NEWS IN BRIEF Gold Seal certification introduces Gold Seal employer sponsorship program Gold Seal Certification program, the leading Canadian certification program for construction management pro- fessionals, has announced the launch of the Gold Seal Em- ployer sponsorship program. In the past, Gold Seal certification program’s sponsor- ship opportunities have been limited to individuals who could become Gold Seal Champions. Now, in response to requests from construction companies, the Gold Seal Cer- tification program is enabling companies employing Gold Seal Certified (GSC) or Professional, Gold Seal Certified (P.GSC) construction management professionals to pro- mote professional development, industry awareness and continued education through the Gold Seal Employer sponsorship program, a news release reported. “Employing Gold Seal Certified staff already says a lot about how you value professionalism and ongoing educa- tion,” said Barry Brown, chair of Canadian Construction Association’s Gold Seal committee. “The Gold Seal Em- ployer sponsorship program enables construction compa- nies to further increase their visibility and credibility with their clients, potential clients and the construction industry as a whole.” The program has an annual membership fee of $1,000 which is re-invested into the Gold Seal Certification pro- gram. The benefits include an official sponsorship certifi- cate, Gold Seal Employer logo, a promotional package, name inclusion on the Gold Seal website, mention in Gold Seal’s communications well as a copy of the Gold Seal as an HR Strategy document. By integrating Gold Seal into the corporate culture, a construction company can enhance the recruitment of new employees and the retention of skilled workers. “Some employers – both large and small - systematically enroll all of their construction management staff into the Gold Seal Certification program,” said Stephanie Wallace, who manages the program. “For them, Gold Seal is part of the human resources (HR) strategy, part of the profes- sional development strategy and part of the performance management process”. More information about the program is available from the Gold Seal website goldsealcertification.com/sponsorship. Construction continues strong in Saskatchewan; mapping projects key to managing trade demands Non-residential construction growth in Saskatchewan has been leading the country and other industries over the past decade, and that is not about to change - at least for the next couple of years. The latest forecast of labour supply and demand, one of the final reports from the Construction Sector Council (CSC) says several large projects now underway and pro- posed in mining, electrical utilities, pipelines and other in- dustries will keep the industry booming until 2015. (CSC’s 10 – Spring 2013 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report forecasting responsibilities are now managed by Build- Force Canada.) At this peak in 2015, construction employment will be more than 60 percent above historical levels. But similar projects around the same time in other provinces create a competing demand for key trades, ac- cording to Construction Looking Forward, Saskatchewan 2013-2021. These include boilermakers, carpenters, con- tractors and supervisors, crane operators, insulators, iron- workers, sheet metal workers, steamfitters and pipefitters, and welders. Construction Looking Forward also notes that several major mining projects are currently under review. If they proceed, they could increase labour demand later in the forecast period. Otherwise, demand will decrease after 2015 but will still remain at record high levels. “Saskatchewan is part of the growing centres of re- source construction across Canada. Based on the known projects, we see a peak in 2015, but it is also anticipated that resource development opportunities will continue later in the scenario period,” says Doug Folk, acting pres- ident of the Saskatchewan Construction Association. “This, combined with the estimated retirements of 7,200 skilled workers between now and 2021, and the po- tential draw of tradespeople to work in other parts of the country may create challenges to maintain and replace the workforce to meet future demand,” Folk says.. “Industry leaders plan to keep apprenticeship training front and centre, and work on recruitment strategies to at- tract youth, women, Aboriginal people, and immigrants,” says Terry Parker, business manager, of the Saskatchewan Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council. The report notes that general economic conditions and population growth has raised both housing starts and overall residential investment to more than twice the lev- els that prevailed at the start of the last decade. Forecast scenario data is available at www.construc- tionforecasts.ca. In addition to information on the supply and demand of skilled trades, the website allows for in- stant access to residential and non-residential construc- tion investment data. Bird Construction launches new website Bird Construction has announced the launch of its new website at www.bird.ca. “Bird is growing — simply put, we had outgrown our previous website and needed a new online channel to bet- ter showcase our position as one of Canada’s leading gen- eral contractors,” said Tim Talbott, Bird’s president and CEO. “The design of our new website has a much differ- ent look than other construction company websites. It is heavily focused on images and is a lot of fun. I encourage everyone to check it out.” The new site features an extensive portfolio of over 300 recent projects, each showcasing a number of full-screen photographs along with a detailed description of the proj- ect., the company says.