Tradesperson shortage critical
Skilled-worker deficit nearly 11,000 in 9 years: forecast
By: Geoff Kirbyson
Manitoba is facing a critical shortage of nearly 11,000 skilled tradespeople in the construction industry over the next nine years, according to a labour market forecast issued Thursday.
George Gritziotis, executive director of the Ottawa-based Construction Sector Council, said 5,300 workers will be needed in the province to simply keep up with anticipated demand for plumbing, electrical, bricklaying, roofing and other occupations, while 5,400 more people have to be found to fill the void left by those who opt to retire by 2017.
Failure to attract the necessary employees to the construction workforce could have dire consequences beyond the simple delay of many projects, he said.
"There are also productivity issues. From 1996 to 2008 we were bringing in bodies at all costs. Many of them were unskilled and we were faced with safety issues. We're preparing for the same kind of run-up now, but we don't want to be in the same situation as we were in the past," he said.
That's why various stakeholders are taking a proactive approach to meeting the employment challenge by targeting non-traditional sources of labour for the industry, including women and people of aboriginal descent.
"We need to engage women -- they only make up three per cent of those who work in construction. If you look at the economy as a whole, women make up more than half the workforce. That's not to say we're going to get that many women working in construction, but three per cent is awfully low. We need to increase that number," he said.
Gritziotis said he's also trying to ensure there is a sufficient number of apprenticeship positions across various trades in the province and that a pitch about the benefits of working in construction is made to new immigrants to Manitoba.
He said the combination of government stimulus and planned projects, including construction of the new terminal building at the Richardson International Airport, mine upgrades and pipeline conversions, will boost employment needs in many skilled trades between now and 2011.
John Schubert, president of the Winnipeg Construction Association, said the short-term need for workers has never been so pronounced.
"Last year was the first year where we had an absolute shortage of people. A lot of workers ended up working overtime. That means projects cost more," he said.
The positive side of the report's findings is that there is a lot of economic activity on the horizon in Manitoba, he said. Major projects include roadwork at the airport, the expansion of the Disraeli Bridge, a new Canad Inns hotel at Health Sciences Centre and a new Lakeview Management hotel at the airport, a new stadium for the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the home for furniture retailer IKEA.
Another untapped market is young people, but the industry needs to do a better job of promoting the many benefits of its trades -- such as high wages and the possibility of travel -- to them at a young age, said Mike Moore, president of the Manitoba Homebuilders Association.
"It's not unusual for people to make $40,000, $50,000 and $60,000 fairly early in their careers, depending on the trade. Eventually, the sky is the limit (for annual salaries)," he said, noting he knows of one electrician who earns a six-figure salary and regularly takes jobs in the Caribbean.
geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca
Where the jobs are
If you like to get your hands dirty, Manitoba's construction industry wants you. According to a labour market forecast issued Thursday, 10,700 skilled tradespeople will be needed by 2017. The Construction Sector Council breaks the need down by trade:
1,200 carpenters
700 electricians
425 plumbers
300 plasterers
120 roofers and shinglers
100 bricklayers
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. Myself, I am firmly against the 'us vs. them' mentality, such as that Elder figuratively pointing the finger at "the white man" all afternoon at that workshop. It doesn't get any of us anywhere by doing that. Work to resolve the issues with good policy, not by assigning blame and perpetuating the victim mentality. That only maintains internal and external personal conflict between people.
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