Push to increase numbers in construction trades

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If you've ever thought about pursuing a trade, this is a good time to do something about it.

Canada is facing a growing shortage of skilled and certified trades people. And the problem will become more marked as workers reach retirement age.

Aboriginal Human Resource Development Council of Canada reports, the average age of fully skilled trades people in Canada is 50. The construction industry is working to attract new, younger workers with industry initiatives targeted at Aboriginal youth.

Aboriginal Human Resource Development Council of Canada (AHRDCC) is involved in a number of those initiatives, working in partnership with government, industry and Aboriginal organizations to attract Aboriginal employees to the construction sector.

"As a council, we are aggressively pursuing the area of apprenticeable trades, because it is the single largest skills gap shortage in Canada," said Kelly Lendsay, AHRDCC president.

"So we have put together a report called Making It Work that documents a number of the barriers and challenges. We have a national steering committee on trades that's looking at awareness strategies and innovative projects. And those two focuses are bringing about attention on the trades, encouraging partnerships between the private sector, Aboriginal communities, labor, educational institutions, so on and so forth, to create what we call these partnership clusters. And they in turn lead to these real training to employment opportunities."

Two such projects are offered in Saskatchewan-the Construction Career Development Project, which has been operating in Regina for more than three years, and the Construction Career Services Project, which began in Saskatoon in the spring of last year. Both projects have similar mandates-to help Aboriginal men and women find meaningful jobs in the construction industry. And both offer similar services-a registry of available Aboriginal candidates which is marketed to the construction industry, and skills training, job coaching, and other supports for the Aboriginal workers.

The success of the Construction Career Development Project was recognized last year with the Regina-based project receiving the Saskatchewan Labor Force Development Board's Training For Excellence Award in the Promotion of Aboriginal Participation category. It was that success that, in part, spawned the Saskatoon-based project. Industry support for such an initiative was also a factor.

"And I think we saw the need. Definitely saw the need there," said Burt Charles, project manager of Construction Career Services. "Because Saskatoon, I think, is the supply point for northern Saskatchewan, and Regina is more or less for the southern half of the province. So once they got that organized down there and it took off, then the government, as well as the private sector decided, hey, this is a good project. So away we go."

"Our clients are 90 per cent Aboriginal. And what they find about us is . . . I'm First Nation, and our secretary is Aboriginal as well. And what they find is they feel more comfortable coming here. Any time of the day you come here, you'll see that our office is quite busy. There's just an overall feeling. They feel welcome," said Construction Career Services job coach Wes Lambert.

"And we work one on one. My job as job coach is that after the guys are placed, is I'll go make sure everything is going well on a job site. You know what it's like starting a new job. And if you've just come off a reserve or from a northern community, I mean it could be that much more daunting. So we try to follow up once the people are placed. And as a job coach, that's part of what I do, too, making sure they're adjusted well and getting along. And if they need work boots or work clothing of any sort, we budgeted some money to make sure if we find somebody a job, they're not going to work without proper work gear on."

The response to the program from the construction industry has been equally as positve, Lambert explained.

"It's all positive. Manley McLauchlan, from the Saskatchewan Construction Association, is actually on our steering committee. PCL, which is one of the major players in construction in Saskatchewan, is also on our steering committee. Wolfe Construction has a representative on our steering committee. So there is a concentrated effort by these companies to realize that, whatever happened in the past, they want to address it, and make sure there are more Aboriginal people getting into apprenticeship trades. And as we speak, there is a big push right now by the Saskatchewan Apprenticeship Board to get more Aboriginal apprentices signed up. And to date, Construction Career Services Saskatoon has apprenticed 39 apprentices so far this year, which is quite amazing," Lambert said.

For more information about how you can get started towards a career in an apprenticeable trade, call the AHRDCC at 1-866-711-5091.