Province to hold summit on industry labour shortage
The MHCA and industry and enterprise associations will work on solutions to the shortage of skilled labour in construction at a sector workforce summit to be hosted this fall by the provincial government.
The Economic Development, Investment and Trade Department is organizing the summit, where stakeholder organizations will be tasked to produce recommendations for action. The department will provide current labour market data and forecasts, an inventory of existing programming and a preliminary analysis of potential gaps.
A July 28 letter from the department noted “there is urgency required in addressing both the workforce challenges facing employers in the construction sector and the needs of some Manitobans to move into sustainable employment opportunities.”
MHCA will join representatives from Winnipeg Construction Association, Manitoba Construction Sector Council, Purpose Construction, BUILD Inc., Manitoba Building Trades and CCEDNet.
“We are grateful that Minister Jeff Wharton and Advanced Education and Training Minister Sarah Guillemard have brought this initiative together in short order to assist in training a new generation of construction workers,” MHCA President & CEO Chris Lorenc said.
“We know there are numerous unemployed or under-employed people in our community looking for the opportunity that construction can provide – a pathway from job to well-paying and lasting careers.”
