Ontario’s construction industry to experience significant labour demands over next nine years

Approximately 120,000 construction workers will need to be recruited over the next nine years, according to the Construction Sector Council’s (CSC) forecast for Ontario’s construction industry.

The CSC’s report, Construction Looking Forward, 2012 to 2020 Key Highlights for Ontario, states that demand for skilled workers in the industry will be led by infrastructure projects in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) – such as increased investment in nuclear facilities, transportation and construction for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games – and mining projects in the northwestern Ontario and Sudbury.

The report states the construction industry’s labour force will need to increase by approximately 43,000 skilled workers to meet industry demands, while an additional 77,000 workers will be needed to replace people expected to retire over the next decade.

Pat Dillon, business manager of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario, said that the systems to train the province’s future workforce are in place and that industry needs to maintain those support systems to continue to recruit, train and retain construction workers. He said the support systems are essential for meeting the challenges of replacing skilled workers as they retire.

For more information on national and regional reports, visit: www.csc-ca.org. Forecast data is also available at www.constructionforecasts.ca