News Webinars
Webinar series to focus on diversity inclusion and mental health

Mississauga – The Ontario Road Builders’ Association’s (ORBA) complimentary October webinar series covers hard-hitting issues pertinent to today’s industry. This month’s series will feature webinars on welcoming diversity and inclusion in the workplace, resources for employee mental health and the responsible use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP).

Kicking off the October line up is Welcoming Diversity and Inclusion in our Workforce. This is a three-part series taking place on October 15, 22 and 27 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The series will be presented by Bronwyn Weaver and her team from Q4 Impact Group, LLC, who have facilitated workshops on this issue throughout North America, as well as at CONEXPO. The first webinar will focus on generational diversity, the second on gender diversity and the third on racial and cultural diversity. Each hour-long segment will cover critical aspects of this complex topic and will feature viewpoints and opinions from both inside and outside of the construction materials and road building industries in North America. This webinar series will include surveys, live discussions, and handouts.

The following webinar, Tools in Your Toolbox: Strategies for Building Mental Health in the Construction Industry will be presented on October 29 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. by Nancy Watt, president of Nancy Watt Communications. Nancy is a Second City Conservatory Alumna and presents engaging workshops on mental health and communications in unconventional environments. This will be a frank and interactive one-hour webinar that will provide the latest research and facts about mental health in the construction industry. Attendees will learn to use the ORBA Mental Health Toolbox, i.e., Observation, Resiliency, Bravery and Adaptability to confront, combat and compassionately deal with mental health issues.

The final webinar capping off the month of October will be, Top 10 List of Ways to Get More Durable HMA Pavements – The Responsible Use of RAP, presented by Doubra Ambaiowei, ORBA technical director on October 30 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. This hour-long webinar will provide an opportunity for discussion on the asphalt pavement recycling process. Specifically, using reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) materials, combined with new materials, to produce asphalt mixtures that are of equal or better quality to virgin aggregate mixtures. There will also be discussion on how this practice promotes sustainability and creates environmental benefits. Doubra will provide an overview on best practices for achieving more durable asphalt pavements through the responsible use of RAP.

“Now is a critical time to address diversity and inclusion and mental health in our industry and greater community,” said ORBA CEO, Bryan Hocking. “We are very pleased to offer this dynamic series of webinars that will provide the industry and its stakeholders with resources they need to effectively address these issues.”

Recordings from ORBA’ first webinar series, COVID-19 & The Road Building Industry, which showcased seven webinars, and ORBA’s August webinars, Leveraging Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems in Times of Crisis and Smart Technologies and Innovations for Adapting to the New-Normal, are available in ORBA’s webinar archive library.

Webinars at a glance:

• Welcoming Diversity and Inclusion in our Workforce. This is a three-part series taking place on October 15, 22 and 27 from 12:00 PM – 1: 00 PM.
• TOOLS IN YOUR TOOLBOX: Strategies for Building Mental Health in the Construction Industry will be presented on October 29 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
• Top 10 List of Ways to Get More Durable HMA Pavements – The Responsible Use of RAP, will be presented on October 30 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.

For more information, visit orba.org/orba-webinars