Adam Freill, Editor
On-Site Magazine
Over the past few months, the team at On-Site has had a series of conversations and meetings about what some of the leading companies are doing to address the labour shortage, as well as such issues as the erosion of knowledge that can happen due to retirements and the loss of personnel to other industries. To be honest, it is one of the reasons behind our decision to host our first ever 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction Symposium.
This past September, we brought together three past 40 Under 40 honourees along with representatives from three notable companies in the sector to share insights from their experiences learning from others in the industry, sharing their knowledge and experience with others, as well as working internally to foster these beneficial peer-to-peer programs.
The result was a pair of highly informative sessions that we hope might inspire more people to connect and collaborate, and to showcase our sector as being full of supportive work environments – something that could help attract new entrants to fill the 60,000 to 70,000 available positions in the construction sector.
The realities of Canada’s construction employment experience are moving faster than the public perceptions connected construction jobs, and that can be a deterrent to attracting the bright minds that our industry needs going forward. I constantly run into people who are not aware of the technology that is used on a daily basis in our world, so events like the symposium, as well as our upcoming technology webinar – watch for details about that soon – help reframe the industry so that we can be seen as the technologically advanced sector that we are, rather than the analogue sector that we may have once been.
Showcasing work with imaging systems and gamified 3D models will go a long way to enticing today’s students to take a second look at our sector. And once they are in, we need to keep them in through career development.
Speaking of advancement and career development, I would like to direct your attention to our 40 Under 40 in Canadian Construction program, Class of 2023. In addition to recognizing and celebrating the rising stars in our industry, that program is a prime example of the diverse job opportunities that exist in today’s world of construction.
Congratulations to all those who made this year’s class of honourees and thank you to everyone who nominated someone.
Until next time, stay safe and do good work.
Adam Freill / Editor
