sustaining capital projects over the long term. • Industrial, transportation, electricity generation and transmission and pipeline work add to labour de- mands. As many known projects wind down, a brief pause in 2015 is followed by moderate employment growth from 2016 to 2023. Most of the current scheduled projects add jobs from 2015 to 2019. • Commercial and institutional activity grows slowly from 2016 to 2019 and then provides a steady in- crease in jobs from 2020 to 2023. • Residential construction spending and employment will exceed the 2007 peak, with a rise in renovations and repairs. Improving conditions resulted in strong housing starts in 2012 and 2013. Activity will plateau this year, then move up and down in mild cycles to 2023. Alberta pioneered the practice of bringing in workers from outside the province and country. Alberta’s non-res- ident workforce is rising as its labour force expands to meet project demands. “Alberta’s skilled labour requirements far exceed those of other provinces, and that makes building a strong, permanent workforce a must,” Sparks said. “There’s a real need to continue promoting skilled trades careers as well as ensuring training and retention pro- grams are sufficient to support the next generation of workers.” BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows: • Residential has been one of the fastest growing markets in Canada over the last few years, with a peak in residential construction in 2013. The housing labour force will shift to renovation work, partially offsetting slower new housing activity. The work- force remains well above historical levels at the end of the scenario period. • Non-residential construction employment has in- creased by 50 per cent since 2007. While major ac- tivity is expected to slow, with fewer opportunities in engineering construction, this is partially offset by steady but moderate growth in industrial, commer- cial and institutional construction. This keeps em- ployment well above historical levels. • Just under 7,000 workers are expected to retire over the next decade, with retirements spread across all construction trades and occupations. “This means 19 per cent of the workforce will need to be replaced,” Sparks said. MAJOR NEW PROJECTS TO DRIVE MANITOBA'S CONSTRUCTION JOB GROWTH SASKATCHEWAN’S CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY PREPARES FOR WORKFORCE SHIFT Skilled labour requirements over the coming decade are changing, requiring many of the workers recruited over the last several years to stay on for major new proj- ects, according to BuildForce Canada. The forecast shows construction activity and employ- ment growth slows, but stays well above historical lev- els. Major resource projects that drove construction employment to a record high in 2013 come to comple- tion, signalling some shift in the labour force away from big projects and housing. A large segment of the work- force will be employed in commercial and institutional building, where there is steady growth. “Although the focus for the construction industry is shifting, the goal is the same,” Sparks said. “Building a strong, permanent workforce requires long-range plan- ning to promote skilled trades to young people and to encourage out-of-province workers to stay.” 20 – Spring 2014 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report Hydro projects planned in Manitoba’s North will jump- start construction job growth and the demand for spe- cialized trades, with a pattern of steady growth in residential and non-residential construction over the next 10 years, BuildForce Canada says. A pause in job growth this year and next eases recruit- ment challenges, with one noted exception. A new round of scheduled hydro projects in the North adds to construction employment growth over the next decade. Hiring will peak for a large number of specialized trades in 2016, and in 2020 and 2022. “A select group of skilled trades will be in high de- mand for major hydro projects,” Sparks said. “Industry will need to keep its focus on skills training, recruitment and mobility to meet project requirements.” BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows: • Road, highway and bridge construction declines marginally between now and 2015, but is expected to remain above historical activity levels for the re- mainder of the scenario period. • Housing activity is now levelling off. New housing starts and renovation work results in moderate growth and job opportunities in residential construc- tion.