Labour shortages, globalization and infrastructure investment were among the key issues the Canadian Construction Association’s outgoing chair, Dee Miller, tackled over her last year at the association’s helm. She ends her tenure at the CCA conference in Savannah, Georgia.
“While steps are being taken by all of us recruiting, deferred retirement, enhanced mobility, there’s no doubt were going to be all called upon to do more with less,” Miller said during an address at the recent Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) convention in Toronto.
“Historically, for most construction companies, we have relied on interprovincial worker mobility and recruiting from other areas. However, with construction activity increasing in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, there’s no guarantee that interprovincial mobility is going to meet the industry’s needs.”
Miller ends her tenure as CCA chair at this week’s conference in Savannah, Georgia. In her outgoing chair report to CCA members she explained that the continued growth of Canada’s economy, due to global demand for natural resources, will result in both future challenges and opportunities for Canadian construction.
“In fact, by 2020, the Canadian construction industry is projected to become the fifth largest construction market in the world behind China, United States, India and Japan,” she wrote.
“Canada continues to attract foreign interests both in construction opportunities as well as foreign investments through mergers and acquisitions. Globalization is impacting our Canadian economy as well as our domestic construction industry as never before.”
The pressure to meet this growing demand as workers retire means that approximately 320,000 new workers will be needed by 2019, Miller noted in her address to ORBA. Interprovincial mobility is only part of that labour demand solution.
“We have to look to immigration to help us. Our industry must and can do a better job of recruiting women within our industry,” she explained.
“Women make up 52 per cent of Canada’s population and yet less than 15 per cent are working today in our construction industry. Also, we can and must do a better job at recruiting from Aboriginal communities.”
“But even with domestic opportunities, we know because of the baby boomer demographic, we’re going to have challenges, which is why CCA is lobbying the government for immigration changes.”
In fact, CCA announced its support for recently announced federal immigration reform.
“Our current immigration policy is ineffective, is not construction-friendly and it is too slow. I’m staggered to share with you that the waiting list is sometimes five to eight years,” she said at the ORBA convention.
Though Canadian governments at all three levels remain “cautious due to growing fiscal deficits” they have committed to considering new innovative infrastructure financing, funding and delivery methods, Miller reported to CCA members.
“The federal government recently made a commitment to work with the provinces, territories, municipalities and other stakeholders to develop a long-term plan for public infrastructure that extends beyond the expiry of the current Building Canada Plan in 2014,” Miller reported.
“As a voice for the non-residential construction industry in Canada, CCA has been invited to play a leadership role in this process.”
There remain other issues for CCA to continue in its lobbying efforts such as reducing regulatory red tape in permitting processes, expansion of the capital cost allowance deductions and increased funding for federal citizenship and immigration processes, added Miller.
John Schubert will replace Miller as CCA’s chair for 2012 this week and Miller welcomed him to his new position in her final report.
“John’s years of industry experience and passion for the industry will ensure the continuation of our strategic plan and the further strengthening of our association,” she wrote.
“I personally want to extend my best wishes to John and his wife Bev as they carry out their duties representing CCA as industry ambassadors during the coming year.”
– with files from Kelly Lapointe
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