CITO - Phase I Report - Industry Training Authority

FERENCE WEICKER & COMPANY
ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN
enterprises.
� Workplaces are both open shop and unionized and are often differentiated based on trade or
project type specializations.
The high level of demand is creating changes in the industry. The Construction Sector Council Report,
“Construction Looking Forward: Labour Requirements from 2007 to 2017 for British Columbia” notes that a
tight labour market is “leading to increased overtime, increased recruitment efforts, modified hiring
practices, increased reliance on inter-provincial mobility, project delays and deferrals, safety and quality
concerns, and pressure on training programs to expand.” This report forecasts shortages of construction
workers in virtually every trade over at least the next three years. These conditions indicate a need for
more training facilities, programs and instructors. There is a need for more apprenticeship training as well
as for more specialized programs for new entrants and upgrades to meet expanding demand and replace
retiring workers.
There has been some work on measuring the demand for construction labour in Canada. The Construction
Sector Council report is the most comprehensive current study in this area and it stops short of attempting
to quantify the demand for labour but relies on a system of measuring demand trends in the various trades.
As can be seen in the table below, the Council believes that demand will exceed supply of construction
workers in virtually every trade over at least the next three years with activity declining sometime in 2009.
Due to demographic changes, however, the labour market will not change dramatically and “what was
earlier considered a tight labour market will now be regarded as normal.”
DEMAND OUTLOOK FOR THE TRADES BY MARKET RANKINGS*
TRADE 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Boilermakers 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 4
Bricklayers 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Carpenters 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 4
Electricians 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3
Floor covering installers 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3
Gas fitters 4 4 4 3 2 2 2 3 3 3
Glaziers 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 4
Insulators 3 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Ironworkers 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 4
Painters/ Decorators 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3
Plasterers 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3
Plumbers 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3
Roofers 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Sheet metal workers 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Tilesetters 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3
Source: “Construction: Looking Ahead. Labour Requirements from 2007 to 2015 for British Columbia.” Construction Sector Council.
* 1 Workers meeting employer qualifications are available in the local markets to meet an increase in demand at the current offered rate of compensation and other current working
conditions. Excess supply is apparent and there is a risk of losing workers to other markets.
2 Workers meeting employer qualifications are available in local or in adjacent markets to meet an increase in demand at the current offered rate of compensation and other working
conditions.
3 The availability of workers meeting employer qualifications in the local market may be limited by large projects, plant shutdowns or other short-term increases in demand. Similar or
weaker conditions exist in adjacent markets, so that mobility is an option.
Employers may need to compete to attract needed workers. Established patterns of recruiting and mobility are sufficient to meet job requirements.
4 Workers meeting employer qualifications are generally not available in local and adjacent markets to meet any increase. Employers will need to compete to attract additional
workers. Recruiting and mobility may extend beyond traditional sources and practices.
5 Needed workers meeting employer qualifications are not available in local or adjacent markets to meet current demand so that projects or production may be delayed or deferred.
There is excess demand; competition is intense and recruiting reaches to remote markets.
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