Building Partnerships That Drive Change

For EllisDon Facilities Services (EDFS), partnerships are the driving force behind meaningful change. Our collaboration with Building Up—a social enterprise dedicated to breaking barriers to employment through trades training and construction work—shows what’s possible when purpose meets action.

Putting Partnership to Work

Since early 2023, our EDFS Mobile Services team has partnered with Building Up on projects across the GTA. Our Mobile Services team delivers on-the-go technical support and maintenance—covering HVAC, electrical, plumbing, BAS and more—to keep client assets running efficiently and reliably.
Together, we’ve helped onboard talented individuals, many of whom are newcomers to Canada, that bring incredible skills and experience. Some are engineers, others are trained in technical trades, and all are working toward local certification.

This program creates new opportunities, engages the local community, and supports EDFS’s operational needs. With support from our People and Culture team, we’re co-developing tailored positions and aligning Building Up’s training programs with the skills required on our sites. This means participants are prepared to thrive.

Small Gestures, Big Impact

This initiative has momentum thanks to Angelo Conte, EDFS’s Director of Operations, Toronto, whose leadership has been key in weaving Building Up’s mission into our operational strategy, ensuring our projects deliver both technical excellence and social impact.

It’s also strengthened by our Community Benefits and Relations team, who recently coordinated a site tour.

“It was an invaluable experience for our participants,” said Mason McColl, Program Director at Building Up. “It offered a firsthand look at an active construction site. They met EllisDon staff, saw the scale of the work, and left buzzing with excitement. It was an experience that made it clear that the industry and EllisDon are invested in their success and their future.”

Each participant also received a Milwaukee impact drill set. That experience sparked plans for more tours and for integrating trainees earlier into Building Up’s eight-week pre-apprenticeship program.

Momentum That Matters

This partnership is only the beginning. We’re expanding Building Up’s involvement into more operational scopes and community initiatives. Recently, they joined one of our projects for hands-on experience—a critical step toward certified trade roles and long-term careers.

"Partnerships like this create pathways for people to succeed,” said Colin Flock, Senior Vice President, EllisDon Facilities Services. “ At EDFS, we’re proud to work with Building Up to help individuals build careers and confidence, while strengthening the communities we serve."

Every project has the potential to open doors, spark ambition, and strengthen communities. And it starts with simple, meaningful engagement like this.

Ready to Make an Impact?

• Join EllisDon: Explore career opportunities and be part of a team that builds more than projects—we build communities.
  https://www.ellisdon.com/careers
• Community Organizations: Want to collaborate on initiatives that create real change? Connect with our Community Benefits & Relations team today.
  communitybenefits@ellisdon.com