-profit that designs workforce development programs for unionized construction trades, operating the Brightspace-based Build Your Skills Learning Hub, the Mentorship Matters program, and customized training for employers, unions, training providers, and government across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Burnaby

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: SkillPlan receives significant government funding through programs such as the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP), Future Skills Program, Apprenticeship Service Program, and Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness Program to develop and deliver workforce development initiatives.
2. Publications and Resources Sales: Sale of educational publications and resources including trade-specific textbooks, worksheets, facilitator guides, and pocket guides for construction trades training. Prices range from $5.50 to over $100 per item.
3. Customized Training Services: Fee-for-service training design, delivery, and consulting services for organizations requiring tailored workforce development solutions. Includes train-the-trainer programs and on-site training delivery.
4. Platform Access and Licensing: Build Your Skills Learning Hub is primarily free for learners, with organizational access and customization services available for enterprise partners and training providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SkillPlan is a non-profit workforce development organization that designs and delivers trade-specific training systems for the unionized construction industry across North America. Its core offerings include the Build Your Skills Learning Hub (an online LMS platform for apprentices and pre-apprentices), the Mentorship Matters program with companion mobile app, the Workplace Series of contextualized courses, a publications catalog of trade textbooks and pocket guides, and customized training design, delivery, tutoring, and research/evaluation services for unions, contractors, training providers, and governments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Build Your Skills Learning Hub: An integrated online learning platform providing trade-specific tools and resources for pre-apprentices and apprentices to assess skill gaps, access supports for apprenticeship, and prepare for Red Seal certification.
• Mentorship Matters
• Mentorship Matters App

Products and services

• Build Your Skills Learning Hub An online learning platform built on Brightspace (D2L) LMS that provides thousands of trade-specific resources, video tutorials, practice activities, quizzes, and Skills for Success (SFS) assessments for construction trades apprentices and pre-apprentices across North America, with free individual registration and 60,000+ users.
• Mentorship Matters Program Structured mentorship training program using the Six Skills methodology that enables knowledge and skill transfer between journeypersons and apprentices; includes a train-the-trainer track, validated ROI measurement methodology, and a companion mobile app for competency tracking. Intended for unions, contractors, and training providers serving skilled construction trades.
• Mentorship Matters Mobile App Mobile application (iOS and Android) for apprentices and mentors that supports competency tracking, mentorship skill building, learning resource access, mentor feedback invitations, and community connection within the Mentorship Matters Program.
• Workplace Series A series of free online courses available through the Build Your Skills Learning Hub covering workplace readiness topics for the construction trades, including Indigenous Awareness Training (launched March 2024 in collaboration with CBTU) and Supporting Learning Differences in the Trades (launched October 2024).
• Publications and Resources Educational publications catalog including trade-specific textbooks (e.g., Carpenter Applications $93.75, Measurement and Calculation for the Trades $33.10, Formulas at Work $55.15), worksheets, facilitator guides, and pocket guides (e.g., Numeracy Rules Pocket Guide $5.50) sold individually or as class sets for training providers and apprentices.
• Customized Training Design and Delivery Services Fee-for-service training design, delivery, and consulting services that develop tailored workforce development programs for organizations including unions, contractors, training providers, and government clients; includes train-the-trainer capacity building and on-site training delivery.
• Tutoring Services Tutoring services supporting construction trades apprentices with technical training challenges, helping 55,000+ apprentices progress through their apprenticeships across Canada.
• Research and Evaluation Services Research and evaluation services that measure workforce development program effectiveness using validated methodologies; partnered with the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) to conduct surveys, interviews, and focus groups with program participants and to produce ROI analyses for clients.
• Professional Development Framework for Skills for Success Practitioners A professional development framework, funded through the Government of Canada's Office of Skills for Success Program, that standardizes the delivery of Skills for Success practitioner training across Canada for trade and workforce training instructors.
• Indigenous Awareness Training Online Indigenous Awareness Training for the Building Trades, available in two tailored streams (one for apprentices and journeypersons, one for leaders and employers), developed in consultation with Indigenous leaders and educators in partnership with Canada's Building Trades Unions.
• Supporting Learning Differences in the Trades An online course supporting apprentices with learning differences or disabilities in the construction trades by covering common challenges, simple accommodations, and inclusive teaching strategies.
• National Energy Assessment Training Program (UTIP) National energy assessment training program for insulator (heat and frost) workers under the Red Seal certification system, designed to train more than 1,800 workers in energy-efficiency skills, funded through the Union Training and Innovation Program's Sustainable Jobs stream.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28% of Red Seal-eligible Build Your Skills participants achieve certification vs 19.9% national rate
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SMART Canada (Green Futures Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2025SkillPlan is part of SMART Canada's Green Futures Partnership alongside CBTU and SRDC, contributing to a $9 million initiative for climate-focused workforce development in the skilled trades.
• CBTU (co-host of Workforce Development Summit)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2025Annual co-host of Workforce Development Summit with Canada's Building Trades Unions in Whistler, B.C., bringing together industry stakeholders to address workforce challenges.
• Future Skills CentreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2024Co-hosted the 'Insights in Action Tour - BC' in Vancouver, B.C., part of Future Skills Centre's national tour to share insights on workforce development.
• Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 February 2024Long-standing strategic partnership for workforce development programs including the Build Your Skills Learning Hub, Mentorship Matters program, and Building It Green climate training initiative. CBTU and SkillPlan jointly develop and deliver training programs for unionized construction workers across Canada.
• CFLPA AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2023Partnership announced in Hamilton, ON between CFL Players' Association Academy and Canada's Building Trades Unions with SkillPlan involvement for workforce development programming.
• Bechtel CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 August 2023Partner in the development of Indigenous Awareness Training in collaboration with NABTU and CBTU for the skilled construction trades.
• North America Building Trades Unions (NABTU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to implement mentorship and Build Your Skills programming for building trades unions across the United States. The Mentorship and Build Your Skills Project was launched with engagement from national and state labour groups, local unions, and Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) programs.
• Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for evaluation and analysis of SkillPlan's programs. SRDC conducts surveys, interviews, and focus groups with Learning Hub users to measure program effectiveness and inform program improvements. User participation in research is voluntary and does not affect platform access.
• CAF (Construction Apprenticeship Forum)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with CAF Apprenticeship Services to deliver financial and training incentives for employers who hire, onboard, train and retain first-year apprentices in skilled trades.
• BC Building TradescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with BC Building Trades for workforce development initiatives, apprenticeship services, and industry events including their annual convention.
• Building Trades of AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with BTA for conference presentations, project collaboration, and workforce development programming for Alberta's building trades.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER): NCCER is the leading US non-profit construction education and training organization, offering standardized craft curricula, credentials, and assessments across 70+ trades. It is the most direct functional peer to SkillPlan, operating the same craft-training and apprenticeship-prep model in a larger US market.
• Home Builders Institute (HBI): HBI is a US non-profit that provides skills training and education for the building industry, including pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and customized workforce programs. Highly comparable to SkillPlan in mission (addressing construction trades labour shortages) and target population (underrepresented and entry-level workers).
• Build Your Future (BYF) by NCCER: BYF is a national initiative to recruit, train, and retain the next generation of construction craft professionals, with a strong focus on diversity and workforce development messaging. Closely comparable to SkillPlan's Build Your Skills Learning Hub and career exploration properties.
• Helmets to Hardhats: Helmets to Hardhats is a US/Canadian non-profit that places military veterans into skilled construction trades apprenticeships. It shares SkillPlan's mission of building the unionized construction workforce through structured apprenticeship pathways.

Broad incumbents

• Skillsoft: A global corporate learning company offering content, virtual academies, and AI-driven learning experiences across technology, leadership, and compliance. Overlaps with SkillPlan's corporate training and workforce development offerings but as a much larger, broader incumbent.
• Cornerstone OnDemand: A large US-based talent management and learning platform used widely across enterprises for workforce development, compliance training, and skill-building. Competes for the same corporate training and apprenticeship budgets as SkillPlan, but serves a much broader set of industries and use cases.

Emerging players

• Trade Hounds: A US construction workforce platform connecting tradespeople with employers and providing training and community resources. Adjacent to SkillPlan in serving the construction trades ecosystem but more focused on job matching than formal apprenticeship credentialing.
• Multiverse: A UK-based apprenticeship and professional training provider focused on technology and data skills, funded through employer levies. Comparable in model (structured apprenticeship pathways with measurable outcomes) but operating primarily in the UK tech-trades market rather than construction.
• Workera: An AI-driven skills assessment and personalized learning platform focused on technical skills verification and upskilling. Comparable to SkillPlan's Skills for Success assessments and Build Your Skills Learning Hub but emphasizes AI-driven adaptive learning rather than trade-specific curriculum.

Regional players

• Skills/Compétences Canada: A Canadian non-profit that promotes skilled trades and technologies careers through competitions, career awareness, and youth programming. Comparable to SkillPlan in its Canadian focus on trades promotion, but operates as a national awareness body rather than a direct training provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/skillplan_ca
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100084191172079
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skillplan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SkillPlan