A look ahead for Canada's construction labour force requirements BuildForce Canada forecasts a need to attract more young people, and increased mobility and immigration Special to Canadian Design and Construction Report Canada’s construction industry will need to attract more young people and workers willing to move from other provinces, regions and countries, to meet its changing labour force needs, according to a new labour market forecast released recently by BuildForce Canada. “As major projects gear up and wind down, building a new and mobile workforce is an industry priority,” said BuildForce Canada executive director Rosemary Sparks. “This will help fill the skills gap, as up to one-quarter of the construction workforce retires over the next decade.” The organization's 2014–2023 Construction and Main- tenance Looking Forward forecast shows strong labour demands continue in the West as some markets slow in the East. As a result, more workers from other provinces and countries are needed, especially during peak peri- ods. Mobility is key to meeting industry needs over the next five years, with specialized skills and experience in short supply in some regions. As many as 300,000 new workers will be needed to replace retirees and meet proj- ect demands over the next 10 years. These demands dif- fer across each province and trade. BuildForce Canada’s annual forecast also highlights three distinct labour cycles across the following regions and sectors: Resource projects in Newfoundland and Labrador and Northern Ontario drive a surge in labour needs to 2014 or 2015. Oil sands developments, sustaining capital and maintenance work in Alberta, rise to new peak demands by 2019. Major new resource and infrastructure projects in Northern B.C. drive construction employment to an all- time high in 2017. 18 – Spring 2014 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report New mining and infrastructure projects, including transit expansion, and refurbishment of nuclear power facilities in Ontario, will drive job growth over the next decade. While expansion slows in Saskatchewan, labour de- mands stay well above historical levels. There will be recovery and expansion in Manitoba and sustained levels of employment in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. BuildForce says non-residential construction will lead job growth, with a series of major resource and utility/in- frastructure projects providing cyclical workforce de- mands in many provinces and more moderate but steady growth in commercial and industrial sectors. However, residential construction is expected to slow as several provincial housing markets experience a brief downturn in 2013 before moderate recovery to 2015 and 2016. Residential employment remains below the 2007 peak until 2023 in some provinces. Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia are moderately stronger, with a small gain in residential job growth from 2014 to 2023. A shift in the residential market is driven by slower population growth and new housing starts declining to come back in line with household formations. Renovation construc- tion continues to grow, partially offsetting the decline in new construction. “Meeting the demand for skilled labour takes long- range planning and investment,” Sparks said. “The focus in every region should be on a collective effort to draw youth, women, Aboriginal people and newcomers to construction careers and build the ranks of future spe- cialists, foremen and supervisors.” Below are regional reports. These are covered in greater detail at www.constructionforecasts.ca.