b'Where didHUMAN RESOURCESeverybody go?Reframing the search for talent By Matthew BradfordI tisaquestiononthemindsofallOf course, the pandemic hasnt helpedWere struggling just like anyone else in Canadianconstructionemployers:matters, and neither has the resulting so- construction, except it can be argued that Where has all the talent gone? As firmscalledGreatResignation,whichsawwere feeling the pinch a bit more since our get back to work following pandemic24percentofCanadiansleaveforthepart of the industry isnt always considered by delays and shutdowns, many are chal- competitionorexittheirfieldaltogether.potential workers, says Ryan Wall, executive lenged to fill widening gaps in their work- Theres no pinning down where everyonevicepresidentforWalkerAggregates& force while keeping existing teams intact.hasgone.Butthen,themoreimportantConstruction. Thats why a lot of us are Frustrationsoverthetalentcrunchquestion may be: How do we connect withtrying to get our heads around how to better arenothingnew.Foryears,companiesthe people who still want to work? self-promote and get the message out there throughouttheconstructionsectorhavethat, yes, this industry exists.struggledtoreplaceretiringworkersandRAISING THE PROFILEsteeryoungergenerationstothetrades.ItwouldbeanexaggerationtosayfewNicoleStoikos,careercoordinatorwith Atlastcheck,StatisticsCanadareportedpeoplewanttoworkintheaggregateOntarioConstructionCareersAlliance thatemployerswereseekingtofill81,500sector.Theclosertruthisthatthereare(OCCA), says there are many students who vacant positions in the first quarter of 2022,manyyoung,skilledworkerswhomightmight fit well in the industry. Still, they are upnearly7.1percentfromthepreviousthrive in the field but simply do not knoweitherbeingdirectedawayfromtradesor quarter and nearly double from before thethe opportunities that exist. towards more high-profile jobs. There are pandemichit. Moreover,EmploymentandSocial DevelopmentCanadabelievesdemandfor construction trades will likely remain high, citingBuildForceresearchthatstatesthe industry will need to bring in 309,000 new construction workers over the next 10 years to make up for expected workforce losses. FALL 2022AVENUES 11'