Photo courtesy Gerry Weiler

Help wanted: The Construction Sector Council calls for proactive planning to better meet future workforce demands.

By 2017, more than 300,000 new skilled workers will be needed to meet demand for construction services, according to the Construction Sector Council. The council predicts the construction industry will keep outperforming most of the Canadian economy during the next three years, with activity accelerating in 2013.

In its report, "Construction Looking Forward, 2009â??2017 Key Highlights," the council predicts governments' fiscal stimulus will drive activity in 2009 and 2010, offsetting construction job losses from the housing decline and postponed or cancelled resource/industrial projects.

Although loss of jobs and a slower construction market is expected when government funding ends in 2011/2012, the revival of delayed projects and increased housing along with associated commercial, institutional, and infrastructure building, will step up the construction pace from 2013 to 2017.

Especially quick advances in construction employment are anticipated in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, and Quebec. Investments in electricity production and mining are predicted to drive employment growth.

However, to meet the demands of this escalating activity, the council's report outlines key actions the industry must take. Specifically, it recommends encouraging workforce mobility to facilitate required trades quickly filling jobs in infrastructure programs. It also urges the continued support of recruiting, career promotion, and training for the skilled workforce required in the long term.

George Gritziotis, executive director of the Construction Sector Council, emphasized the importance of proactive planning to better meet workforce demands.

"Between 1996 and 2008, we saw an unprecedented 60 per cent increase in employment demand, calling for 350,000 workers," he told Construction Canada Online. "With demand 'in the fast lane,' many in the industry responded to their workforce challenges by using short-term reactive approaches."

"With current projects already out there, infrastructure work rolling out, and an economy that will recover, we know construction employment is going to grow between 2009 and 2017," he continued. "We have to better manage our workforce for the short-, medium-, and long-term by supporting apprenticeship training and other educational initiatives, and enable mobility between construction sectors. We can't slow down just because of the current economic downturn."

Construction Sector Council's national summary can be accessed at www.csc-ca.org.