b'WANTED: 60,000 SKILLED WORKERSUpdate on Canadas skilled labour shortageSARAH B. HOODY ou hear it from almost every industry: Canada has a severeBuildForce Numbersshortage of skilled workers. And the mechanical contractingFerreira has been watching the construction labour force for sector is no different. almost 20 years. BuildForce Canadas annual forecast provides Unfortunately, this is not an issue that looks like it will bethe industry with up-to-date labour force information, including resolved in the near term, says MCAC chief operating officerchallenges and pinch points, he explains, through observation Ken Lancastle. Weve known for some time of the impendingof the 34 largest trades and occupations, which together represent retirements in our industry, and we know that we wont be ableabout 76 per cent of total industry employment.to meet all of the demand for skilled workers in our sector fromWe provide the industry with some guidance as to what the traditional recruitment pools. recruitment level has to be in order to keep pace with industry We know, based on our outlook for last year, that with demanddemands, Ferreira says.growth and retirement, with our normal level of recruitment,In October, Ferreira offered a presentation to attendees of we will still be short about 61,000 workers by 2032, says BillMCACs annual conference in Napa, Calif., titled The Road Ferreira, executive director of BuildForce Canada. Since theAhead: Demand drivers of construction activity: 2023-2032. coming of the pandemic, weve seen an enormous growth inIn his breakdown of factors affecting Canadian construction construction demand, and unemployment has gone down. Thatworkforce needs over the next decade, he showed that the pool of speaks to the inability of the industry to keep up with growthskilled workers needs to grow from its current level of 1,216,500 and demands. workers to 1,270,600 by 2032.24 www.mcac.ca'