Q&A with VICA chair
james clapp
As the new Chair of VICA’s Board of Directors and as a long-serving member of the Board, what VICA initiatives are the most important to you?
Delivering on member value is most important to me. This is the easy answer since it encapsulates all of the VICA initiatives. These include advocacy for the industry, education and networking, project services, and the Construct your Future program, which in four years has produced 47 graduates who have secured employment with VICA members. What do you see as the main challenges facing the construction industry on the Island? Both from your perspective as a VICA board member and as a managing director with Wilson M. Beck Insurance.
The number one current and future challenge for the construction industry is undoubtedly the skilled labour shortage. We have the same issue in the insurance industry. To quote Tom Fletcher from Victoria News, “British Columbia is going over a demographic cliff, with a workforce that is rapidly aging out. There is incredible opportunity in construction for young people, entrepreneurs, and skilled trades workers.” It is therefore vital that we find ways to attract more people into the workforce and continue to diversify the labour pool. It
18 Vancouver Island Construction Association
will help that wages in the construction industry continue to rise in the short term, however from a governing standpoint I think that aggressive immigration policies are key. VICA’s Construct Your Future program has obviously been very effective and, as an industry, we must continually work to attract more women into the workforce. What unexpected, positive developments did you see take place in the construction industry in this unprecedented year?
It was truly incredible to watch the construction industry continually adjust and work through the pandemic. Construction is an industry that is already very regulated in terms of ensuring the safety of the public and anyone on site. I understand from my clients and through VICA that adjustments were made, and comfort levels were identified with employees which seems to have strengthened teams and maintained productivity levels. VICA itself did an excellent job adapting and I am extremely proud of how well the VICA staff have managed their operations during this time. On a personal level, my firm has been working with a skeleton crew at the office with the majority working from home. I am elated with how they have adapted and continue to provide our clients with great service all while working from the safety of their home offices.
