Record employment growth for Saskatchewan’s construction industry

The Province of Saskatchewan is currently experiencing strong levels of construction employment growth, but a recent forecast released by the Construction Sector Council (CSC) states that its construction industry will be facing labour shortage challenges over the next decade that it needs to address.

Michael Fougere, president of the Saskatchewan Construction Association, said that although the industry has been successful in attracting a large, skilled workforce to Saskatchewan, efforts must continue through apprenticeships, industry training and immigration to recruit and maintain its skilled workforce.

Fougere’s comments came in response to a report forecast of construction labour supply and demand published on Feb. 27 by the CSC, which states that the province’s construction workforce has grown nearly 70 per cent since 2001.

The report, Construction Looking Forward, An Assessment of Construction Labour Markets from 2012 to 2020 for Saskatchewan, states that employment will continue to increase in all sectors, with big mining and utility projects contributing to the strongest growth; however, the CSC has estimated that upwards of 6,600 workers could retire between 2012 and 2020, approximately 18 per cent of the current workforce.