Steve Payne
Go West Young Man: Alberta and B.C. expected to lead in new construction jobs
Canadian Contractor canada LossAlberta and B.C. will create more construction jobs than Ontario will, a new study says. Meanwhile, Ontario is looking for hundreds of millions of dollars in additional WSIB fees from contractors - while slapping them with fees from the new Ontario College of Trades.
Alberta and British Columbia not only have lower mandatory fees for aspects of working in construction (lower worker’s comp, lower taxes, no “College of Trades” bureaucracy-fees), they are also expected to lead in job creation in our industry in the next ten years.
According to a report by BuildForce Canada, reported in Reed Construction Data’s Journal of Commerce, this will create a skills shortage in these provinces.
“While Alberta’s construction industry has adapted well to conditions to date, there may be recruiting challenges,” says Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “There is stiff competition for skilled labour in other provinces, and meeting local needs won’t be easy. As retirements rise, we are also facing the potential loss of thousands of skilled and experienced workers.”
A recent budget in B.C. was criticized by observers from labour groups for failing to deliver enough investment in trades training.
To read the full article in the Journal of Commerce, click here.
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