We’ve already written about the acute shortage of skilled labourers in British Columbia, an issue that has a huge detrimental effect on our industry. The looming retirement of a generation of tradespeople combined with the lack of young people being trained to replace them will give B.C. a shortage of about 15,000 skilled workers by 2025.
The situation is getting so dire that a local construction company has taken to offering bounties – literal bounties – for connecting them with trained workers.
TQ Construction, a home renovation firm in Burnaby, recently offered a $500 reward for anyone who can send them a Red Seal carpenter and a site supervisor with extensive retail experience. So, if you know anyone… go ahead and cash in.
Daniel Greenhalgh, ENM co-founder, sees this bounty offer as a great way to bring attention to the problem facing our industry. “I think for young people, it’s a matter of awareness that, if they do pursue this training, there’s a very solid, well-paid career there waiting for them. Plus, many of the training programs are subsidized by the provincial government to help attract more people. There are thousands of good jobs available, and I think if more kids in high school and college knew about these opportunities, the shortage would be less acute.”
Right now, 94% of B.C. construction companies are hiring, and the average salary is $56,170. There is fierce competition for labourers, especially for project managers. Greenhalgh believes that a major issue in addressing these needs is the stigma of pursuing blue-collar professions.
“If you’re a parent or teacher of an ambitious high school kid, you’re pushing them towards prestigious careers in computer programming, law, medicine, things like this. I think most kids see careers in skilled labours as a kind of failure to measure up. But to me, it’s a very savvy direction to take. It’s a lot tougher to find secure work as an IT guy or programmer – the market is flooded with qualified applicants. But if you’re qualified for a Red Seal trade, you can work anywhere, anytime and have a stable profession with good benefits and a decently early retirement. And you’re doing honest work that serves the public. There’s a lot to take pride in with these kinds of careers. But that stigma is tough to overcome, and it’s compounded by schools and parents who, well intentioned as they may be, make these careers seem like something you settle for.”
Right now, 41% of Canadian employers report difficulty with filling jobs, and skilled trades are toughest sector in the country. If you want to push some kids towards pursuing these careers, they can check out the Employment Program of B.C., the B.C. Access Grant for Labour Market Priorities through Student Aid B.C. – they have grants or programs to funnel people into the trades. There are plenty of six-figure jobs out there waiting for the right candidates.
