B.C. CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT EXPECTED TO REACH UNPRECEDENTED HIGH B.C.’s construction industry will need to ramp up re- cruitment efforts to keep pace with planned projects and the retirement of more than 34,000 workers over the next decade BuildForce Canada's report shows major resource and infrastructure projects in the North help drive construc- tion employment to an all-time high in 2017. “Recruitment efforts will need to focus on attracting workers from outside the province to bolster the local skilled workforce,” says Rosemary Sparks. “This may mean competing for skilled labour with resource projects in other provinces.” BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows: • Non-residential construction dominates job creation over the next decade. Employment growth acceler- ates each year to 2017, as major LNG projects and related pipeline work are expected to begin, along with a series of mining, electricity generation and transmission projects. • A brief surge in new housing in 2016 and 2017 coin- cides with the peak in non-residential projects and adds to potential labour market challenges. Through the rest of the scenario period, a gradual increase in housing stock results in steady gains in renovation and new housing construction jobs. “About 24 per cent of the province’s skilled workforce is retiring over the next 10 years,” Sparks said. “This cre- ates unique challenges, given that retiring tradespeople in both housing and non-residential construction will be taking years of experience and specialized skills out of the labour force.” ALBERTA LEADS CANADA THROUGH NEXT WAVE OF CONSTRUCTION Alberta continues to lead Canada’s construction in- dustry through the next decade, with major new oil sands projects and residential work driving job growth in virtually every year between now and 2023, according to BuildForce Canada. The 2014–2023 Construction and Maintenance Look- ing Forward forecast shows the pace of expansion has resumed, with construction employment across all mar- kets growing past the 2008 peak by 2013. Major resource and engineering projects lead non- residential job growth in every year over the next decade. The start-up of new major oil sands projects this year and hiring related to flood damage repair, boost hiring in 2014. “While Alberta’s construction industry has adapted well to conditions to date, there may be recruiting chal- lenges,” BuildForce's Rosemary Sparks says. “There’s 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.” Alberta will need to replace as many as 37,500 work- ers, as up to 22 per cent of its workforce retires over the next decade. BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows that Alberta leads the demand for skilled and specialized labour in major projects across Canada: • The oil sands industry matures and capacity grows larger, shifting employment from new capital proj- ects to increased ongoing maintenance work and BuildForce delivers comprehensive labour market forecasts CaDCR staff writer BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led or- ganization committed to providing accurate and timely labour market data and analysis to assist in meeting workforce requirements and advancing the needs of Canada’s construction industry. BuildForce consults with industry stakeholders, in- cluding owners, contractors, labour groups and government to compile and validate its labour market information. The comprehensive reports, including detailed forecasts for a diversity of trades in each province, can be downloaded at www.construc- tionforecasts.ca. Several industry and educational partners, along with the Government of Canada, fund BuildForce's labour market research. Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca for more information. The Canadian Design and Construction Report — Spring 2014 – 19