OGCA targets labour shortages in ICI construction

The Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) has released a report listing six potential solutions that could help address labour shortages in the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) construction industry. The report, Building Pathways and Pipelines into ICI Construction, puts a focus on project managers and site supervisors, two jobs that the organization says will continue to be in high demand for some time to come.

The OGCA says that productivity and competitiveness in Ontario’s ICI construction sector are negatively impacted by current labour shortages, stating that general contractors have repeatedly identified a sector-wide workforce shortage of skilled candidates for these leadership roles that are critical to operational success and productivity.

Among the suggestions in the OGCA report are methods to bring new entrants into the workforce as junior project managers, solutions to ease the burden on upskilling current workers into project manager and site supervisors, and options to reduce barriers for existing site supervisors.

“Our members have highlighted the need to create a pathway into these long-term, well-paying construction careers,” said Giovanni Cautillo, president of the OGCA. “This report outlines steps we, as an industry, can take to access the untapped talent of under-represented groups such as women, youth and indigenous communities while developing pathways for existing employees to grow into these in-demand leadership roles.”

Between August and October of 2021, the OGCA convened a participatory research, consultation, and co-design process to develop an action plan aimed at addressing the sector-wide shortage of project managers and site supervisors. In 2022, the organization plans to seek resources to pilot some, or all, of the solutions outlined in the report for their members.

A full copy of the report can be found on the OGCA website, www.ogca.ca.