As the struggle to attract and retain workers continues, the MHCA, industry and social enterprise associations are working on finding solutions to the shortage of skilled labour in construction. This initiative will tackle this pressing issue at a sector workforce summit to be hosted this fall by the provincial government.
The summit will be organized by The Economic Development, Investment and Trade Department, which asked stakeholder organizations to produce recommendations for action.
To further assist, the MHCA sent out a survey asking members their workforce related barriers and the daily challenges that they face attracting and retaining workers.
The main challenge, survey respondents agreed, was the lack of applicants to the job positions they post. Further, worker reliability is also an issue, which can stem from new hires lacking a driver’s licence or reliable transportation to job sites.
Another common theme that showed up in this survey is the lack of heavy construction training programs. Unlike apprenticeship programs, we do not have a formal ladder to follow when moving up in the industry, and respondents said this is perhaps one aspect that could be promoted more through introductory or awareness sessions at the high school level.
By raising awareness about the various types of jobs in the heavy construction industry, the career pathway to follow and the competitive wages, respondents felt that this would help attract workers.
The MHCA-identified barriers will be discussed at the provincially hosted summit, along with those of other associations and groups collaborating to address sector training and recruitment challenges.
