Canada’s construction workforce reaches all-time high
By STAFF REPORT
Construction Skills DevelopmentA record 1.3 million Canadians – or 1 in 14 workers – now make their living in the construction industry, according to BuildForce Canada.
Canada’s construction industry accounts for more than 7 per cent of gross domestic product. It is one of Canada’s leading and fastest growing industries, hiring 600,000 new workers since 1996. That’s an employment growth rate of 86 per cent.
“Canada’s construction industry not only builds, it maintains and repairs more than $4 trillion worth of assets, and it’s our skilled workforce that makes it happen,” said Rosemary Sparks, executive director of BuildForce Canada. “Workers are the driving force behind our industry and we’re very proud of that.”
As Canada’s construction industry grows, it also becomes more specialized, requiring workers with higher levels of expertise in technologies and building systems.
“Building and maintenance is becoming more technical and complex, and that opens the field to a whole new generation of skilled workers,” added Sparks. “People with math, science and technical backgrounds are increasingly in demand in our industry. There’s tremendous opportunity.”
With openings for more than 250,000 new construction workers to replace retiring baby boomers over the next decade, BuildForce is also doing its part to attract young skilled workers. It will launch its redesigned Careers in Construction website at www.careersinconstruction.ca this fall, with more youth- and parent-friendly trade-by-trade information.
BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry.
