
Education for Union Members
Build skills. Improve your workplace. Get involved and meet new people.
Welcome to UFCW 1518’s member education portal. Here you will find information on all of the education that UFCW 1518 offers to members to level-up their skills. We hold two Online Education Months per year and all courses, prerequisites, and deadlines are posted here. New members can register for Member Orientations and learn more about getting involved in UFCW 1518.
Our next Education Month is in November, 2023. Keep scrolling for information on available courses, tips for getting the most out of our interactive education platform, and opportunities to continue your education.

Achieve your goals
Learn About your Union
What do unions do, and how do unions benefit you? Find out more about the movement you've joined.
Health & Safety at Work
How can I help make my workplace safer? Learn how to help your coworkers and promote health & safety.
Resolve Workplace Problems
Want to help solve problems in the workplace? Union courses will help you do just that!
Organizing & Political Action
Unions effect change inside and outside the workplace. Learn how you can make a difference.
Free Online Courses
UFCW 1518 members have access to these courses and more through UFCW Canada’s Webcampus
Digital Skills
Tech-specific courses designed to support workers who want to learn skills to keep their IT skills current
On the Go
Interesting topics and relevant skills that can be completed in 15 minutes or less
Skilled Trades
Gain the skills and knowledge required to work in in-demand careers like retail meat, professional cook, and more!
Scholarships
At UFCW 1518 we strongly believe in the importance of lifelong learning and encourage all of our members to pursue their interest in education, whether for personal growth or professional development. We are proud to support our members by offering a variety of scholarships for those attending, or planning to attend, post-secondary school in British Columbia. Good luck!
Founded on the belief that we are stronger together, this scholarship supports respectful and positive work environments by promoting diversity awareness. Successful applicants demonstrate their commitment to developing strong, healthy and mutually beneficial relationships with the diverse communities we serve.
The scholarship is open to UFCW 1518 members with at least one year of service with Overwaitea Food Group and their dependents who are pursuing a post-secondary program.
Up to 10 scholarships worth $1000 each are awarded annually.
Deadline: May 1, 2023
Apply: Find more information on the Team Member Information Site.
The Overwaitea Food Group offers this scholarship to all Canadian citizens in communities served by UFCW 1518 members and the OFG, at any stage of their post-secondary education. Successful applicants demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to diversity awareness in their schools and communities.
Up to 10 scholarships worth $1000 each are awarded annually.
Deadline: May 1, 2023
Apply: Click here to apply.
Since 1958, the UFCW Charity Foundation has distributed more than $2 million in scholarships to members and their families. Past winners have gone on to make significant contributions to society in areas like the law, public service, medicine, business and teaching. Many have returned to UFCW as staffers, organizers and community activists who advance our values and mission.
Six scholarships worth up to $8,000 each are awarded annually.
Requirements:
- You must have graduated from high school, have your GED, or will graduate this spring.
Deadline: The online application or Part A is due by May 14th. To allow more time to gather needed documents, transcripts with the attached Part B of the application must be postmarked by May 28.
Apply: Find more information and apply here.
Named in honour of three past leaders of UFCW Canada – William Beggs, Fred Dowling, and Roméo Mathieu – this scholarship supports members and their families pursuing full-time studies at an accredited post-secondary institution in Canada.
You don’t need to be an A+ student – you just need a passion for learning! Eighteen scholarships worth $1000 each are allocated by region across Canada annually.
Requirements:
- You must be an active UFCW Canada member in good standing or a dependent/spouse of an active UFCW Canada member in good standing.
- Eligible candidates cannot have won the BDM scholarship before.
- The student must also be enrolled (or will be enrolled on September 30) and attending full-time studies at an accredited Canadian college or university.
Deadline: September 30
Apply: Find more information and apply here.
The UFCW 1518 Affiliation Scholarship #547 awards 20 scholarships of $1,000 each to students beginning or continuing studies in a full academic program at the University of BC, University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, BC Institute of Technology, or at a college in British Columbia. The scholarship is awarded to students entering from Grade 12 and students continuing with their post-secondary education. The awards are normally made to the applicants with the highest academic standing.
Eligibility:
Applicants must be a member of UFCW 1518 in good standing, or a child or legal ward of a member in good standing, and have earned a minimum grade of 75% in the previous year’s studies.
Required documentation:
- Letter of recommendation from UFCW 1518 confirming your or your parent’s membership in good standing. Please email your request to [email protected] with the subject line UFCW 1518 Scholarship 547.
- Most recent high school or post-secondary transcripts.
- A brief summary of how you meet the requirements.
Apply online:
For more information and to apply online between August 15-September 15, click here.
In partnership with Thompson Rivers University, UFCW 1518 offers members full tuition and partial living expenses to attend the Retail Meat Cutting Program. This nine-month program trains members to take up employment as a meat cutter and join a thriving industry that is always seeking talented and dedicated workers.
For admission information, contact Corey Davison at 250-828-5351 or [email protected].
Deadline: September 15, 2023
The Columbia Institute is committed to lifelong learning that benefits all segments of society. That’s why it supports adult learners interested in re-training and skills upgrading.
The Dennis McGann Bursary is a one-time bursary, worth up to $1,000, for those studying or planning to study Communications who demonstrate a commitment to the issues affecting working people. Find more information and apply here.
Deadline: August 1
This scholarship honours the memory of Dick Martin, a tireless health and safety advocate and a pioneer of workplace health and safety in Canada.
This CCOHS National Scholarship is worth $3,000 and is available to any student enrolled full-time or part-time in occupational health and safety-related studies at an accredited post-secondary institution in Canada, including mine safety, occupational or industrial health and safety, industrial hygiene, safety management or other related safety degree program.
Deadline: January 31
Apply: Find more information and apply here.
How to use ZOom
- Sign up for a free Zoom account at zoom.us
- In the email Zoom sends you, click on Activate Account. Follow the steps in the web browser to complete your sign-up.
- Click on the link that was sent to you for your course. You may be prompted to download Zoom, go ahead and download it and install it. If the course time has not started yet, you may have to wait for the instructor to join.
- Turn your video on in the lower left corner of the screen. You can turn your microphone on and off in the lower left corner of the screen. The small up arrow (^) next to the microphone and video buttons allow you to choose a source.
- You can chat with other participants or the entire group using the chat function. You can also raise your hand to ask a question or show support with a thumbs up. On a computer, there are buttons in the lower screen for chatting and reactions. On a phone or tablet, these are under the “more” menu (three dots).
- If there’s a problem and the meeting “drops off” for some reason, just use the same link you used to join the meeting and you can get back in.