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GBCSA Academy green building training with YouthBuild SA

YouthBuild South Africa (YBSA) students, who recently graduated from the Saint-Gobain YouthBuild Academy, completed a two-day GBCSA Academy green building awareness programme in June. The programme was tailor-made by the GBCSA for YBSA and focused on the environmental, social and economic benefits of a green sustainable built environment.

A particular focus for students on the second day of the programme, was aligning their newly acquired skills with GBCSA’s Green Star Interiors certification tool.

Green building awareness was a great addition to the skills the students have already gained through their time at YBSA. Since 2016, YBSA and Saint-Gobain Corporation have jointly operated the Saint-Gobain YouthBuild Academy. It trains students for industry-recognised credentials while focusing on character development, service to others, and citizenship, to create well-prepared workers with a commitment to service and generosity.

The group that attended the GBCSA training was a combination of 2019 and 2020 YBSA graduates. It included two SMMEs founded in 2019, FLB Interiors Doctors and NSN Unique Group. The rest of the training delegates were 2020 YBSA graduates who just joined the incubation and are in the process of registering the companies and securing other compliances.

“What excited me the most about the two-day training was sharing green building and sustainability practices with these newly graduated youth and having them actively engage with us and each other on how they can use the additional knowledge to bolster their role in in supporting a green future for us all. I have no doubt that they have become champions of a sustainable built environment,” said Jean Rodel, Head of the GBCSA Academy.

YBSA programmes work with young people living in informal settlements, providing remedial education, work readiness and technical skills training, linking graduates to work and self-employment in the construction, tourism, hospitality and ICT sectors.

The mission of YBSA is to mobilize young people who are not in education, employment or training to improve their lives and their communities. YBSA has been the lead implementing partner of the adapted YouthBuild programme in South Africa since 2001. YBSA now operates education and training programmes in Soweto, Germiston, Johannesburg, and Durban.

All YBSA students and graduates are called to provide leadership in their communities, through their participation in community asset building projects. Students have built low-cost housing and made upgrades to schools and green spaces.

YouthBuild is a global programme that has been operating since 1978 across 18 countries and has worked with over 180 000 young people.

Individual Membership

Designed for professionals acting in their individual capacity, including single consultant-businesses.

Organisational Membership

Ideal for companies, government departments, and organisations.

  • Total Employees: 1 - 5 Employees - R 4080.00
  • Total Employees: 6 - 20 Employees - R 12570.00
  • Total Employees: 21 - 50 Employees - R 24690.00
  • Total Employees: 51 Plus Employees - R 43840.00

Lisa Reynolds

Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director

Lisa Reynolds is the CEO of the Green Building Council South Africa.

Lisa was the driver for the drafting of Energy Efficiency Standards and Regulations for Buildings and has been involved in Energy Efficiency since 2003. She serves on many committees in the SABS and within the energy management professionals’ space. She was President of the SAEEC from 2016 to 2019 and was the previous President of the ESCo (Energy Services Companies) Association. Lisa was instrumental in the formation of SAFEE (Southern African Females in Energy Efficiency) within SAEEC.

She has assisted the South African Government with its Green Building Framework policies, Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives and Energy Efficiency Strategies

Her passion for the “Green space” started with the birth of the Green Building Council in 2007. Lisa served on the Board and the Technical Committee of the GBCSA, as well as on several Technical Working Groups for Rating Tools and Criteria. Lisa. became CEO in June 2020.

Lisa has a BSc, an MBA and a CEM. Lisa’s awards include the 2007 ETA Award for Women, 2008 Individual Energy (SAEE), 2012 SABS Standards Writer Award; the 2014 Women in Energy (SAWIEN); and the 2016 Ian Lane Hall of Fame award.

Lisa is committed to growing the Green Economy within a Green Recovery.

Organisational categories

As an organisational member, you will fall into one of the below categories, and be charged according to specific size indicators. Please reach out to us for any further clarity on which category is best for your organisation

Property Developers

Annual Turnover

Investors, Owners, Property Managers

Total Asset Value

Major Corporate Tenants & Retail

Annual Gross Rentals

Building Contractors

Annual Turnover

Building Product Manufacturers & Distributors

Annual Turnover

Professional Services: Architects, Designers, Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, PM’s, Consultants, Legal

Number of employees

Research, Higher Education, NGO’S & Regulators

NGO or Research/Higher Education/ Regulators

Related Interests: Utilities, Financial, Insurance, etc.

Annual Turnover

Government

Local/ municipal/ provincial/ state 
Contact GBCSA to confirm your category