b'BUILDFORCE RESEARCH REPORTS ON LABOUR CONCERNSNeed for immigration reform and transitioning to greener buildingsWARREN HEELEYM CAC members are concerned5)The negative effects on skilled tradeCanadas aging infrastructure, the housingabout the skilled labour shortageindustries from immigration policycrisis and electrifying the country are in Canada. This crisis beganplacing university education as thesome of many future challenges for the well before the pandemic and becamehighest immigration selection criteria. construction industry and its workforce. more critical when large numbers of tradeThe Building a Greener Future reportThese challenges highlight the priority of workers retired over the last four years,concluded that: attracting skilled workers from foreign causing the number of skilled workers inlands through immigration policy reform.the trades to significantly diminish. 1) Meeting the objectives of moving With retiring workers forecast to exceed BuildForce Canada, who provides servicesaway from fossil fuel heatingthe number of new workers entering to the construction industry includingequipment will significantly impactthe industry over the next decade, labour statistics, recently released twothe construction industry; immigration is needed to fill the skilled research reports regarding the Canadian2)These objectives will create aworker gap and maintain a robust labour situation: the Immigrationworking-age population. significant increase in the need for Report Update and Building a Greenerboth residential and ICI workersThe reality is that many developed Future. These reports review the needto complete equipment and energycountries like Canada have an aging for immigration policy reform and theretrofits; and population, and our country is competing construction labour impact of the federal3)This demand will require retrainingfor skilled workers. Accordingly, A governments greenhouse gas (GHG)smooth integration of skilled immigrants reduction targets and green certain trades and recruiting a largeis crucial for Canada to remain an building objectives. number of workers when skilledattractive destination.The Immigration Report Update concludedtradespeople are difficult to find.that Canada must respond to: The Immigration Report Update Canadian immigration currently favours According to the report, Immigrants playuniversity-educated candidates versus 1)The domestic demographic issue ofa vital role in shaping and sustaining thecandidates with trade school training. International competition for workers and retiring workers; [construction] sector. Their diverse skillsCanadas immigration policies will make 2)The international competition and talents have enabled the industry toit more difficult to attract workers in the respond effectively to the rising demands for workers; for construction services across future, when the demand for construction 3)The reality that domestic recruitingthe country.services intensifies. will not fulfill the needs of theHowever, in the past, serious immigrationIndustry recommendations about Canadian workforce; policy changes have resulted in the needimmigration reform include:4)Making immigration policy consistentfor skilled workers being lost within1)Changing the point-allocation systemwith the needs of the constructionnew policies that look first and foremostto give more credits to trade applicants sector; and at university education. Maintainingbased on labour market needs;18 www.mcac.ca'