b'RCABC UPDATERCABC UPDATEI t has never been more important for ICIend ofthe decade from other industries or neighbouring building owners to know who is installingprovinces to keep pace with construction demands.their roof. The RCABC Educational Foundation (REF) AccordingtoTheCanadianApprenticeshiphasbeensupportingindustrytrainingandtheBRYAN WALLNER Forum,anationalnot-for-profitorganization,development of a skilled workforce in B.C. forChief Executive Officer, COVID-19 has presented a number of barriersover30years.AsanITADesignatedTrainingRCABCtoapprenticeshipcompletionsresultinginanProvider,B.C.apprenticesintherooferand estimated decline across all trades of 40 per centarchitectural sheet metal trades from across the to 18,200 in 2020. The lowest levels of comple- province attend our purpose-built training facility tions since 2005 were partly the result of reducedeach year to develop their technical knowledge hours,job-siteclosuresandconstructionshut- and skills.downs in some provinces.In 2016 RCABC began a series of initiatives Newregistrations,thepipelineforfuturedesignedtorecruitworkersintotheindustry completions,wasalreadyintrouble.Inthe20onbehalfofitsmembers.Theseinitiatives largest construction trade programs, new registra- andthepartnershipsforgedtosupportthem tions peaked at 8,540 in 2013 before declining to ahaveprovidedessentialtrainingtobringrefu-low of 7,400 in 2017. New registrations returnedgees,youthandunder-representedgroupsinto to peak levels in 2018 before falling to 7,900 (-7the workforce.per cent) in 2019. Limited available data suggestB.C.sconstructionindustrywasfortunate COVID-19 has imposed obstacles to the deliverytocontinueoperatingthroughthepandemic, ofin-schooltraining,testing,andcertification.and REF partnered with SkillSource to provide These impacts are likely to reduce the near-termskillstrainingtosupportunemployedworkers numbers of new certified workers. returning to the workforce and help support B.C.s HereinB.C.,BuildForceCanadasregionaleconomicrecovery.Thispartnershipcontinues forecast includes this warning bell: with a pre-apprenticeship program designed to Theexpectedretirementof anestimated16,736recruit and train youth and equity-seeking groupsworkers from the provincial non-residential labour forceentering the trades.will increase the overall recruitment requirement to justRCABC and its members value training and over 26,800 workers. Demand is expected to be partlya skilled workforce. That commitment built our met by the addition ofnearly 15,500 new entrantsstate-of-the-arttrainingfacilityinLangleyand under the age of30 from the local population, butdifferentiatesRCABCmembersinthemarket-unless local recruitment is increased, the industry willplace. Know who is installing your roof. Find an need to draw in an additional 11,331 workers by theRCABC member near you at www.rcabc.org. www.rcabc.org l11'