b'HUMAN RESOURCESa lot of opportunities available in the trades,talent). At the most basic level, it also meansinterestIdidintryingdifferentjobsand but students typically only know about therelying less on word of mouth and gettinglearning everything. Many of them have a high-profile ones like plumbing or electrical.jobpostingsorrecruitmentinformationone-track mind; they want to do one job all Iftheydoveabitdeeperanddidalittleto places where their target employees areshift and go home. Thats it. They dont want more searching, theyd find a lot of careersmore likely to see them. Even increasingto dig in and really learn the industry.they didnt even know existed, like those inyour presence on social media helps, Stoikos aggregate, she says. says. The people are out there, and theyreItdoesntalwaysstartthisway,adds willing to give the trades a try, but employersGiordano. Over time, though, it has become It is a problem that has been compoundingneed to make it as easy as possible to find outharder to retain workers once they realize over the years, says Wall. While the aggregateabout the industry and any available jobs. that the job is about more than just driving sector can provide reliable income and careerbig machines. A lot of times, when they first opportunities, it has not received due focusEven when young people are aware of thecome in, they say that theyll do anything, from educators, parents and career advisors.opportunities, it can take some convincing tohe says. So we teach them that our labourers By now, weve seen a couple of generationskeep them on the payroll. Victor Giordanoneed to be able to cut grass, shovel gravel, chooseuniversityoverthetradesbecauseis a land manager with VicDom Sand anddo maintenance, and, if need be, jump on a thats what their parents and teachers said toGravel (Ontario) Limited and also overseestruck. Once they get a sniff of the machine, do growing up, says Wall. Thats a lot ofhiring for the Uxbridge-based company. Likehowever,thatsalltheywanttodo.And people who didnt realize that they can runhis peers, Giordano knows there is talent outwhen they find out they cant just do one job, heavyequipmentandmakemoremoneythere, but new talent may not come to thethey leave.than they would with a university degree,job with the same attitudes and preferences and now theyre not around when we needas the generations before them. Giordano is not the only one to notice gaps them most. in generational attitudes. Wall says its not CREATING PATHWAYS The motivation for our workers cominguncommon for workers to come to the job OrganizationslikeOCCAareworkingin isnt the same as when I was at that age,thinking they can earn a big pay cheque in overtimeto raise interestamong potentialhereflects.Assomeonewhogrewupintheir first weeks, only to become disillusioned recruits,buttheycanonlydosomuch.the industry, one thing I notice is that thewhen faced with the reality that it will take Stoikos says employers have their own partnew people coming in dont have the samemore work than expected. Ive had younger to play in helping potential recruits find and understand available opportunities. When it comes to construction, the pathways arent"We\'ve seen a couple of generations choose always as clear as, say, a career in accounting, businessortech,shesays.Thereare differentwaystoentereachtradeanduniversity over trades because that\'s what different certifications or licences you need to actually get your foot in the door. So fortheir parents and teachers said to do That\'s someone looking to get into a trade, whether its in the aggregate sector or elsewhere, ita lot of people who didn\'t realize they can can be a bit challenging to figure out how to start and where the jobs are.run heavy equipment and make more money Anything to make the journey easier will bring more talent to the industrys doorstep.than they would with a university degree"On a broad scale, it means connecting on a deeper level with local talent pools (e.g.,Ryan Wall, Walker Aggregates & Constructionschools,Canadiannewcomers,displaced WE BUILD MORE WITH LESS. Lafarge offers aggregates, recycled aggregates, engineered soil, roller compacted concrete. fill management services and solutions. Our technical expertise and www.lafarge.castate-of-the-art plants, and commitment to innovation allow us to produce a wideLLAFARGE range of performance materials. Lafarge is committed to sustainable construction and delivers environmentally responsible solutions for your needs. 12 AVENUESFALL 2022'