Canada’s construction industry poised for modernization

The big story about Canadian construction is that it continues to show signs of resilience to the pandemic. 

In one of many positive signs, BuildForce Canada announced April 1 that Ontario and Nova Scotia will “lead the way” for new construction jobs, according to its 2021–2030 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward report.

But that’s only part of the story. There are several reasons why the Canadian construction industry will likely become one of the most modern, stable construction industries in the world. 

Canada’s political climate lacks the polarization that often prevents governments from passing important legislation for re-investment in infrastructure. 

Leaders in the construction industry are already making strides to improve recruitment, which will be crucial to ensuring we have skilled workers that can do the work as older generations retire. 

And some of the biggest construction business and trade organizations have begun outreach efforts to close the gender gap and recruit more women — another important evolution that will ensure stable growth of the industry for years to come. 

Let’s explore some of those points, starting with government. 

The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) recently held its annual conference, bringing together leaders in construction from many countries around the world. 

For America, Stephen Sandherr, the CEO of the Associated General Contractors of America, said his country’s partisan politics will likely stymie efforts to pass a $2 trillion infrastructure package that would boost the country, especially the construction industry.

Australia’s government is willing to invest, but its construction industry may lack the capability to build all the new infrastructure because of a productivity gap, driven in part by a lack of diversity in the workforce, said Jon Davies, CEO of the Australian Constructors Association.

And in the UK, the Brexit decision has worsened an already difficult worker shortage. 

Let’s contrast that with Canada. 

Although the CCA is also calling on the Canadian government to invest more in infrastructure, the BuildForce Canada report notes that many provinces, like Quebec and Ontario, are already seeing a market rebound driven by private-sector spending as well as “strong levels of government investment.”

As for recruitment, there are positive signs there as well. 

Annex Business Media, which publishes Canadian Consulting Engineer and other construction business magazines, just launched a new job portal to make both recruiting and job searching more focused and efficient. It’s called Construction JobSite, and brings together top Canadian businesses, including Canadian Consulting Engineer and Canadian Contractor. 

All together, the job portal will reach 468,000 industry professionals, according to the Annex press release. 

As Annex’s chief operating officer, Scott Jamieson, said: “As we exit the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for qualified talent in this sector will be greater than ever. Our multi-platform reach creates the perfect opportunity to launch and then grow among an audience of new industry entries.”

Lastly, the Canadian construction industry shows more positive reception to improving diversity.

The Labourers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) provides access to resources for career building. 

From a recent press release: “Motivated by ongoing challenges faced in the industry, LIUNA continues to take action to enact progressive change. In partnership with one of our largest signatory contractors, AECON, LIUNA delivers apprenticeship training to an all-female class as part of the Aecon Women in Trades program… Through this program, LIUNA has graduated over 35 women currently working with AECON on utility projects throughout Ontario. This program is among many that continues to provide a support network, skills training and opportunity to build a career in the industry.”

In British Columbia, the recent Women Build BC Conference included personal anecdotes from construction leaders talking about the impact of the Be More Than a Bystander training, developed by Ending Violence Association of BC.

The training can help industry leaders learn how to recruit and retain female workers, said BC Construction Association president Chris Atchison.

“We made promises, but the industry is not mature or evolved enough to retain these people,” said Atchison. “Programs like this are equipping co-workers and employers to get better so we can retain the workers we need to build this province.”

For all these reasons, Canada can look forward to a growing, modernizing, and robust construction industry.