Skills Training

Facing An Uncertain Labour Market

BY RORY KULMALA

According to recent B.C. Stats’ Labour Market Statistics the unemployment rate in British Columbia was 4.8 per cent. This was the second lowest in the country behind Quebec (4.5 per cent) and certainly lower than the national rate of 5.4 per cent. And yet, today’s labour market has never been so precarious.

With so much construction activity happening regionally, provincially and nationally, the demand for workers across every sector remains at an all-time high. Ten years ago, the numbers where somewhat different. In 2012, the unemployment rate in B.C. was 6 per cent while the construction sector was slightly higher at 6.4 per cent. Fast forward a few years to just prior to the pandemic (2018 and 2019) and we saw the lowest construction unemployment rates hover around 3.8 per cent. Amazing right? Well, for anyone working in our sector, this is certainly a challenge.

In 2012, the B.C. construction labour force was approximately 195,000 while investment in construction was approximately close to $20B. In 2022 that investment was nearly doubled and yet our labour force, according to a recent BuildForce labour report, was not much higher at 197,400. It is certainly clear that we are doing much more with fewer people. BuildForce estimates that by 2027 we will be short approximately 5,600 workers in the province, taking into account retirements and new entrants into our market. With so much construction activity going on, we are facing a labour challenge the likes that we have never seen.

Having worked in the construction field for roughly 30 years, I have never seen such uncertainty in our labour market. One only must look at the skyline to see that the number of construction cranes has never been higher. From single family residential projects to large scale industrial projects, our provincial demand for skilled trades is being significantly strained as companies struggle to meet this demand.

There is a stark reality that our workforce demands are just not being met and this is not just for the construction sector, but for all parts of our economy. Virtually every business is looking for help. With all this attention on our labour market, every sector is looking to attract workers. Long gone are the days where employment opportunities were limited to a few select sectors — manufacturing, agriculture, resource extraction, and of course, construction — now our sector is competing with a myriad of other industries eager to bolster their workforce. Add to that the housing challenge and cost of living in B.C. and we now have additional hurdles that makes attracting workers to our region even more difficult. Employers are literally pulling out all the stops. From billboards and radio advertising to job fairs and mailing campaigns, employers are working every technique they can to attract talent.

There is opportunity here as we look to appeal to our Indigenous peoples, women and immigrants. For example, this opens the doors to half of Canada’s population of able-bodied women to pursue careers in a stable, well-paying vocation with plenty of upward mobility. Within B.C., construction drives approximately 9.3 per cent of our provincial GDP and is ranked as our number one employer within B.C.’s goods sector. We are continuing to see trends for women entering the trades is growing. According to BCCA’s Spring 2022 Stat Pack, only about six per cent of women are employed in the different trades across the province. Women have not only proven that they are capable, but have also demonstrated exceptional capability, motivation and passion and can be extremely effective and competent within any tradecraft our industry offers.

Immigration is also a key element to keep up with demand. As many know, this process is both timely and costly and may not be a viable solution for a smaller company. The bureaucratic hurdles alone can be so daunting that companies elect to not pursue such efforts. We continue to advocate for efficient and effective immigration policies that allow all immigrant workers to access our local labour markets.

We need to cultivate our youth for this new labour era but there is an erosion of resources available to our school-age children to address our future needs. From eliminating shop classes to higher focus on academic achievement we must pique the interest of our youth as soon as possible. We view our middle school-aged children as key to growing the future skilled workforce that our sector will desperately need. With that in mind, we cannot think that taking away resources and proper learning environments such as shop classes will help this cause. A properly equipped shop class is of great benefit for all students particularly those who are, or may not be, academically minded but demonstrate a high aptitude for such skills or interests.

For those involved in construction, the pasture is ripe for harvest but we need the people to do this. The reality is that it will be a challenge. With the sector’s resilience, creativity and eagerness over the past few years, we will continue to meet construction demand, however it’s going to talk longer, and of course, cost more.

Rory Kulmala is CEO of Vancouver Island Construction Association.

Advancing Trade Careers For Women

BY LILLIANNE DUNSTALL

The construction and roofing industries, like many others, are experiencing worker shortages. Tapping into non-traditional labour pools is a growing strategy being used by many.

Let’s face it most women do not grow up and dream about a career in the trades. I grew up with a father who worked in construction, and what I knew was he worked hard, left early in the morning, and would return nightly covered head to toe in drywall dust. I also knew he made a good living that helped support our family.

Women are finally understanding what men have known for years: trades pay well and provide you with a marketable skill that is always in demand. What women may have missed is the clear path to entrepreneurship that trades can provide.

Research local roofing companies, whether it’s residential or commercial, and you will find most owners began their journey working on the roof. You also find roofing is a family affair. That to me says a lot about the industry. You don’t bring your family into an industry that offers few opportunities. I see more roofing companies owned by women, and networking can be key to your growth in the industry and memberships in women’s trade organizations are growing.

The Canadian Council of National Women in Roofing (NWiR) has grown by almost 500 per cent since its launch on March 8, 2021. NWiR is a volunteer-based non-profit organization, supporting and advancing the careers of women in the roofing industry. Membership is open to women and men. We are guided by a strong framework of bylaws, processes and procedures designed to ensure implementation of the four following pillars of the association: Industry Recruitment, Mentoring, Education and Networking.

We reach beyond traditional recruitment strategies, empower women through mentoring, offer high-quality learning programs, and provide opportunities to interact with and learn from women in our industry.

Partnering with companies that identify and meet the needs of women in the roofing industry is part of what we do. We identified two women owned businesses that recognized the struggle women have on job sites with clothing designed for the male body. They not only fit uncomfortably but can be a safety hazard by impeding movement. We are also seeing women in new hybrid roles that include being on the roof for part of the day and leaving the site to attend meetings with building owners, architects, or decision makers. The companies we have partnered with offer solutions to those issues and offer a discount for NWiR members.

NWiR Canada is continually looking for content to help our members. One of the recurring issues we have come across is a lack of confidence in women looking to grow their careers. We received the most input and participation from our members when we presented our webinar on Managing Imposter Syndrome.

It was during a search for “confidence building” information that I stumbled across www. betweenusgirls.ca The pilot program believes that every girl should be empowered to build successful, fulfilling lives for themselves and be equipped to build holistic forms of wealth, well-being, and abundance. The program is based on the belief that all girls deserve to feel like they can be outspoken, be a leader, embrace their skills and pursue their passions.

While speaking with the founder, it became clear trades as a career path had not been included as a career option. It was not an intentional oversight on their part at all, it had just never occurred to them. Not surprisingly, the trades have never been considered as something that would interest women, however, university is not for everyone. It’s a common misconception that because you do not attend university that you cannot have a career that provides financial independence, work satisfaction and gives you an opportunity to own your own business.

I happen to live in a rural town and our local high school already has an extensive Technological Education program which includes Construction Technology. I met with them to discuss the program and connected them with Between Us Girls. They were quick to embrace this pilot program, which will be launched this 2022-2023 school year.

One of the smartest things I have seen in our industry is partnering with local colleges to offer roofing courses. If there is a shortage, create your own workforce.

Paying for memberships to women’s nonprofit construction/roofing organizations is a nice perk and a tax deduction for your company. When women are such a minority in your workplace it is important for them to at some point be surrounded by like-minded women. Women need to share; I believe it is part of their DNA. Providing them with an industry community that supports them creates a healthy environment. You can also sponsor an event for a woman’s organization. Great promotion for your company while supporting women.

I worked for a Roofing compound manufacturer for almost 18 years. My role was North American giving me the opportunity to work on both sides of the border. I worked with small roofing companies with only one crew to large multinationals that had more than 30 locations. I found a common theme: they work hard, they make a good living, and they take care of each other.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

Lillianne Dunstall is Canadian chair of the National Women In Roofing. She worked for Tremco for more than 17 years before retiring as vice president, North American Business Ops and Canadian Roofing. She has been involved in NWiR since its inception in 2016.

Building a Resilient Trades Industry

BY ROD BIANCHINI

In all my years working in the skilled trades industry, I have never seen so many unique opportunities and challenges all at once. To say the skilled trades industry is facing a significant period of change is an understatement.

Overall, the future of the skilled trades is optimistic because it’s a resilient industry — always adapting to change and overcoming the many challenges thrown its way. However, to get a good picture of what we must do to ensure the continued success of this vital industry, it’s important to understand the magnitude of the challenges we face.

To start, we are currently contending with a massive shift in our demographics. The mean age in Canada was under 30 in 1971 and over 40 in 2021, according to Stats Canada. This means the tidal-force trend we are fighting is less young people, as a percentage of the population, entering the workforce. And with fewer young workers around, the competition for their talent is intense.

Next is simply strong economic growth and the resulting job demand. This is a great thing overall as it means a strong and attractive economy for our province, but it’s also a big hurdle for employers. According to the B.C. Labour Market Outlook report, there will be one million new jobs in the next decade. 85,000 of these jobs will be in the skilled trades — and 50,000 alone will be in construction.

Then there’s the current, record-low unemployment level, which looks set to continue. And finally, adding to this is the ongoing lack of awareness and the stigma that continues to hang over the skilled trades, with the added competition from “cool jobs” that have emerged with the modern economy.

While all these challenges can seem daunting, the solution is within the grasp of employers, industry associations and tradespeople. We need to make the pathways and processes easier, promote the amazing opportunities available and reach untapped talent pools.

Industry Training Authority (ITA) has been hard at work as the organization that’s responsible for coordinating and overseeing B.C.’s skilled trades system. We support people, standards and funding — doing everything from encouraging people to enter the trades to guiding apprentices and employers through the apprentice journey, issuing credentials and overseeing more than 100 trades programs.

And we are in the midst of implementing a broader mandate, updating our name to SkilledTradesBC and increasing our focus in several key areas that help support the current labour shortage and the ongoing demand for people in the trades.

An immediate and ongoing focus is promoting the trades. While everyone knows what the trades are, there is still a large gap that is going unfilled, mostly due to old stereotypes. Thankfully, we are starting to break those down, by working with schools, communities and employers to show the benefits of trades. The meaningful work, flexibility and job satisfaction really matter to today’s youth, for instance, who have ample career choices in this market.

To address the labour gap, we must clearly communicate the benefits and pathways to enter the trades. It’s easy to scratch our heads and wonder why more young people aren’t taking up the trades; it’s another thing to remember what it was like to be young, new to many aspects of the world we take for granted as common knowledge, with no clear paths to follow.

Another big one: there is a vast, largely untapped workforce of underrepresented workers who would be eager to take up a trades career. As such, we have put considerable focus into attracting underrepresented groups into the trades.

The door is now open to women in every trade, from carpentry to plumbing and aerospace. It’s a massive and welcome change that is still unfolding, and we are determined to foster it. We’re doing this through key partnerships, such as with the BC Women in the Trades, who we are working with on two initiatives to support cultural change and retention, through a regional representation program as well as several initiatives focused on diversifying the construction labour force. Programs like the Builders Code led by BC Construction Association and Be More than a Bystander, a partnership with many organizations are also helping ensure that the workplaces themselves are more supportive and inclusive.

We are also a big supporter of communitybased training, which focuses on making training accessible in remote, Indigenous communities. Our team works closely with these communities, training providers and employers across the province to make trades training accessible to rural and urban areas.

We understand that to make the trades attractive, we need to make the trades seen as valuable and recognizable certifications. We will start gradually implementing our Skilled Trades Certification this year, focusing on 10 electrical, mechanical and automotive trades to better align B.C. with Canada. In fact, B.C. is the only province without a compulsory trades certification system. So this certification will standardize skills and raise the prestige of trades in B.C.

There is of course much more we can — and will— do. B.C. has a long and proud history of supporting the skilled trades and attracting talent from all over the world thanks to the myriad of opportunities available. We are committed to building the trades that build B.C., and we are going to continue working on connecting directly with youth and underrepresented groups, making the apprenticeship process easier and promoting the great work in the trades. Our success in meeting the skilled trades labour market demands in B.C. and across Canada depends on leveraging our collaborative approach, working with you. It’s the foundation and the future of the trades training system.

Rod Bianchini is chief strategy and compliance officer of the Industry Training Authority. He is a passionate advocate of the skilled trades, and is a driving force behind the new Skilled Trades Certification.