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Innovation is the key to productivityA shift in thinking is required for industry to stay competitive and boost productivity.

Legalizing marijuana lights up a debateHow will the legalization of this drug impact Canada’s construction sites?

BUILDFORCE MAGAZINE // fall 2017 5

BUILDFORCE M A G A Z I N E

Fall 2017Published For:BUILDFORCE CANADA220 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 1150Ottawa, ON K1P 5Z9Contact: Bill Ferreira, Executive DirectorTel.: (613) 569-5552, ext. 222 [email protected]

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GREETINGS 7 A message from the Chair of BuildForce Canada

9 A message from the Executive Director of BuildForce Canada

FEATURES 11 The tug of war of commercial construction

Boom AND bust? What’s happening to commercial construction?

14 Young families and housing’s missing middle Baby boomers are staying put, and that’s causing a supply shortfall.

18 The millennial factor Gen Next is now building your projects.

20 From vulnerable to transformational A major safety incident shifted the focus of one Alberta company.

24 Aftermath Is there hope for construction activity in Canada’s resource sector?

26 Future maker or future taker The robots are coming...and that’s likely a good thing.

32 Alternative apprenticeship approaches Apprenticeship programs nationwide share their best practices.

36 Deepening diversity How Manitoba Hydro attracts and retains Indigenous employees.

38 Marijuana lights up debate in construction industry Canada’s looming Cannabis Act is going to affect safety on your work site.

42 Constant innovation is key to productivity Improving your competitiveness requires a shift in thinking.

46 Building the future Workforce shortages are creating workforce opportunities for women and newcomers.

MAKING HEADLINES48 Global affairs

49 Manitoba looks to integrate safety into trades training

51 Canadian youth excel

53 Foreman certification joins the Gold Seal ranks

54 Proof positive

BUILDFORCE BASICS56 Updates to supervisor course make it

more modern, accessible

57 BuildForce Canada’s Mandate

57 Board of Directors

57 Strategic Partners

58 BUYER’S GUIDE


Change is in the air. As I write my first message for BUILDFORCE Magazine, I can’t help but notice all of the change surrounding me: summer to fall, warm to cool, t-shirts to sweaters. At the same

time, BuildForce Canada is changing, too. As I step into the role of Chair, and Bill Ferreira into the role of Executive Director, we thank John Schubert, past Chair, and Rosemary Sparks, past Executive Director, for their steadfast leadership. We aim to build on both of their significant accomplishments.

Change isn’t limited to BuildForce. All across Canada, the industry is in a state of transformation; demographics are shifting, markets are fluctuating, and some economies are slowing while others are growing. There is both good and bad news. On the one hand, rising demands related to infrastructure and non-residential maintenance are expected to sustain demand for skilled workers. On the other, the 2015 collapse of oil prices is still resulting in slowed energy-related construction projects.

It’s also a different story when you look from province to province. While we see growth in non-residential construction in British Columbia, Alberta is still struggling to regain its footing. In central Canada, Manitoba is living through a period of great success with construction activity expected to reach a peak in 2017. When you move east, however, Ontario is gearing up for potential challenges brought about by workforce retirements and low rates of unemployment. In Atlantic Canada, the demographic shift is taking its toll with much industry knowledge walking out the door with a retiring workforce. This is only a snapshot (full details for each province and

territory can be found on our website), but it clearly illustrates how our industry varies coast to coast.

This demonstrates the importance of BuildForce Canada’s labour market information (LMI). In order to make smart workforce decisions, our stakeholders look to BuildForce for accurate and timely LMI. I know I did when I first discovered BuildForce 12 years ago. Irving Oil was working on a large capital project at the time and

needed to know exactly where the labour market stood. It was while searching for this information that I came across BuildForce Canada’s LMI and the rest, as they say, is history.

Now, Irving Oil not only benefits from BuildForce LMI, but also contributes to it as often as possible. Our company believes that industry has two choices; either get involved and be part of the solution, or stand back and be part of the problem. I’m thankful that Irving Oil has supported me in creating solutions with BuildForce Canada, first as a member of the New Brunswick working committee, then as Board member, and now as Chair.

On that note, BuildForce’s labour market information gets better every year. We are never satisfied with what we have, and we are always working to improve our model and the information we provide to our stakeholders. The magic of BuildForce is that all of the industry’s stakeholders are represented – from owners to contractors to labour. It’s very easy to look around, point fingers, and assign blame, but with all the stakeholders at the same table, BuildForce provides a platform for us to work towards solutions – together.

Something near and dear to my heart that I hope to achieve during my tenure as Chair is progress on the attraction and retention of youth and underrepresented communities to the construction industry. We have done good work over the past few years, but we must do more. Our industry’s survival depends on our ability to make it more attractive to the next generation of workers, and to people who don’t traditionally look to construction as an option: women, Aboriginals, and new immigrants, for example.

In fact, BuildForce has two projects underway that address the issue of attraction and retention of workers. The first is funded by Status of Women Canada and provides tools and resources to support employers in creating respectful and inclusive workplaces for all. The second is funded by the Government of Canada’s Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program and aims to improve performance through mentoring. BuildForce Canada, SkillPlan, and Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) have partnered to undertake this national initiative to develop, implement, and evaluate an innovative mentorship training model that will support Canadians to improve their skills to get and keep a job, and adapt and succeed at work.

Yes, change is certainly in the air. Let us embrace change, and build on it. Let us preserve what works, and accept innovative ideas that new industry members bring forward. Our success depends on it.

/ GREETINGS //

A Message from the Chair of BuildForce Canada

CHRISTINA TAYLOR

Chair, BuildForce Canada

Manager, Labour Relations and Workforce Development,Irving Oil

Cover image photo credit: City of Vancouver Archives, AM1533-S2-4-: CVA 780-478, cropped version.


I have been with the Canadian Construction Association for almost nine years, and in that time, I have become well acquainted with BuildForce Canada. I am excited to join the ranks of such a valuable organization, and look forward to continuing to work alongside

the construction and maintenance industry in this capacity.

Something that has always impressed me about BuildForce is the organization’s dedication to providing reliable labour market information (LMI) to its stakeholders. Not only is their LMI a critical tool for the industry, but it also guides government’s understanding of the trends, and helps shape their analysis and policy. I worked in a minister’s office for over five years, so I have seen this first-hand. The BuildForce model is unique in how it can help users identify trends and challenges to help shape training decisions right across the country.

BuildForce Canada has also been hard at work bringing industry online training opportunities. I have always been impressed with the courses

offered, and how relevant they are to today’s marketplace. Topics include conflict resolution, construction estimating, confined safety awareness, pipeline construction safety, and, newly-updated, a first level supervisor training program. This is only a small sample of the many e-learning courses available.

Alongside the new Chair of the Board, Christina Taylor, BuildForce will also continue to focus on fostering awareness of just how many opportunities are available for hard-working Canadians who are looking for a fulfilling career building and maintaining the nation. This is something we are both passionate about, and I believe you will see this in our areas of focus moving forward.

Finally, thank you to Rosemary Sparks, my predecessor, for her tireless efforts growing BuildForce Canada into the premier organization that it is. I endeavour to build on her successes, and the successes of the organization.

I look forward to what’s next, and to working alongside you to shape and support the industry.

/ GREETINGS //

A Message from the Executive Director of BuildForce Canada

BILL FERREIRA

Executive Director, BuildForce Canada

2nd National Construction & Maintenance Industry Strategy SummitIT’S NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER!

Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, ON / October 5, 2017

Talk with your construction colleagues across Canada about the labour market challenges ahead. Be part of the solution.

Register today! Visit Buildforce.ca.

Canada’s Building Trades Unions | National Construction Labour Relations Alliance | General Presidents’ Maintenance Committee for Canada | CLAC | Ontario Construction Secretariat | Progressive Contractors Association of Canada

BuildForce Canada thanks our 2017 Summit sponsors:

Summit advertorial.indd 1 8/1/2017 10:59:31 AM

2nd National Construction & Maintenance Industry Strategy SummitIT’S NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER!

Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, ON / October 5, 2017

Talk with your construction colleagues across Canada about the labour market challenges ahead. Be part of the solution.

Register today! Visit Buildforce.ca.

Canada’s Building Trades Unions | National Construction Labour Relations Alliance | General Presidents’ Maintenance Committee for Canada | CLAC | Ontario Construction Secretariat | Progressive Contractors Association of Canada

BuildForce Canada thanks our 2017 Summit sponsors:

Summit advertorial.indd 1 8/1/2017 10:59:31 AM


Commercial construction is a little weaker in Alberta, primarily driven by lower oil and resource demand.

There is a more robust outlook for the oil and gas sector, however, according to ConstructConnect’s Q2 2017 U.S. and Canadian Starts Forecasts Report, published this past spring. The report predicts that demand for oil-related services in regions that depend on that industry, such as Alberta, will recover. That would subsequently increase demand for new office space, notes the report.

Overall, the report predicts that total commercial construction will rise by 2.8 percent in 2017 – a major change from the devastating minus 30.9 percent in 2016. “The last couple of years haven’t been really good for Canada. World trade has been slow to pick up and there has been a big decline in some commodity prices, particularly oil and gas,” Carrick says.

The rise and fall of retailAccording to ConstructConnect’s forecast report, retail is expected to

or staying in hotel/motels or renting lodging through Airbnb.

Even though many Canadians are moving toward online and shared economy options, the overall outlook of commercial construction looks good, according to Mark Casaletto, President of ConstructConnect in Canada. The industry in some cities, however, is better than in others.

Commercial construction around the countryOffice building construction has a fairly healthy outlook, most notably in Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto.

Casaletto explains that, “the reason is the dynamics are good – relatively low vacancy and pretty strong demand. As an example, in Toronto there is urbanization of the core. You have more people moving and living downtown. It’s a young professional demographic and, therefore, there’s more demand for office space in the core.” He says those same dynamics are true for Vancouver and, to a lesser extent, Montreal.

Sears Canada announced earlier this year that it will close 59 stores and cut 29,000 jobs. Last year, American giant retailer Target Corporation closed

all 133 stores in Canada, leaving many huge, empty buildings in their places throughout the country. That’s not a coincidence.

“Bricks and mortar retail has come up hard against Internet platforms. It’s a problem,” says Alex Carrick, Chief Economist at ConstructConnect, an information and technology solutions company. “We are seeing so many of these really high-profile companies, and Sears is the latest, where they just haven’t made this adjustment and so they’re closing stores.”

As technology evolves, there continues to be new alternatives to traditional physical spaces. For example, people can choose between single-family or multi-family residential buildings; traditional office space, working from home, or renting co-working spaces;

Strong retail growth means boom, but increased online shopping and an ever-growing shared economy could create a bust

The of commercial construction

/ FEATURE //

TUG OF WAR

12 www.buildforce.ca

drop slightly this year as consumers shift away from traditional retail toward online shopping. Carrick and Casaletto both say retail sales have been exceptional, however. “Canadian retail sales have been really strong this year because employment has been good,” Carrick explains. “Anything above five percent growth in retail sales is good and they’ve been exceeding that year over year.” He adds that there has been major investment into retail, noting the large number of malls across the country that have been renovated in the past five to 10 years.

One area that hasn’t been impacted by online sales is luxury brands, such as Chanel, Tiffany & Co., and Dior. “They seem to be expanding,” according to Michael Atkinson, President of the Canadian Construction Association. He says that international retailers, such as Paris’ Sandro and New York City’s Warby Parker, are also entering the Canadian market, which is somewhat increasing retail demand.

Though online retailers are outselling traditional, physical retailers, their business format is creating a demand for warehouses, Atkinson says. Internet-based retailers such as AmazonFresh are now offering grocery services, which means the company needs distribution centres. This particular service only sells non-perishable foods to Canadian customers, but demand for online grocery shopping is likely to increase, which will drive up demand for warehouse space.

Carrick points out that, “the trend so far has been to build large distribution centres;” however, he notes that many analysts think this will eventually move toward building smaller centres.

A surge in accommodation and mixed-use buildingsThe prevalence of today’s “sharing economy” will also impact construction in Canada.

Travellers can rent a room in another person’s home via Airbnb, negating the need for a hotel room. Similarly, co-working spaces are catching on across the country, giving small businesses options other than renting/buying traditional office space.

Even so, ConstructConnect predicts only a slight fall in hotel/motel builds in 2017. Americans account for the largest percentage of travellers to Canada, and when the economy south of the border slowed, so too did their travel to Canada. This really slowed investment in the hotel industry.

Now, according to Atkinson, a low Canadian dollar and a more stable U.S. economy will once again make Canada a priority destination. The number of U.S. citizens travelling to Canada did, in fact, surge in January 2017, to two million trips. This is 3.6 percent more than the strongest January since 2007, according to Statistics Canada. Tourism spending in Canada also rose 0.9 percent in the first quarter of 2017, as reported by Statistics Canada.

Population growth in Canada will also impact construction, as immigrants continue to settle in major cities. Casaletto says this boom is driving the trend of mixed-use buildings, particularly in city’s downtowns. “A growing population usually means strong demand and low supply, yet in a city’s downtown, there

is usually not a lot of room to build. This, coupled with the gentrification of major cities in Canada, is driving the construction of mixed-use buildings, particularly in downtowns.”

On top of that, residential construction spawns commercial construction because people need to shop and work in offices, and people who work in offices sometimes need to travel for business, which encourages hotel construction. “It’s a domino effect,” Casaletto says.

What’s to come The commercial construction landscape changes with the economy, and just as the economy can be unpredictable, any forecasts of the industry can change.

Casaletto says that right now, the outlook for commercial construction is positive, especially in major cities that have strong ties to the U.S. market.

“That could change quickly and unpredictably if something changes,” he cautions. “For example, if the NAFTA renegotiation goes badly for Canada, this could cause speculation around the Canadian economy and cause the private sector to disengage. A terrorist act would also cause economic turmoil,” Casaletto says.

“Commercial construction is all private construction, and the private sector has proven that they’re very jittery. When they invest, they invest aggressively, but they also pull their money off the table very quickly,” he adds. y


As a result, if current trends continue, Canada will see a growing shortage of family-oriented homes over the coming decade. In the largest and fastest-growing cities, this shortage is already a major force behind rising prices for ground-oriented ownership units – both detached and multi-unit. In their place, industry should expect higher start levels for both purpose-built rental and condominium units destined for the rental market.

These are the conclusions of a recent CHBA report entitled, The Housing Supply Deficit – Not Enough Homes for Families with Young Children. The report documents the demographic trends that are reshaping housing demand, and the regulatory factors that are limiting supply, particularly in relation to higher-density forms of ground-oriented construction.

It is this market segment – which includes accessory suites, duplexes, triplexes, row and townhomes, stacked towns and courtyard apartments – that the report terms the “missing middle.”

Key demographic shiftsTwo key demographic trends are examined in the CHBA report – a rising number of millennial households getting

While there is a great deal of focus on Canada’s aging population, and BuildForce data reflects this, there

is another less recognized demographic phenomena occurring that directly affects housing, and this has been a focus of complementary Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) analysis – Canada is seeing something of a “baby boomlet,” as rising numbers of millennial couples begin having children.

The baby boomlet will have a direct impact on the type of housing that Canadians seek, which will affect the form of housing built. Whether or not a sufficient supply of these homes is built will, in turn, have marked impact on house prices, something we are already seeing in many Canadian cities.

In parallel with this demographic shift, increasingly complex development regulations aimed at reshaping our largest cities are hampering the home building industry’s capacity to provide the homes that young families want, need, and can actually afford.

/ FEATURE //

A “baby boomlet,” shifting demographics, and baby boomers who are staying put, are causing a supply shortfall in Canada’s residential market.

Young families and housing’s

Contributed by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association

missing middle


(85.8 percent) in all markets across Canada. And in this respect, millennials are proving to be little different than their parents.

There are currently about 10 million single-family dwellings in Canada, about 56 percent of which are occupied by baby boomers or older generations.

Demographers and planners have long anticipated a major transition as baby boomers gradually move out of their single-family homes, freeing them up for resale to younger households.

However, it is becoming clear that a great many boomers intend to stay put indefinitely – the move among this age cohort to downsize into other types of housing is simply not materializing at the level anticipated. “Aging in place” is the preference.

This contrasts with previous trends, which saw the proportion of family households with children living at home in steady decline.

The current baby boomlet is already affecting housing demand, and will also shape everything from school attendance to retail markets for the next decade. The largest net increases in numbers of births are occurring in urban regions from Ontario west.

Between 2016 and 2026, numbers of new family households with children are projected to more than double to some 37,000 net new households per year, accounting for over 20 percent of total household growth.

Households with children have traditionally, and overwhelmingly, chosen ground-oriented and single-family homes

married and having children, and the propensity for many baby boomers and their parents to stay put in their single-family homes, rather than downsize.

Together, these trends are having a significant impact in many housing markets across the country.

While millennials may be starting families later in life than their parents, they are catching up. Between 2000 and 2016, the number of births in Canada increased about 20 percent. From July 2015 to June 2016, some 393,000 babies were born in Canada, a high not seen in over two decades, and one that will lead to an increasing number of children in Canada over the next two decades (see Chart 1).

Chart 1

Source: Statistics Canada Sources: Census of Canada/CHBA SurveyCMHC

Chart 2

Canada’s “missing “middle.”©Opticos Design, Inc.


overseas, many of whom are prime child-bearing age.

• A resulting (and predictable) increase in demand for ground-oriented, family-friendly homes – both attached and detached.

• “Market-blind” municipal and regional growth plans that pursue densification without consideration of, or adjustment to, such real demographic pressures. While some observers look for other

explanations, and there are indeed other contributors, the law of supply and demand remains pervasive.

The high cost of supply/demand misalignmentThe emerging problem of the missing middle in housing has broad implications and potentially large social costs.

Kevin Lee, CEO of CHBA, summarized some of these impacts as follows: “What we are seeing is the millennial generation really struggling to find a place to live and raise their families in our largest cities, and this has worrying longer-term implications for them, these communities, and the economy at large.”

So, what can be done to address this emerging problem? Lee put forward CHBA’s views this way: “Although there has been a lot of focus on trying to dampen prices, a big part of the solution is enabling a housing supply response. We’re not talking about ‘sprawl’ here, just about building smarter communities, and including infill projects and transit-oriented development that young families find welcoming and manageable, especially with young children.” y

Since 1943, the Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA) has been "the voice of Canada's residential construction industry." Representing one of the largest industry sectors in Canada, their membership is made up of over 8,500 companies, including home builders, renovators, land developers, trade contractors, product and material manufacturers, building product suppliers, lending institutions, insurance providers, and service professionals.

Research and Land Development noted that while the total number of starts in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) generally matched the rate of household formation, “unfortunately, there has been a marked mismatch between the types of units brought to the market and the types demanded by the market.”

Simply put, the predominance of one-bedroom condominium apartments is ill-suited to the needs of young families.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, while the condo market offers greater affordability in terms of minimum unit cost, this advantage largely disappears on a floor area basis; two- and three-bedroom apartments would not provide the affordability required by most first-time family buyers.

This combination of conditions – the missing middle of ground-oriented homes that would be more affordable for younger first-time buyers, and the small unit size and configuration of condominium units, which are more affordable – puts greatly-increased demand and price pressure on those homes that are suited to young families with children. The divergent trajectory of low- and high-rise home prices in the GTA offers stark evidence of this.

The role of development plans and regulations So, what are the forces that conspire to create this missing middle in the housing stock of some of our largest cities?

It should be noted that this situation is not common to all urban markets. But the factors associated with it bear careful consideration, because at least some are in evidence in most markets.

The Ryerson report, while focused only on the GTA, reached the following conclusion: “A robust requirement for new ground-related homes in the GTA was predicted as far back as 1993 so it is a fallacy to blame an unexpected surge in underlying demand for the rising prices. The blame falls largely on the provincial government and municipalities for failing to respond effectively to the expected demand.”

What emerges from the research conducted by CHBA, and in reports such as the Ryerson study, is that multiple factors can contribute to the sort of mismatch or supply/demand misalignment that is evident today in the GTA and the lower mainland in British Columbia:• Sustained regional economic success

that draws large numbers of new residents from across Canada and

As a result, only about half of the single-family dwellings that younger families seek will be met through the resale market, especially in the country’s fastest-growing urban areas.

Combining these factors, it is estimated that Canada may see a shortfall of up to 300,000 new ground-oriented dwellings over the next decade. In cities where housing demand is strong, this is most likely to translate into continued upward price pressure for the most sought-after types of homes.

The missing middleBetween 2007 and 2016, the annual start rate of ground-oriented dwellings as typically measured by CMHC declined by almost 27 percent. In particularly short supply was what some planners call the missing middle – the types of denser, entry-level housing within the price range of many young millennial families. More recently, based on finer-grained data from CMHC, there has been a shift toward increased supply of this housing form in some markets across Canada.

A notable exception is the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. There, skyrocketing land prices coupled with planning and regulatory pressures are continuing to squeeze out missing middle formats.

The missing middle includes various forms of low-rise attached houses, such as townhomes, duplexes, stacked back-to-back townhomes, and low-rise mixed- use buildings.

These more affordable, smaller housing forms allow for smaller lots, while still providing the interior space and layout, and the all-important ground access, that are sought by most young Canadian families.

Of importance to cities looking for more compact development, the missing middle provides the densities needed to support business and service amenities as well as higher public transit ridership.

So, why don’t more families just move into mid- and high-rise condominiums? There are several reasons why this is not happening.

First, as shown consistently in the CHBA/Avid Ratings Canada Home Buyer Preferences Survey, Canadian families continue to prefer ground-oriented housing (see Chart 2, on page 15).

Second, there is often a significant mismatch between the type of units being built and underlying demand. As an example, a recent report1 from Ryerson University’s Centre for Urban

RESOURCE1. Countering Myths about Rising

Ground-Related Housing Prices in the GTA: New Supply Really Matters, Centre for Urban Research and Land Development, Ryerson University, April 2017.


Integrating millennials into the industryWith a substantial workforce deficit expected to occur over the next decade, it is becoming increasingly evident that the construction industry needs to find better ways to engage with Generation Y and bring them on board. After all, the construction industry has many aspects that Generation Y would find appealing, providing them with the challenge, opportunity, sense of purpose, and growth they aspire to achieve, while also creating a life of financial stability.

Director – Ontario at CLAC. “They will not work somewhere that is just ‘satisfying.’ They want to be fully engaged with an employer that gives them an opportunity to make change in the world.”

“Millennials have impressive digital skills and are comfortable with the fast pace of technological change,” says Carol MacLeod, Executive Director of the National Electrical Trade Council (NETCO). “With a strong commitment to lifelong learning, millennials are agile in adapting to workplace and industry changes.”

The millennial factorHow industry is working with Gen Y toward mutual gain

Look around and it’s easy to see that the current demographics of the Canadian construction landscape are shifting. Baby boomers are on their way out

and are being replaced by millennials. Also known as Generation Y or Gen Next, this most recent age bracket brings with it a reputation for potential and challenges, both of which senior owners and managers will need to prepare for.

Born in the mid 80s to 2000, Generation Y is one of the fastest growing groups in today’s workforce. They are known for their diversity, a tendency to experience life before settling on a career, and for typically having more post-secondary training when compared to baby boomers or Generation X.

Although it may be unfair to stamp an entire generation of individuals with a single all-encompassing label, two general stereotypes are often made about millennials: that they want to make a change to their world, and that they can appear self-absorbed and entitled.

Millennials versus previous generationsWhile baby boomers and Generation X are less prone to take risks and largely remain with their employers for an extended period, content to climb the socioeconomic ladder through commitment, long hours, and hard work, millennials are not afraid to demand a better work-life balance. They also demonstrate less loyalty to a company that doesn’t share their values.

“Generation Y thrives with an employer who sets clear job expectations, makes them feel a part of the team, provides them with challenging work, and gives weekly evaluations,” says Colin de Raaf, Training

LOOKING AHEADThe year 2026…What does Canada’s population look like just under a decade from now?

M

For full details on Canada’s population age distribution, year 2026, get in touch with BuildForce Canada at [email protected].

If you’re a MILLENNIAL (born 1982-2004), there are 11.8 million of you, and you’re now 22 to 44 years old.

If you’re a GEN-XER (born 1965-1981), there are 8.7 million of you, and you’re now 45 to 61 years old.

If you’re a BABY BOOMER (born 1945-1964), there are 7.9 million of you, and you’re now 62 to 81 years old).

M

X

B

/ FEATURE //


going to be a productive approach with millennials, as they are willing to speak up and not do a task if they don’t see the purpose.”

Ultimately, the arrival of Generation Y should be seen as an amazing opportunity for the Canadian construction industry. While older generations may look down on millennials for their work ethic and reputation of entitlement, it should be noted that every generation that has come before has also expressed its own attitudes and opinions, and has most likely also been looked down upon by an earlier generation. y

should approach a millennial with the desire to be a mentor and appreciate that Generation Y hasn’t necessarily been taught the skills required for a career in construction; skills that earlier generations may take for granted. This lack of knowledge may create a gap that both sides need to be willing to bridge with an understanding and progressive approach to achieve success.

“To work in the trades it is expected you listen, you are teachable, that you follow direction, and that you only ask a question once,” says de Raaf. “This is not

For their part, millennials can also bring a lot to the table for the construction industry. They are innovative, have a high moral compass, show great leadership qualities, and are able to work collaboratively to reach a common goal. Having been raised in the information age, millennials are also tech savvy and can see the value and benefit in managing a business online.

Since millennials benefit from state-of-the-art learning technologies, NETCO has established a world-class blended learning platform (the combination of classroom learning with interactive digital instruction) that is used to train International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) members. This stems from a partnership with The electrical training ALLIANCE™, which is a U.S.-based partnership between IBEW and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).

“By leveraging technology, this combination of face-to-face and online learning uses virtual simulations, interactive exercises, and real-world scenarios, along with instant assessment and feedback,” says MacLeod. “As a result, learning effectiveness is increased and the classroom is empowered for both the instructor and the student.”

And to tap into millennials’ value of a clean growth economy, where they want to play a meaningful role in supporting sustainable prosperity for Canadians, NETCO also leads two Green Skills Training & Certification programs related to the installation of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles and solar photovoltaic systems.

IBEW Canada has also launched a NextGen Initiative with the goal of helping younger union members get the most out of their union membership, educating millennials with the information and techniques they need to fully participate in union activities.

“IBEW next gen’ers often had no idea how union meetings worked or how to raise issues of concern to them,” explains Kate Walsh, IBEW Canada’s NextGen Initiative Strategic Coordinator. “The NextGen Initiative is about communicating and educating our members who are 35 years and under about how to become more involved and engaged within the IBEW.”

Engagement is important, explains de Raaf. Senior managers and leaders

From vulnerable totransformational


Waiward Steel hit an all-time low in 2012.

The leading steel fabrication and industrial construction firm

had a string of workplace incidents from 2010 to 2012, with the last resulting in devastating facial injuries. A Waiward employee near Fort McMurray, Alberta, was struck in the back of the head by a headache ball that was being lowered by a crane, which pushed his face into a gusset plate. Thankfully, the worker survived and returned to work, but he still deals with chronic pain, and is enduring multiple reconstructive surgeries.

This life-altering injury scarred the company. “The incident could easily have been a fatality,” admits Jim Kanerva, Waiward’s Chief Operations Officer. “We had over 140 ironworkers on-site and we were shut down for weeks. It cost us over a million dollars in profit and loss of reputation. Other companies lost money because of us during the site-wide shutdown. No one can afford that.”

Yet the Edmonton, Alberta, firm had an award-winning safety program that was compliant with construction, manufacturing and government safety legislation, policies and regulations.

Suddenly, Kanerva and the company’s President, Terry Degner, realized that having thick binders filled with pages of procedures meant little if employees were still getting hurt. In 2012, Waiward had a lost-time injury every 122,000 hours; unfortunately, that was not the worst in the industry.

Taking a competency approachWaiward examined its culture, vision, and values, and decided to develop an employee competency management system. What this means for the company is that if workers can’t do the

on mentoring sessions, how prepared an employee will be for a specific working condition, and more.

Beyond WaiwardWaiward’s approach to safety is being recognized in the industry. Some companies have taken their competency approach, but not enough companies have taken it far enough, says Janet Lane, Director of the Human Capital Centre at Canada West Foundation. “It is relatively new to Canada. It’s something that has been in place for many years in Britain and the European Union. The United States is working towards this as well,” Lane says.

Canada West Foundation truly believes in Waiward’s competency approach. The independent, non-partisan public policy think tank published a paper in May 2017 that recommends that employers adopt a competency approach to workforce development. Beyond the Rules: Moving Safety from Compliance to Competence notes that across Canada in 2015, 307 workers died from injuries on the job and 545 people died from work-related diseases. That same year, 232,629 people filed lost-time claims through Workers’ Compensation Boards, which equals one-and-a-half claims for every 100 workers covered by compensation boards, the report states.

“What Waiward’s story can tell us is one of the ways people can still get hurt is by assuming they’re competent in the entirety of their position, although they may not actually be competent in the task of the job they’re doing that day, or they may not have done it under the conditions in which they are required to do it that day,” says Lane. “Every company has the big, fat safety binder. Every company has a safety program, and many employers have the certificate of recognition that says, ‘Yes indeed, you’re

job, they must be trained, with a focus on training at the work front.

The company developed a software tool (MODOS) to help manage the competency management system, including developing competency profiles for each position in the company. The profiles list all the tasks that cover an entire position. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s safety, quality, production, scheduling, or understanding the vision and values of the company,” Kanerva said.

Waiward rates new and current employees based on those competencies. If employees are assessed and given the rating “needs training,” the company happily provides on-the-job training, witnesses the training to ensure competence, provides them the safe-work procedures, and will bring in a third-party certification if needed.

“If we circle ‘needs training,’ it means that person needs to know how to do that task for the job he or she has right now. It’s not like an apprentice who might be learning these things over years,” Kanerva said. He notes training is not a punishment; it’s investing, it’s the culture of the company.

Waiward is now nearing five million hours without a lost-time injury. “We’re very proud of that number,” says Kanerva. “We’re not a big company so we don’t generate hours quickly. We were nowhere near this number in our entire history up to 2012.”

He adds that, “if you train your workforce well enough, the quality, productivity, and schedule are going to improve too.”

Waiward’s comprehensive safety management system has been so successful that it started a sister company called MODOS Performance Solutions LP. The MODOS management software tracks, in detail, the experience, training, and certifications of a company’s employees. It can also track gaps in training, information

/ FEATURE //


The purpose of the survey, called Safety Maturity Curve: Findings from Industry Perception Survey, was to build upon safety improvements in the industry. COAA embarked on its goal of “Twice as Safe, Twice as Productive by 2020” to put more emphasis on safety among Alberta’s construction companies. Since that time, the total recordable injury rates have dropped from 1.6 to 0.7, which is less than half of what it was in 2014.

“This is a safety perception survey, so leaders may feel like they’re prioritizing safety, but if they’re not communicating that regularly and consistently to employees, then employees may not necessarily get the messaging that it is in fact their priority,” explains Dr. Lianne Lefsrud, an Assistant Professor in Engineering Safety and Risk

Another remarkable part of Waiward’s story was that they accomplished this with the full co-operation of the Ironworkers Union. Canada West Foundation’s paper, The Skill Advantage: The 21st Century Challenge for Canada’s Unions, suggests unions also adopt a competency approach and dispatch workers who have the right competencies to do the jobs.

“Moving to a competency management approach would be valuable for the whole construction sector, including everyone involved in the construction workforce,” Lane says.

By the numbers: safety perceptionsThe first “C” in the seven-step approach to competency management is commitment. That means an unwavering commitment to safety has to come from top management, which must understand what needs to change and why.

Upper management, however, is lacking when it comes to choosing between production and costs versus safety, according to a recent survey by the Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA). The survey had 1,294 respondents, the majority of them were permanent male employees ages 40 to 49 whose companies are members of COAA. The results found that less than 40 percent of respondents feel that leadership makes safety the highest priority. Only about 32 percent of respondents answered that leadership walks the talk – that safety is a priority and they have the necessary systems in place.

following all the rules.’ But it’s not enough because people still get hurt.”

While examining Waiward Steel’s competency approach, Canada West Foundation discovered seven factors that will determine success if this competency approach to workforce development and deployment is taken.

The factors are:1. Commitment: Top leadership must

have an unwavering commitment to this approach to safety.

2. Consistent leadership: All leaders must be on board.

3. Co-ordination: Someone must be responsible for developing and implementing the competency management program.

4. Coaching: Assistance from the competency administrator or other leaders helps everyone adapt to the changes.

5. Champions: Local champions in the company who spread the word about the program at work and outside of the company can ease the transition.

6. Communication: The company needs to make clear to employees why the competency management program is being implemented, how the program will be rolled out, and must provide updates on progress.

7. Continuous learning: Training and development needs to become part of the company’s culture.Companies that adopt this approach

may not do it perfectly, which is understandable since it’s hard to run a business, manage employees, and change an approach to safety. For Waiward, the struggle was with its internal communication about the competency program.

“Yes, it does take effort, commitment, coaching and training, and coordination that goes beyond what is normally in place, but the payoff in having safer employees is amazing,” Lane says.

How one company’s experience is helping to shift construction’s safety culture from reactive to proactive


about whether there really have been any positive safety improvements. It may be that employers are merely mitigating claims rather than implementing real health and safety, or hazard reduction programs.

Jim Kanerva’s experience at Waiward Steel has given him a first-hand understanding of the importance of real safety management systems that go beyond binders full of procedures collecting dust on the shelf.

“If a company truly cares about its people, caring about their safety and implementing the procedures to ensure their safety is the best way to show it,” believes Kanerva. y

Anyone interested in learning more about a competency approach to management is encouraged to contact Jim Kanerva, Waiward Steel’s Chief Operations Officer (and Managing Director of MODOS Performance Solutions LP) at [email protected] or (780) 722-6543.

top down, he stresses. One of the issues in the industry, Dillon says, is that, “generally, foremen pick the people for layoffs, and way too often, they pick the person who they find to be a pain because that person raises health and safety issues. Workers compete with one another every day for work and most believe that if they raise health and safety concerns, they will be on the next list of layoffs; it’s just a reality.”

“When we speak of culture change, that is the number one change that needs to take place – workers need to be encouraged by the company’s leadership to speak up,” he says.

One solution, Dillon suggests, is for employers to compensate employees who raise legitimate health and safety concerns. “The workers who bring forward a safety concern – which is in everybody’s best interest – should be given an incentive for doing that.”

“This sets an example for the rest of the workplace, which contributes to changing the culture,” says Dillon.

There is still more to do, however. Dillon notes that while statistics indicate that the number of reported injuries have gone down, the frequency of serious injuries and deaths has not. He also questions whether reported injuries have actually gone down, or if non reporting has gone up.

In addition, lost time statistics have been affected by employer-led return to work programs, which make it possible for employers to avoid lost time claims by providing workers with offers of modified work. Dillon concludes that although lost time incident claims have gone down, no lost time and medical claims have increased dramatically. This, coupled with the increase in serious claims, raises doubts

Management in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Alberta, and principal investigator for the survey and May 2017 report. Dr. Lefsrud also notes that respondents’ companies had better safety performance than the overall industry average.

The survey considered each company’s safety maturity journey, which has five levels – the least mature is vulnerable, then reactive, compliance, proactive, and then transformational is the most mature.

“We found that most companies were in the middle of the safety maturity journey, from compliant to proactive,” notes Dr. Lefsrud.

From reactive to proactiveCompanies that are simply compliant with safety regulations aren’t doing enough, according to Patrick Dillon, Business Manager and Secretary Treasurer of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario. “Prevention, not pretension, should be the number one interest that the contractor and the worker should have. If they do, lives will be saved and lost-time injuries will be eliminated.”

Dillon believes that employers need to have – and believe in – zero tolerance, noting that if workers aren’t complying with safety regulations and procedures, they should be disciplined. “There’s a range of policies you could put in place, but if they’re put in place and they’re not enforced, that is a form of pretension and you won’t get the best results,” he says. “Employers have to enforce safety practices rigidly if they want to change employee behaviour.”

It is incredibly important for a workplace’s safety culture to be encouraged from the

Creating an incident-free cultureWaiward was so successful with its safety improvements that a sister company was created to design a software that takes competency monitoring and tracking to the next level. MODOS is that software. It stores specs on every employee’s competency, has a six-stage rating scale (from Not Suitable to Mentor Competence), and details everyone’s work experience.

Learn more at www.modos.ca.

FACT:


AftermathC

anada’s resource sector experienced a disastrous year in 2015 when commodity prices were dragged down by global market forces, largely out of Canada’s control. With

the average price per barrel falling as much as 50 percent, oil was particularly hard hit, as were natural gas and the mining sector. This, in turn, led to a major slowdown for the entire construction industry across Canada; a terrible impact that is still having a tremendous effect two years later.

A significant number of jobs across Canada’s broader natural resource industry were lost, many from the construction industry. Oil sands investment alone has fallen by half since 2014, translating into a massive reduction of resource development projects. The slowdown has also resulted in company closures, mergers and acquisitions.

“Companies have done whatever they can to survive,” says Paul de Jong, President of the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada. “This has included streamlining for greater efficiency in bid tendering, layoffs where necessary, lowering labour costs where possible, and diversifying into new sectors. The construction sector will increasingly be a scene characterized by increased success for those who know how to partner, innovate, and remain lean. This will ensure maximum competitiveness.”

used to benchmark oil prices) at Cushing, Oklahoma, are expected to experience growth. Prices are expected to rise modestly through the near term, but still remain under US$100 over the long term. These lower oil prices, compared to that of just over a decade ago when oil prices peaked over US$147, seem to be hampering any substantial growth in the provinces reliant on oil production, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

A significant amount of uncertainty still exists though, regarding if, and by how much, OPEC and non-OPEC states could cut production in an effort to raise oil prices. The response of U.S. shale oil producers will contribute further to the air of uncertainty as production cost-efficiencies gained by these producers after the oil price crash will result in breakeven production costs at significantly lower oil prices.

“The rising sense of long-term stakeholders is that our industry may never be the same,” says de Jong. ”So, what

“It is highly unlikely that we will see levels of activity or growth over the next decade as we have experienced over the last 15 years,” says Bob Collins, Senior Economist at BuildForce Canada. “The new normal is trending to more moderate growth – or even declines – in some provinces that are coming off recent peak levels of activity and have major projects winding down.”

Where are we now?At the moment, many commodity prices appear to have stabilized and are even expected to rise modestly. That being said, this recovery is expected to show prices considerably lower than 2015 levels and demonstrate slower growth from what happened during the commodity price super cycle over the last decade.

Oil markets, as measured by West Texas Intermediate (a grade of crude oil

Can construction in Canada’s resource sector rebound?

Aftermath/ FEATURE //

Aftermath


“Those construction firms and tradespeople who are able to modify their approaches and systems to fit in with this side of the sector will find considerable opportunity moving forward.”

“Opportunities for construction firms and their partner labour organizations will benefit from cooperative labour management partnerships, innovation in how work on projects is structured – including increasing productivity – and ensuring a highly skilled workforce,” adds de Jong.” The key to ensuring a healthy construction industry amid uncertainty in this sector is to ensure competitiveness.” y

Some producers will be looking at using Opex (operating expenditure budgets) to conduct debottlenecking and thereby sustain capital projects. Others, having secured lower construction and operating costs, will once again consider capital expenditures and, while mega projects will not reappear any time soon, smaller projects may appear to provide opportunities for those who can compete.

“Then, of course, all the projects built and expanded over the past 10 years or more will still need to be maintained, including the shutdowns and turnarounds,” says de Jong.

we need to do is to compete with the innovation that is happening south of the border. And, from what I have seen, many companies in Canada are already innovating their way to lower costs.”

Although slumping considerably in the years following 2015, Canada’s other natural resource sectors appear to be faring somewhat better. While the overall prices for metals and minerals have declined from their historical peaks, they still remain high when compared to the early 2000s. Metals and mineral prices are expected to begin to recover this year and will bring some long-awaited relief to Canada’s mining industry.

Short-range forecasts are predicting that natural gas prices, as measured at the Henry Hub – a distribution hub on the natural gas pipeline system in Erath, Louisiana – will begin to recover throughout 2017, before averaging a more moderate growth over the medium term. Natural gas prices had also declined during 2016, thanks in large part to an oversaturation of global markets.

International demand for other Canadian commodities has also dropped significantly from 2015 levels. Lower economic growth from countries such as China – whose growth rate is considerably lower than had been observed over the last 10 years – is also expected to continue to have a negative effect on Canadian commodity prices.

Our closest neighbour, the United States, is currently expecting slightly stronger growth over the medium term, averaging 2.4 percent annually, but there is now a degree of uncertainty surrounding the future of economic policies, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and what impact any changes might have for Canada and the global economy.

“This time around it seems like we are faced with more than one or two debilitating triggers,” says de Jong. “The present downturn seems to be a ‘multi-fecta’ of tepid global energy demand growth, increased demand for renewable energy solutions, political strategy, global disruption in oil pricing, and increased social pressure relating to environmental concerns.”

Emerging opportunitiesWhile the current situation appears grim, there are still some emerging opportunities to be found in the sector for construction firms as well as skilled tradespeople.


Do a quick Internet search for “robots+jobs” and you’ll find countless articles warning about how they are going to steal jobs from humans.

Autonomous cars are expected to take over the jobs of truck drivers; semi-automated mason, also known as SAM, is said to be faster than human bricklayers; and 3D printers can now “print” a building in hours.

Automation and artificial intelligence may, in fact, be a threat to jobs in some industries, but they could actually help the construction industry, according to McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), a private-sector think tank.

The construction industry is among the least digitized industries in the world, according to MGI. Productivity has also grown only one percent per year over the past two decades, compared to 3.6 percent growth in manufacturing, according to MGI’s recent report, Reinventing construction: A route to higher productivity.

Construction projects often suffer from overruns in cost and time. If the industry becomes more productive, the sector’s value will boost to an estimated $1.6 trillion and add two percent to the global economy. One of the ways the industry could become more productive is by infusing digital technology, the report says.

For example, Earle points out that the wrench eventually evolved into a cordless drill. “I say to guys, ‘You were in the field 30 years ago, did you guys have cordless drills?’ They never even thought of that aspect, yet they wouldn’t have a toolkit today without a cordless drill.”

Earle says there are countless examples of how industries adopted new technologies after some hesitation about them. “The painters’ union almost went on strike over the paint roller in the 40s,” Earle recalls. “Going way back to the 18th century, brush makers were really highly regulated, valued, and well-regarded tradespeople; their training on how to make a paint brush could take up to eight years.”

While artificially intelligent 3D printers are very cool, simpler technologies and the training that goes along with them can transform efficiency and communication in the industry.

Machines replacing humansMany people worry that they will lose their jobs to robots. Throughout all of history, however, people have experienced changes in technology.

“This is nothing new,” says Dave Earle, Vice President, Government Relations and HR Services for the Construction Labour Relations Association of BC. “We need to learn from the past.”

Why technology and training are crucial for the industry’s future

/ FEATURE //

Future maker or future taker?


sense of how technology is used in the industry. The council bought $200,000 worth of equipment – including tablets, portable printers and scanners, handheld projectors, robust phones, and voice-activated computers workers could wear under their hard hats – and deployed it around the province.

They found that experienced workers picked up on the technology quickly. “That was a surprise for me,” admits Trent Soholt, Executive Director of NSCSC. “I would have expected the younger people who have cellphones, three computers at home, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to be the earlier adopters of it, but almost universally, it was those in their 40s, 50s and even in their 60s who knew their trade or their job so well that they could see where the technology would make an improvement.”

The council also found that the gizmos alone didn’t provide a return on investment for the company or the end user, Soholt says.

The biggest gap the council found was that workers didn’t know how to use the technology in work settings.

That’s why the council now trains people in the province on how to use computers and smartphones in construction. Specifically, the training goes over how to save, move, edit, and reference files.

“Just this training alone has had a big benefit. Our contractors and our unions have said that this is saving people time, and that communication is so much smoother on their projects.”

Training for tomorrowAs baby boomers retire, young workers will fill the gap in the workforce.

That’s why the construction and carpentry program at Algonquin College trains its students with the future in mind. The program looks at how buildings can address climate change, energy prices, and resource sensitivity.

“The main thrust is building with a sense of environmental consciousness and attention to detail, with a focus on building science,” says Andy Cockburn, a teacher in the Construction Carpentry Advanced Housing program at Algonquin College’s Perth Campus.

Cockburn teaches his students about energy modelling and how to plan a house so it will perform efficiently.

The construction industry is starting to move in that direction, and the Canadian Passive House Institute and

is money in construction, so the faster you can get something done and the more efficient you can be, the better.”

The app has caught on quickly – 10,000 construction professionals use the app and they’re not only using it for punch lists. Professionals use Bridgit Closeout for safety and quality control, general task lists, and inspections with architects or owners. “Closeout is useful to anyone who wants to finish their project on time,” Vander Woude says.

“And it’s not just millennials who are adopting this technology quickly either. Bridgit has clients of all ages, who use the app daily.”

A surprising solution to gaps in constructionThe Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council (NSCSC) did extensive research on technology in the construction industry. Interestingly, the research found that experienced workers were quicker to pick up on technology than young workers, and that the best way to incorporate technology is to make sure workers know the basics of how to use the technology in the first place.

From 2010 to 2015, the council undertook the Functional Information Technology (FIT) project to get a

Earle believes that employers should be curious about new technologies, and explore how to apply those new tools to improve their workplace.

How smartphones are making construction more efficient Smartphones are one relatively simple technology employers could incorporate to be more efficient and productive.

In 2014, millennials Mallorie Brodie and Lauren Lake launched a smartphone and tablet app called Bridgit Closeout to help construction professionals make workflow more efficient and communication better. Project managers can assign tasks from anywhere on the construction site, track the real-time status of tasks, and share reports like trade-by-trade comparisons, all incomplete tasks, progress updates, and inspection summaries. Workers will be notified about the new tasks and receive reminders of incomplete work.

“We’ve had some clients say they’ve cut their closeout time in half,” says Megan Vander Woude, Bridgit’s Marketing and Communications Manager.

Many project managers and superintendents use spreadsheets to create lists, and phones and e-mail to communicate with subcontractors, which takes hours.

“The main thing is Bridgit Closeout lets users close out a project on time and on budget,” Vander Woude says. “Time

LEFT: Mallorie Brodie (left) and Lauren Lake (right) of Bridgit.

BELOW: An example of a blueprint on Bridgit Closeout.


programs such as Leadership, Energy and Environmental Design, and Net Zero, are leading the way. “There are examples in Europe, and some in Canada and the United States, where instead of paying hundreds of dollars a month for heating and cooling, these houses are costing $100 a year for heating and cooling,” he says.

The next step will be making efficient houses affordable by bringing together these green programs, builders, architects, and energy advisors to come

the students might get creative and innovative with technology that exists now to come up with something new,” he says.

The role education plays in technologyEducational institutions need to expose students to the latest tools and equipment, but they’re struggling to keep up with technological change, Dr. Ken Coates says. He’s the Canada Research Chair in Regional Innovation and wrote a paper called Future of the Trades: Thinking Outside of the Toolbox, which argues exactly that.

“I think we should start training people not just for the jobs of tomorrow – because they have to be ready for the jobs of tomorrow – but we should be training them as though they will be working in 2050.” He says new graduates who aren’t prepared to adapt to a changing industry will be out of a job come 25 years when they’re at the peak of their career.

One way educational institutions can set students off on the right foot is by, for example, introducing them to 3D printing and discussing where that will go in the future. “You want them to be the change agent within these companies. You want them asking questions about new technologies, new tools, new equipment, and that sort of thing. Unless they’re asking those questions, our industry is not going to proceed very far,” he says.

“Change is going to happen. It might be good, it might be bad. We don’t know,” says Dr. Coates.

“The only question is whether you’re going to be a future maker or a future taker; someone who sees disruptive innovation as a tool that will benefit your life, or someone who sees it as a negative that is upsetting your current way of doing things.”

“Don’t wake up one day to find your industry has changed and you haven’t,” he cautions. y

up with an affordable process, Cockburn says. “I don’t think it’s impossible by any stretch, but it just requires that you’re paying attention and you’re communicating well,” he explains.

Cockburn encourages his students, who already come in with a good baseline knowledge of how to use technology, to think about how technology might streamline processes.

“We hope that, with solid understanding of fundamentals,

ABOVE: FIT consultant Michael MacKay providing instruction on the use of a mobile device during a ToolBox Tech Training session (NSCSC).

LEFT: The various devices tested for construction site use as part of the FIT project (NSCSC).


For more than 400 years, tradespeople have engaged in apprenticeship as a way to teach and learn trade skills. Along the way, the relationship between

mentor and apprentice was expanded to include periods of technical training to supplement the expertise passed along on the job. Even as each generation seeks to improve upon it, apprenticeship has proven to be the most effective way to develop hands-on trade skills.

The history of apprenticeship encourages experimentation with new and innovative approaches. While traditional block-release training works for thousands of apprentices every year, challenges for many others have been identified, such as financial hardship, inaccessibility in rural

Apprenticeship programs across Canada are achieving success; it’s time to share their best practices and lessons learned nationwide

apprenticeship approaches

/ FEATURE //

By Sarah Watts-Rynard, Canadian Apprenticeship Forum


locations, inconvenient scheduling, and limited opportunities to train in low-volume trades. Rather than accept these obstacles to progression, the apprenticeship community is continually testing new models. Too often, however, innovative practices occur in isolation from one another, vulnerable to repeated missteps and inefficiencies.

Enter the federal government’s Flexibility and Innovation in Apprenticeship Technical Training (FIATT) program. With 10 pilot projects intended to address common barriers to block-release technical training, apprenticeship stakeholders are experimenting with online learning, upfront training, mobile labs, and simulator training. Technical training providers large and small, urban and rural, are at-once independently addressing unique regional and trade-specific barriers, and are connected to a network facing similar circumstances. Not only does sharing best practices and lessons learned stand to strengthen individual pilots, but insights from the instructors, apprentices, and employers involved in each project will undoubtedly support more efficient implementation in the future.

Why alternate delivery?The FIATT program responds to a growing demand for experimentation to address barriers and challenges that are both common and persistent. Rather than undertaking projects in isolation, the orchestrated approach allows the apprenticeship community to assess the practical benefits of a variety of methods to address familiar challenges:• Taking time away from work for training

has a financial impact on employers (lost productivity) and apprentices (foregone wages), possibly encouraging both groups to put off training.

• Training is not always available in a location convenient to the apprentice or employer.

• The needs and expectations of learners are changing, particularly among youth.

• Block-release training may not accommodate the needs of individuals (e.g., apprentices who have disabilities).

• Alternate platforms for delivering training are now readily available.

• In some cases, block-release technical training is not offered every year because there is an insufficient number of students to fill a class, delaying progression of apprentices in that trade/jurisdiction.

Pilot projectsFIATT’s pilot projects are testing alternate means to deliver technical training to automotive service technicians, carpenters, construction and industrial electricians, crane operators, gasfitters, heavy-duty equipment technicians, plumbers, refrigeration and air conditioning technicians, steamfitters/pipefitters, truck and transport mechanics, and welders. While more detailed information about each pilot is available from the groups involved, a brief overview follows.

British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)BCIT is offering training that combines online and time in the classroom for gasfitters, steamfitters/pipefitters, plumbers, and refrigeration and air conditioning technicians. The online component will include instructor-led sessions and real-time instructor support to overcome apprentice isolation. Virtual forums for apprentice interaction will be set up, with both structured and unstructured tasks for online classes to complete. Ten web-based simulations and 36 videos and animations will ensure the learning is interactive and engaging.

Collège Boréal Collège Boréal’s project will offer online and classroom training to 40 to 50 carpentry and heavy-duty equipment technician apprentices in both French and English.

New Brunswick Community College (NBCC)NBCC’s pilot project will increase the use of innovative educational technology in two Red Seal training areas. Specifically, NBCC proposes to increase the online element and enhance software simulator use in the refrigeration and air conditioning technician program, as well as incorporate both online elements and simulator technology into the welding program. These initiatives will lessen the time apprentices need to be away from their home and families.

Additionally, a mobile welding lab will allow NBCC to conduct outreach and promotional activities, targeting rural and underrepresented students, including those who live in First Nations communities.

Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) NSCC is increasing access and success for construction and industrial electrician apprentices by developing and implementing four alternative integrative learning tools. The project includes using a Mobile Learning Centre (MLC) in remote areas throughout the province, designing and building approximately 196 mobile training simulators, re-designing all 33 theory courses using an interactive online learning platform, and creating a mobile web-based broadcast unit for faculty, industry, and apprentices.

Each of the learning tools functions independently and/or can be combined to enhance learning. For example, the mobile training simulators can be used by apprentices in the MLC, a campus classroom, or employer boardroom.

Not only does sharing best practices and lessons learned stand to strengthen individual pilots, but insights from the instructors, apprentices, and employers involved in each project will undoubtedly support more efficient implementation in the future.


The recorded web-based broadcasts are an additional learning resource for Desire2Learn (D2L), which is an online learning platform. Apprentices have access to the tools as they are developed. Apprentices currently enrolled in level two and level three theory courses in D2L, are using the new mobile training simulators, and the MLC has travelled to serve apprentices in two remote communities.

These alternative approaches are expected to reach up to 80 apprentices in Nova Scotia and an additional five on Prince Edward Island.

Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario (OETIO)OETIO is purchasing six new crane simulators for mobile and tower crane operators as a part of its pilot project. As many as 120 apprentices will spend an additional 60 hours of seat time operating either the actual crane or a simulator, drawing on a performance database that tracks apprentice progress against their peers. By enabling practical learning of more complex employer-driven training scenarios, apprentices will have the opportunity to rehearse difficult and/or dangerous scenarios in a controlled

environment. Operating engineers will work with employers to design these scenarios and ensure skills are transferrable to real-life conditions.

Portage College The Diesel Engine Technology (DET) program will train learners in engine fundamentals, service and repair, engine systems, diesel fuel injection systems, electronic fuel management, and heavy-duty charging and cranking systems. The unique delivery provides learners flexibility to retain employment while accessing quality training.

The blended method of delivery is comprised of 12 weeks of online theory followed by four weeks of face-to-face practical training. Upon successful completion, learners have the option to challenge the Provincial Apprenticeship exam. The pilot started this summer with the first cohort of training on July 17, 2017. Prior to DET, Portage College successfully initiated the first training level, Pre-Employment Heavy Equipment Technician program.

Red Deer College Red Deer College is offering upfront technical training in the welding trade, beginning with simulator training in the home community of their First Nations partners, as a part of its pilot project. The remainder of the cohort preparation will include on-campus training, online learning, innovative testing models, personal development, and a co-op work placement.

This community/college/industry-integrated approach is intended to increase the access to apprenticeship training for 50 Indigenous participants and, ultimately, support them as they achieve trade qualification.

Saskatchewan Polytechnic Saskatchewan Polytechnic is implementing a pilot project with both online and classroom components reaching 152 apprentices. Trades include construction electrician, plumber, heavy-duty equipment technician, and truck and transport mechanic. The aim is to support learning that is highly interactive with faculty, so learners benefit from the instructor’s advice and guidance and do not feel isolated.

To create greater connections between online learning and on-the-job training, apprentices will be assigned homework requiring them to ask their supervising journeypersons questions. The responses will be integral to online class discussions.


Thompson Rivers University As a part of its pilot project, Thompson Rivers University will offer 60 pipefitter apprentices who are unemployed or changing careers opportunities to complete the upper levels of their training in an accelerated manner that combines online learning and in-class labs.

Yukon College and Aurora College Yukon and Aurora colleges will offer online and onsite technical training for carpentry, oil heat system technicians, gasfitters, heavy-duty mechanics, plumbers, and automotive service technician trades as a part of their joint pilot project spanning both Yukon and Northwest Territories.

This project will create greater access to training for 40 Indigenous and northern/rural apprentices. The intake of participants will be continuous, as requests are made, and are based on matching an apprentice with an instructor and tutor in a northern community.

Collecting best practicesThe Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF-FCA) is involved to facilitate connections among the pilots, pull together participant insights, and broadly share findings. Looking at common goals, such as helping apprentices progress and complete, reducing waitlists and time away from the workplace, and enhancing access to hands-on training, CAF-FCA is tasked with identifying lessons learned.

A national survey with block-release apprentices has gathered baseline data to better understand how the pilots reduce time away from the workplace and enhance flexibility. We will attempt to ascertain how the pilots support

progression or completion, enhance access to hands-on training, and generate cost savings. We hope to understand how the projects support the participation of both employers and underrepresented groups in apprenticeships.

In order to ensure the lessons of these projects are not lost to the wider community, CAF-FCA will share its findings at an event in October 2017 and at the 2018 national apprenticeship conference. An upcoming issue of the Canadian Apprenticeship Journal will profile these and other alternate delivery initiatives across Canada.

More to consider?While the alternate delivery pilots are unlikely to lead to a wholesale change in apprenticeship technical training, they offer an exciting glimpse into apprenticeship’s evolution. Here, technology is being used to overcome barriers to access, and other good ideas

are being evaluated for tangible results. Innovation like this is fundamental to the continued relevance of any world-class apprenticeship system.

And, while FIATT focuses on alternate approaches to technical training, it perhaps also offers a blueprint for addressing other persistent barriers to apprenticeship training on a national scale. Testing new approaches can be expensive and time-consuming. Innovation rarely comes with any certainty of success. The decentralized regulation of apprenticeship offers few opportunities to adopt promising practices nationally and, frankly, no infrastructure to do so. As the FIATT experiment continues, the apprenticeship community might ask itself where there are other opportunities for a similar approach. y

Sarah Watts-Rynard is Executive Director of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum. Learn more at www.caf-fca.org.

Apprenticeships are regulated by the provinces and territories, creating 13 unique systems geared to the labour market needs and conditions in each region of Canada. Jurisdictions offer a variety of supports, incentives, and programs to respond to the needs of their apprenticeship stakeholders.

Apprenticeships aren’t just for construction, either. Hairstylists, chefs, painters, landscapers, automotive service technicians, crane operators, and more, are all required to complete an apprenticeship before earning full certification.

FACT:


Manitoba Hydro is committed to respecting and supporting Indigenous peoples in all aspects of their business. Indigenous peoples

play a central role in the past, present, and future of Manitoba Hydro’s business.

As part of its efforts to reflect that central role, for the last number of years the corporation has aimed to have a workforce that is 18 percent Indigenous; a northern workforce that is 47 percent Indigenous; ensure that eight percent of management positions are filled by Indigenous people; and that eight percent of professional positions are filled by Indigenous people.

/ FEATURE //

Between January 2012 and March 2017, 4,706 Indigenous employees were hired to work on the Keeyask Project. Photo credit: Manitoba Hydro

How Manitoba Hydro attracts and retains Indigenous employees

As of March 31, 2017, the company exceeded its goals with 18.3 percent Indigenous workers corporate-wide; 47.9 percent Indigenous workers in the North; eight percent Indigenous management; and 9.4 percent Indigenous professionals.

Most of the jobs are in the areas of trades, technician/technologist, information technology, and engineering, according to Lisa Leochko, Employment Strategy Supervisor at Manitoba Hydro. She’s worked for the utility for more than 20 years and most of her career has been in human resources.

“The utility revisits these goals every couple of years and adjusts the targets based on retirement and hiring expectations for the coming years,

Manitoba labour market information, and the Indigenous demographics within Manitoba,” Leochko said in a YouTube video titled, Manitoba Hydro: Tapping into the Indigenous Labour Market.

Manitoba Hydro also works to retain staff with a variety of strategies that include mentoring programs, respectful workplace policies, Indigenous sharing circles, and Indigenous/Aboriginal employment advisers.

Case study: The Keeyask ProjectThe Keeyask Project is a collaborative effort between Manitoba Hydro and four Manitoba First Nations communities – Tataskweyak Cree Nation, War Lake First Nation, York Factory First Nation, and Fox Lake Cree Nation – working together as the Keeyask Hydropower Limited Partnership (KHLP). The project involves the development of a 695-megawatt (MW) hydroelectric generating station and associated infrastructure on the lower Nelson River in northern Manitoba.

Between January 2012 and March 2017, there were 9,753 total project hires with 4,706 (48 percent) being Indigenous.1, 2

From partner First Nations communities, 2,392 people were hired within the same time frame. For Manitoba Hydro, as Keeyask project manager, it’s not just about diversity; the utility cares about helping employees find value in their work.

“My crew is one of the best crews I’ve worked with,” says Adam Spence, a Grader Operator at Keeyask. “It’s like another family, and that is what makes me come to work every day. There is good, positive energy here.”

The project, expected to be in service by August 2021, has many recruitment initiatives supplemented by recruitment videos, brochures, and posters targeted to Indigenous workers.

TrainingBetween 2001 and 2010, a major pre-project training program was undertaken in partnership with First Nations communities

DEEPENING DIVERSITYDIVERSITY


Manitoba Hydro representatives visit high schools and Indigenous communities for hands-on sessions where youth can try out tools and equipment, such as pole climbing, and wiring exercises.4

“It’s a really hands-on kind of day,” Leochko says. “In addition, contractors talk to them about careers and the types of courses they need to get into those careers.”

Manitoba Hydro works hard to create opportunities to give everyone what they need to be successful, which ultimately makes the company successful.

“With equality, you’re treating everybody the same, but that doesn’t necessarily give you the outcome that you want,” Leochko said. “Sometimes you need to take into account differences and systemic barriers that are in place for people and introduce programming to address those barriers. This helps you get to equity, which is a fairer result overall.”

Manitoba Hydro’s most successful programs for Indigenous candidates are their Aboriginal Pre-Placement (APP) programs. In place since 1998, the APP is designed to provide education upgrading in math and physics to Indigenous candidates missing the academic requirements for entry into trades programs. Those selected for the program

to improve qualifications of workers for construction employment in designated and non-designated trades, and construction support occupations.

Approximately 500 community members completed their course work in construction trades and occupations, creating a pool of people who could be interested in, and partially or fully qualified for project-related jobs.

Designated contractors also provide on-the-job training during construction to workers in specific trades to enhance the qualifications of trainees and apprentices. Trainees were able to find work as labourers, security guards, crane operators, equipment operators, teamsters, carpenters, electrical workers, plumbers and pipefitters, office and professional positions, caterers and supervisors, among other occupations.3

How Manitoba Hydro reaches its Indigenous employment goalsLeochko assisted in the negotiation of the Joint Keeyask Development Agreement (JKDA). The JKDA governs how the project will be developed and sets out understandings related to potential income, training, employment, and business opportunities. She understands the importance of developing relationships with Indigenous communities.

One of Manitoba Hydro’s strategies to recruit Indigenous employees is to educate and empower young people to join the trades. Manitoba Hydro has a presence at a number of career fairs every year. Employees also visit junior highs and high schools to talk with students about how they can prepare for Manitoba Hydro’s trade programs.

Manitoba Hydro creates relationships with local Indigenous organizations and participates in a number of local indigenous events each year (such as Vision Quest and the Manito Ahbee Festival). The utility partners with schools that have Indigenous Access programs and representatives speak to students about available bursaries, scholarships, and summer employment opportunities within the utility. Manitoba Hydro’s summer student recruitment programs aim to hire 25 percent Indigenous students of the total number of students hired.

Manitoba Hydro also has an Educational Funding Program, which provides more than $100,000 in scholarships and bursaries for post-secondary students who are taking programs related to Manitoba Hydro careers, including engineering, commerce, IT, technology, and trades.

RESOURCES1. http://keeyask.com/the-project/

employment/employment-statistics/total-hires-by-trade

2. www.hydro.mb.ca/projects/keeyask/pdf/JKDA_090529.pdf

3. http://keeyask.com/the-project/employment/training

4. www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3LMKs1uIWE

also receive work experience as a paid employee for the duration of the program (which is normally seven to 10 months).

Since 1998, over 440 candidates have come through the APP program, with over 370 moving on to longer term employment. Manitoba Hydro acknowledges this program is a major contributor to being able to meet their hiring targets for Indigenous candidates and having a workforce that is representative of the population they serve. y

For more information about the Keeyask Project, or employment at Keeyask, visit www.keeyask.com. For general employment information, visit www.hydro.mb.ca.


Call it an impairing drug, a safe way to relax, or a drug we don’t know enough about yet; marijuana has been hotly debated this past year, especially

since the Canadian government has committed to legalize recreational marijuana in the country by July 1, 2018. As groups continue to lobby for or against pot, one truth many workplaces are dealing with is how the drug will fit into its policies.

In the construction industry, safety is key, and some say the drug could seriously increase risks for workers.

“Marijuana impairs those higher-level cognitive functions and a person’s working memory,” says Dr. Brendan Adams, whose practice involves addiction medicine and safety-critical medicine, largely for Canadian airlines.

Adams says those functions are extremely important for construction workers, especially when it comes to recalling information from toolbox talks and safety-related meetings. “Maybe there’s an open excavation hole that an employee must not go near,” he says. “Or maybe at 11 p.m. some dynamite is going to be set off. People on marijuana won’t remember those facts because of short-term or working memory impairment, and the lack of memory about this important detail can kill someone on a construction site.”

The problem with “impairment”This past spring, the Liberal government tabled its legislation to legalize the drug. The plan came with two bills – one to crack down on drivers impaired by cannabis and alcohol, and one to regulate the production and sale.

Under the proposed bills, drivers will not be legally allowed to drive within two hours of consuming drugs, and drivers would face steep fines for having between two and five nanograms of THC per millilitre of blood. The legislation would also allow police to

How marijuana worksMarijuana contains more than 70 cannabinoids, which are chemical compounds that interact with cannabinoid receptors throughout our body. The compounds that are often talked about are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is said to provide the high while CBD provides some of the apparent benefits of cannabis, including reduced pain.

Cannabinoid receptors regulate many bodily functions, such as “brain and nervous system activity, heart rate and blood pressure, digestion, inflammation, immune system activity, perception of pain, reproduction, wake/sleep cycles, regulation of stress and emotional state, and many other functions,” according to Health Canada’s consumer information on cannabis (www.canada.ca, search “cannabis”).

In terms of what marijuana does to the brain, Dr. Adams notes in his paper, Marijuana and the Safety Sensitive Worker, that there are thousands of contradictory studies about the effects of marijuana. His review was published for the Construction Labour Relations Association of Alberta. He also believes many mainstream sources of information oversimplify the effects of the drug. “The devil’s in the details,” he says. “This is a very complicated brain system we’re talking about, and a very complicated drug.”

/ FEATURE //

Canada’s impending Cannabis Act is going to drastically affect safety at construction sites

Marijuana lights up debate in construction industry


At CannAmm, people who are tested for cannabis are considered at risk if they go beyond the threshold of 50 nanograms per millilitre of urine for the screening test, and 15 nanograms per millilitre for the confirmation test. The first forensic test screens for the breakdown products of the drug. The second method is more specific and actually fingerprints one of the breakdown products that is a product of the drug in question.

Demers explains that, “those levels were established based on a reasonable point in which we would not expect someone to test positive because of what we call passive inhalation, which is when, for example, you happen to inhale the drug when walking past another person who is smoking it. Anything above passive inhalation levels would indicate that there has been some recent use of the substance, which could cause a risk in the workplace.”

Harm of using cannabis on and off the job According to both Demers and Dr. Adams, cannabis can be detected for up to 28 days after a regular user stops using the drug. Even after a month, a

Adams says “impairment” has a wide definition. For example, if someone was very irritable, had a distorted sense of time, or confusion regarding complex instructions, or is really sleepy, those are all impairments. “People put the term “impairment” out there, but they don’t bother to define it.”

Testing for marijuanaDan Demers agrees that there’s a problem with the term “impairment.” He’s the Senior Manager of Strategic Business Development at CannAmm Occupational Testing Services, which runs drug tests for workplaces. He says that in Canada, a half million drug tests are done for dangerous occupations every single year.

“We’re not looking for impairment, we’re looking for risk,” he says. “The objective is to identify someone who has a higher risk of being involved in a workplace safety incidence.”

Specific to marijuana, CannAmm can detect THC through oral fluid or urine, he explains. Demers notes, however, that concentration levels are problematic to interpret because there isn’t yet a broadly accepted formula on when cannabinoids are eliminated.

demand saliva from drivers they suspect are impaired. A positive reading could lead to further testing to determine if the driver has committed a crime.

These laws, however, are problematic, according to Dr. Adams. Specifically, the term “impairment” can cause confusion because the drug affects users differently. Its effects will depend on whether the user is a new, occasional or chronic user, what type of marijuana the user took, where the user got the drug from, how the user took the drug, and how old the user is.

“If we look at how marijuana impairs, it starts to get very complicated,” he explains. “Does it affect you like alcohol? Does it make you weave when you walk? No, it doesn’t. Does it make you slur your words? No, it doesn’t. As a society, we are unfamiliar with what a marijuana impairment picture is like.”

Alcohol’s history mirrors that of marijuana Dr. Brendan Adams and Dan Demers agree that marijuana shouldn’t be

compared to alcohol because comparisons often talk about “impairment.” As we’ve come to learn in this article, there’s no consensus yet on what “impairment” from the drug means.

However, the regulations and societal views of alcohol and marijuana look similar to Dave Earle, Vice-President, Government Relations and HR Services for the Construction Labour Relations Association of BC. Part of his portfolio deals with the regulations and laws around marijuana, substance use, and drug testing. “I’m a firm believer that if we don’t learn from history we’ll repeat it, and I’m afraid we are,” he cautions.

The following is a brief history of alcohol consumption, according to Earle:During the first half of the 18th century, alcohol was recognized as a

medicinal product in the United Kingdom and gin was the alcohol of choice. “It really took off and the country ended up with a widespread addiction crisis,” he said.

The UK Government introduced five separate “Gin” Acts, all aimed to reduce the consumption of spirits. It took 100 years for gin consumption to return to pre-crisis levels. Anecdotally, in the 19th century, it remained common for people to have a shot or two of whisky before work.

By 1907, physicians were no longer allowed to prescribe alcohol in the United States and United Kingdom. Prohibition temporarily banned the production, transportation, and sale of alcohol.

By the 1930s, prohibition ended and the regulated sale of alcohol began. “Alcohol started as a medicinal substance, it was banned, then regulated,

all with no means of determining impairment or what impairment was. It took us decades and tens of thousands of deaths to figure it out. When I look at marijuana, it’s the same thing,” Earle says. “We’re a long way away from understanding what marijuana does.”


emergency level. You have to have one and copying someone else’s policy is rarely a good idea,” he says.

The next crucial step is enforcing the company’s procedures if someone violates the policy. Dr. Adams says that if an employer knows an employee is under the influence and doesn’t act, “that’s really dangerous, and legally, the employer is behind the eight ball because it more or less implies to this employee, ‘that’s fine.’ But it isn’t fine.”

Law stresses that the biggest issue employers will have is how to judge if a person is impaired. “What it comes down to is figuring out if a person is a risk, and the signs that a person is too impaired to be at work, to be safe, to behave appropriately, or to be productive.”

As this contentious issue moves forward, construction-related companies will have to create their own specific guidelines on what is allowed, and what isn’t, and be clear with employees on what’s expected of them. “The problem is,” adds Demers, “use the night before affects work performance the next morning. Reaction time and depth perception are affected, and that’s simply not safe on a construction site.” y

not have the right to simply terminate someone because they’re using cannabis for medical reasons. “Medical marijuana is reasonable for chronic pain and muscle spasticity, which is associated with multiple sclerosis and other chronic ailments.”

Advice to employers Employers may feel they’re in a tough spot because they have to balance the human rights of their workers with their company’s policies.

“Employers need to recognize that their workplace is hazardous and develop a policy to address it,” Demers advises. “This sounds like a complicated thing in and of itself, but there are policy templates available, specific to provinces.”

He adds that once a policy is developed, management needs to communicate clearly how the company’s workplace safety regulations are changing, then train all staff on what’s expected of them.

Alternately, Dr. Adams suggests that management come up with a policy that is unique to the company, noting that having a good alcohol and drug policy is an absolute necessity. “It’s almost at an

person’s neurocognitive performance can be impacted, Dr. Adams adds.

The World Health Organization states that occasional users can be affected for as long as 24 hours after smoking cannabis and the user may be unaware of the drug’s effects.

“If you’re an occasional user, you can expect that a single use on Friday night would still affect your ability to perform safely at work on Monday morning, especially if your role has any degree of complexity whatsoever,” Demers says.

Medical marijuanaMedical marijuana is legal in Canada, which means workers might already be using cannabis for medical purposes. Demers believes its use is not safe for an employee who is working in a dangerous environment, such as a construction site. “There’s really no reliable way to be 100 percent sure somebody using medical cannabis can perform his or her tasks safely, on a risky worksite. There isn’t the same control that we normally see with other prescribed medications.”

Yet, while an employee may not be able to maintain their activities at work, Demers explains that an employer does

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Staying competitive requires cutting-edge thinking

Constant innovation is key to productivity

/ FEATURE //


seek breakthroughs, with each of those types of projects carrying different levels of risk.”

Whether an organization takes measured steps or a more far-reaching route in the pursuit of innovation, once those steps are taken, they dictate that tough decisions be made, often with the bigger innovative ideas requiring more risk on the company’s behalf.

“That being said, not taking enough risk can end up being the biggest risk of all,” cautions Schmidt. “Taking enough risk on innovation is strategic. History has shown us that those who don’t anticipate change will suffer from it and not remain competitive in an ever-increasing competitive global environment – regardless of the sector.”

Innovation is typically thought of as being solely technological in nature. In reality, this aspect only accounts for about 20 percent of the total picture. The other 80 percent of innovation can be found in activities and processes such as market extensions, inventing or re-inventing business models, process improvements, developing new system solutions, and in finding improvements to current products.

“Innovation has many forms; it’s not just about new products,” says Schmidt. “A modified sales process, a new distribution strategy, shifts in marketing approaches – these can all be called innovations. The smart company will mix it up and explore innovation in all its many forms, and each small practical step can help improve productivity.”

The Canadian construction industry has begun to increase its investment in innovative practices and establishing systems that foster innovative ideas

to increased competitiveness,” says Lori Schmidt, CEO of GO Productivity. “I do believe that BuildForce is beginning to make a difference through initiatives such as this.”

Innovation – the cornerstone of competitivenessAs described by Schmidt, innovation is, “the successful exploitation of new technologies, ideas, or methods through the introduction of new products or processes, or through the improvement of existing ones,” and it is a critical component of all higher-performing economies. Canada is traditionally regarded as a stronghold of excellence for construction innovation, which has helped it to maintain its competitive edge within today’s increasingly aggressive global markets. Without innovation, key industries and sectors are sure to stagnate and falter.

To build upon its competitiveness, the Canadian construction industry will need to keep reaching out to discover new ways of putting its pioneering knowledge of best practices to work, seeking out those processes and technologies that can best ensure safety, keep quality high, and bring costs down – the lynchpins of productivity.

“Innovation can – and should be – integrated into a company’s standard operations simply because innovation is a standard business operation,” says Schmidt. “It is a discipline and, even in resource-constrained organizations, consistent innovation efforts can happen if it’s planned out. Some innovation projects will target low-hanging fruit while others will go out to

The industry-led Canadian Construction Productivity Initiative – Productivity Equals Competitiveness has turned it sights on boosting Canada’s

already well-deserved reputation for productivity and innovation within the construction industry. Launched by BuildForce Canada in the spring of 2017, members of all sectors are called upon to come together and fundamentally change the way their industry plans, works, and builds, and in doing so, help to redefine what productivity truly means for construction today.

“A changing global economy, rapidly aging workforce, and slower growth, are all forcing the industry to take a hard look at every stage of construction in order to stay competitive and attract new investment,” says Rosemary Sparks, now retired Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “We’re engaging industry in a national conversation about tackling many of its biggest challenges…and that includes productivity.”

Ultimately, the goal is to assist industry in increasing their productivity and improving their overall competitiveness. “We’re working with industry to ensure the construction and maintenance sector stays competitive,” says Sparks. This initiative aims to bolster education efforts through the sharing of leading trends and best practices, and to help foster a greater awareness of the importance of productivity to construction.

A new productivity portal on the BuildForce website (www.buildforce.ca) now links the Canadian construction and maintenance industry to current best practices, emerging trends, and cutting-edge research developed by industry. In addition, productivity has been incorporated into the organization’s online training, and will also be one of the focus areas at the 2nd National Construction and Maintenance Industry Summit in October.

“It’s all about a shift in thinking so that productivity becomes an important part of industry’s culture. How we work, is how we win,” says Sparks.

“The challenge going forward will be getting companies and organizations to actually start to take action to implement the productivity practices and processes that will ultimately lead

A modified sales process, a new distribution strategy, shifts in marketing approaches – these can all be called innovations.


the many daily challenges of doing business, as well as any large shifts in the market.

It is critical for a business to look at how it can continue providing additional value and still be cost-competitive. To do this, a company needs to be able to objectively measure its skills and capacity for innovation, and then give its workforce a tangible method and the tools for instilling innovation into its systems and its processes.

“Unfortunately, despite many reports indicating the importance of innovation for Canadian firms, there are still very few resources for those looking to implement and develop this culture,” says Schmidt. “This is where BuildForce Canada has stepped in and already begun to address this extremely important driver of productivity.”

Innovation is changeProductivity is ultimately about continual improvement. It is one thing to demonstrate a discrete and measurable increase of productivity in engineering and construction execution, but to sustain steadily increasing productivity gains over the long term means that innovation needs to be at the foundation of productivity.

Innovation drives productivity because refining techniques and processes results in improvement. Productivity drives innovation because the pursuit of doing things better and more efficiently relies upon a dynamic open system of change, versus a closed system of static execution.

“There is an obscure saying that goes, ‘for things to stay the same, everything must change,’” says Paul de Jong, President of the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada. “We tend to like the idea of innovation, but in reality, we frequently default to the way we have done things in the past, and this has a lot to do with group thinking and cognitive bias. We have convinced ourselves that what we have designed and built is the result of careful analysis and measurement. However, unless true innovation is taking place, people and groups can run the risk of recycling similar approaches while missing opportunities for real breakthroughs.”

BuildForce plays an important part in fostering innovation in the Canadian construction industry by building

and services – can often level the playing field and allow smaller entities to swing for the fences.

An important part in achieving a high level of innovation within a company is by first having an established internal culture that will allow it the freedom to generate the ideas that enable it to improve over time, while also providing the platform the company can use to engage – from top to bottom – with their entire supply chain. With a culture of innovation in place, Canadian companies can be agile and nimble enough to meet

and improvements. This is in response to the faster-paced and more complex business environment of the modern construction industry.

However, while it is easy to want greater innovation, going out and achieving it is another matter. It requires focus and resourcing, which can be particularly challenging for small- and medium-sized businesses that may find it difficult to compete with the deep pockets of larger organizations. The good news is that innovation – as a dynamic process for generating both new business models and new products


bridges between the policy makers and those who build things. The “unity with diversity” model exemplifies BuildForce, says de Jong. “This is a key partnership and governance model of industry leaders who have all clipped onto the same rope, despite deriving from a diverse group of owners, constructors, and unions.”

Innovation in the oil sandsContinued volatility in global oil markets has necessitated that companies take a long, hard look at industry practices and procedures. Suncor Energy, a leader in Alberta’s oil sands, is one such company that is seeking out different approaches to find solutions for the challenges they face. As a result, the company is finding opportunities that had not been obvious in the past.

Suncor challenges itself to foster a culture of continuous improvement. Past experience has shown that there is no cure-all for productivity improvement and that solutions won’t come from a single silver bullet. Instead, company leaders know that what is required is true integration and shared accountability with all of the parties involved.

“Recognizing that productivity is an issue, we need to accept that it won’t be solved by a sole solution,” says Ron Genereux, Vice President, Productivity and Construction at Suncor.

“Overcoming this challenge will require partnership across our industry, and success will be defined by our ability to embrace a new and collaborative approach.”

Knowing that industry provides many lessons to learn and that innovation is tied to taking those lessons to heart, Suncor has developed numerous productivity programs that Genereux summarizes as “doing the right things right.” The cornerstone to this productivity programming is centred on increased productivity engagement, and Suncor is leading the productivity conversation with each of its contractors.

“Most importantly, we are deliberately sharing performance results with the people on the tools. We want them to have a greater understanding of their contributions to better productivity,” says Genereux. “Engagement and coordination is required at all levels if we want to be successful in finding solutions.” y

FACT:The industry-led Canadian Construction Productivity Initiative is defining what productivity means for Canada’s construction and maintenance industry. Visit the Productivity portal at www.buildforce.ca to access expert webcast presentations, best practices, research, tools and resources.

In the near future, a productivity app, which will help begin the discussion on your company’s progress toward a productivity culture, will also be available for download.


/ FEATURE //

The Canadian construction industry is forecast to lose almost 20 percent of its workforce – close to 250,000 workers to retirement – over the next decade,

while estimates based on historical data predict the potential for 216,000 new

workers to enter the industry during this same period.

This imbalance is sure to create a substantial deficit in the workforce, especially if there’s an upturn in the overall volume of work. So, what’s the industry to do?

“Every time we have hit a demographic shortfall, we, as an industry, have had the responsibility to train new workers,” says Bob Blakely, Chief Operating Officer for Canada’s Building Trades Unions. “Instead, we have said, ‘I don’t have to do this. Someone else will come along. When I need workers,

they’ll just be available.’ We have traditionally done a poor job in replacing the people who have left the industry. As a result, the situation that we now find ourselves in is an example of the triumph of poor planning.”

The degree that this current situation will become an issue depends on the region in Canada, with some areas being more affected than others. For example, the demographic challenge is more acute in the Atlantic provinces where the loss of skilled workers to retirement is closer to 25 percent.

The Canadian construction and maintenance industry has grown substantially in both scope and opportunity over the last 20 years. According to the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), as of June 2017, approximately 1.4 million Canadians are working in the construction industry; in 2010, this number was 1.2 million, and in 2000, it was 807,000.

Looking ahead, technology and innovation will play a more critical role in mitigating the impact of a workforce shortfall. As such, industry is looking at many new means to address this, including stepping up efforts to engage and attract the next generation of skilled workers from all sources of labour – including women, Indigenous people, immigrants, youth and others – as well as

using new methods of construction, such as automation, pre-fabrication,

and modular construction.“Every threat provides an

opportunity,” says Michael Atkinson, President of the CCA. “The workforce deficit will certainly be a challenge, but it won’t be an insurmountable one. Most

Mass retirements and an upturn in work will create workforce challenges, but opportunities abound if industry can engage the next generation from all potential sources of labour

Building the future

Erin, from the Journeywoman Start program, now has a Red Seal in welding. Photo credit: Women Building Futures


respectful workplace policies, and an online training course for both workers and supervisors that will provide practical skills in creating and participating in a respectful and inclusive workplace. In addition to these tools, BuildForce is engaging industry through social media, including its blog “Building a foundation of respect” at www.buildforce.ca.

“The goal is retention,” says Rosemary Sparks, former Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “We have to create the kind of environment that’s going to encourage women to continue their career in construction. We believe that this project, creating a respectful and inclusive workplace, will help this happen.”

Moving forwardIn May 2017, the federal government announced the Union Training and Innovation Program, which was created to help the next generation of apprentices and tradespeople – particularly women and Indigenous people – get the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive economy. The Government of Canada worked with unions and stakeholders, as well as provinces and territories, to design the $85 million training program.

It includes two streams of funding: one where unions receive financial support to purchase up-to-date training equipment and materials to help meet industry standards, and the second to fund innovative approaches to break down the barriers that deter women and Indigenous people from starting a career in the skilled trades.

This program also aims to improve apprenticeship completion rates in Canada. Currently, only about half of all apprentices complete their training and become certified journeypersons.

“We’re helping apprentices and tradespeople get the skills they need to succeed, and breaking down barriers for women and Indigenous people in pursuing a great career in a skilled trade,” explained Patty Hajdu, Federal Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, in a press release.

With close to 250,000 skilled tradespeople set to retire, difficulties loom. Challenges are meant to be overcome, however.

As demographics shift and industry looks to replace an aging workforce, a new employee stream is available: Canada’s newcomers, Indigenous people, and women are ready, willing, and able to step in and make an impact. y

for the industry. A 2016 BuildForce Canada report notes that the construction workforce grew by 90 percent over the past 15 years, but women’s participation only grew by about one percent.

Women Building Futures (WBF), an Edmonton-based training organization, is working to move these numbers in a more positive direction. WBF programs educate women about careers such as ironworkers, carpenters, heavy equipment technicians and heavy equipment operators, and provide students with hands-on skills development.

More than just training though, WBF works with industry to also secure employment for graduates. “We’re not about training women for the sake of training,” explains Kathy Kimpton, President and CEO at Women Building Futures. “We use metrics and we work very closely with our industry partners. We have to have a match, as we’re ultimately looking at employment opportunities for women when they’re done our program.”

Many WBF programs are employer sponsored, with employers coming to the organization with funding, a request as to the number of employees they need, and a commitment to hire participants once they have graduated. WBF then develops custom skills-development programming, specific for women, with input from the employer.

Kimpton recalls that when the organization was created in 1998, they had a difficult time getting industry employers to hire the women graduating out of WBF programming.

“Now, almost 20 years later, it’s employers coming to us saying, ‘Can you train 18? We need some scaffolders.’ It’s really a great feeling.”

BuildForce Canada is also working to help women enter – and stay – in the construction industry, through a 2016 project funded by Status of Women Canada. This federal government organization promotes equity for women and their full participation in the economic, social, and democratic life in Canada.

The 36-month project aims to engage the Canadian construction and maintenance industry to increase industry readiness and build upon its capacity to recruit and retain women within its workforce. Alongside industry, this project will develop the tools and resources needed for employers to create work environments that are respectful and inclusive.

The resources created will include an online employer self-assessment tool,

of the industries in this country are going to demonstrate their resiliency going forward and will find ways to do more with less.”

Increasing immigration“When people tell me that we are going to lose 250,000 workers to retirement and may only bring in 216,000 to replace them, I say that the solution to the loss will be found, in part, by looking at giving priority for permanent entry to Canada for people with needed skills,” says Atkinson.

With the current influx of new Canadians, and recognizing the many barriers they can face entering the workforce, numerous organizations have created programs to help immigrants succeed.

A new program at Red River College, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, began teaching refugees English this past spring. The end goal, and after completion of the four-month course, will be to provide these students with work experience related to the construction industry. After the course is complete, students will participate in a paid month-long, full-time work placement to refine skills and obtain on-the-job experience. Placements are focused on drywalling, masonry, and flat-top roofing.

The Immigrant Employment Council of British Columbia (IEC-BC) is building on the FAST Program, which helps skilled and internationally trained immigrants connect with employers in Canada, all before they actually move here. Thirty-five skilled trades are included under this program, giving newcomers a head start in the Canadian workplace. The online program provides information about employment in Canada, a comprehensive assessment of their skills, and advice on how to improve their training.

A pre-apprenticeship home renovation program in Ottawa, Ontario, is providing free technical training in carpentry, drywall, and tile setting to immigrants. The course runs four days a week, enabling students to work the other three days, and upon completion, participants are offered a paid work placement. The program is the result of a joint effort between the YMCA-YWCA of the National Capital Region, the public school board, and John Gordon, founder of Your Reno Guys, which is a local renovation company.

Welcoming womenWomen, who currently make up about four percent of the construction trades workplace, are an underrepresented source of labour


increased its reliance on international workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program and the Provincial Nominee Program.

But, when the 2015 collapse in oil prices occurred, the temporary foreign workers left and a large number of out-of-province workers in Western Canada returned to their home provinces.

Add this to the expected loss of 248,000 construction workers over the next decade due to retirements, and the concern as to whether there will be enough skilled workers available when domestic engineering construction activity returns, becomes very real. This is why the Global Trends report is so important. It sets out to answer where these skilled workers and tradespeople are likely to come from and what that may mean for the future of construction in Canada.

“Permanent immigration will become increasingly important for Canada,” says Cywinski. “Immigration will soon account for all net labour force growth, as retirements outnumber Canadian youth entering the workforce. Understanding where individuals are coming from and which other countries are attracting them is critically important.”

Examining those patterns of international migration over the last half decade, the report also discovered that the current migration patterns are actually quite entrenched, and that, while individual numbers can swing from year to year, strong relationships have already been formed between source and destination countries.

Can infrastructure projects in China – or elsewhere – affect Canada’s construction labour market? Most definitely.

BuildForce Canada commissioned the Global Trends: Emerging Construction Labour Market report to examine the changes in global migration and to identify any emerging trends in domestic or global construction demands that may ultimately impact the Canadian construction workforce down the line.

“Canada is not alone when it comes to grappling with availability for skilled trades. Countries around the globe have their own unique construction challenges,” says Adam Cywinski, partner at Prism Economics and Analysis, and author of the BuildForce report. “Understanding what’s going on outside Canada is imperative – even during slower periods of growth.”

Over the last decade Canada has been driven by a booming expansion in natural resource sectors and has ascended to the top five countries, globally, in terms of engineering construction activity. That being said, the Canadian engineering construction industry has slowed in the years following the 2015 collapse of oil prices and the subsequent loss of capital investment that came with it. Over this same period, infrastructure investment has taken hold in many developed and developing countries.

The report revealed that, with the pace of construction growth in Canada having slowed considerably from recent peaks, the risk of skilled workers being drawn to greater opportunities south of the border and abroad has only become greater. This is particularly true for highly skilled and specialized trades.

When demands in Canada hit peak levels in 2012 and 2013, thousands of workers were being recruited from the United States and other countries, brought here by a stronger Canadian dollar and the weakening of certain economies outside of Canada. During this time, the Canadian construction industry significantly

GL BAL affairs“When it comes to global migration,

it’s not entirely a matter of economic fundamentals or short-term government policies,” says Cywinski. “Migration patterns have been established over decades, forged between people, families, and communities that reinforce those linkages, and changing these patterns doesn’t happen quickly. Having said that, source countries also have established links with numerous destination countries, so Canada can’t take immigration for granted.”

Looking ahead, the report suggests that the ebb in demand for new mega oil and gas projects will go on while the demand for engineering construction in Canada and abroad will continue to pivot toward infrastructure and energy projects.

Western countries, particularly in the United Kingdom and United States, are rebuilding civil infrastructure that was built up to a century ago, and emerging economies are needing to construct new infrastructure to meet the needs of growing and increasingly urban populations.

This may turn out to be problematic for Canada as many of these emerging countries, such as China and India, are countries that we rely on for immigration and our own source of workforce labour. y

Visit www.constructionforecasts.ca to download the Global Trends report.

/ MAKING HEADLINES //

How the complexities of world migration affect labour markets at home


In January 2017, Manitoba Building Trades (MBT) launched the Manitoba Integrated Standardized Safety Training (MISST) program, designed to look at whether or not there is a gap in terms of just how

well-integrated safety actually is within Manitoba’s general curriculum of trades training. MISST began through stakeholder engagement and MBT receiving feedback that its clients in the construction industry were becoming concerned about the high overhead costs associated with meeting safety compliance.

The goal of the MISST project is to research and then develop a conceptual model that can then be used to help direct the creation of standardized and integrated safety training for Manitoba’s skilled building trades. Working toward this goal will help to ensure that the safety training provided to workers and employers in Manitoba is consistent, effective, and current.

“We believe that we’ll learn that there presently isn’t an adequate level of integration into the core curriculum of the trades here in Manitoba,” says Sudhir Sandhu, CEO at Manitoba Building Trades. “But, quite frankly, right now we just don’t have the level of confidence to say for certain, which is why we went down this path. We need to look for real evidence that will help support the anecdotal evidence that we currently are hearing from our stakeholders.”

MBT has now concluded its primary research phase, which was to identify key stakeholders, sources of information, and to network with MBT’s jurisdictional counterparts to provide the foundation for subsequent stages of development.

With phase 1 coming to a close, MBT has now become more focused on the extensive secondary research phase, which will make up the bulk of the

Board of Manitoba, SAFE Work Manitoba, Apprenticeship Manitoba, the Alliance of Manitoba Sector Councils, employers, trade unions, high schools, colleges, pre-employment programs, and other health and safety organizations.

“To our knowledge, all of these multiple stakeholders have never really been brought together for a single exercise or endeavour of this nature,” says Sandhu. “As such, everyone has been very interested and supportive of what it is that we are trying to accomplish. There is a common recognition that this is something worth looking into, so comprehensively, for the first time here in Manitoba.”

It is the ultimate hope of MBT that the MISST project will result in the establishment of an integrated curriculum within the province of Manitoba, fully incorporating the safety aspects of work and enhancing the competency of being able to do something, and do it safely.

“If we can actually get to that point, then I think that we will have achieved something in terms of creating a model of designing training programs and systems that incorporate safety considerations fully; so that safety is no longer an afterthought in any way, shape, or form,” says Sandhu. y

project. It is this research stage that will provide the information that will inform the development of the eventual MISST model.

Although a third phase of MISST hasn’t yet been confirmed, based on what it already has seen, MBT expects that model development and testing will take place toward the end of 2017. Using the results of the secondary and primary research phases, this model will demonstrate the standardized core of safety competencies that reflect common core cross-system partnership needs, while still offering some flexibility to meet other occupation-specific requirements.

At present, pre-employment and apprenticeship training for skilled trades is delivered by a wide variety of organizations, which can lead to a lack of standardization and may not include cohesive occupation-specific safety training. A system-wide standard of integration would help to correct this by ensuring that Manitoba’s workers have a consistent training model that would result in better overall safety outcomes across the province.

Although it is the lead organization for this project, MBT is also working in concert with a broad spectrum of stakeholders. This includes the Workers Compensation


Manitoba looks at integrating

Photo credit: Manitoba Hydro

SAFETY into trades training


This past June, students and apprentices from across Canada convened in Winnipeg, Manitoba, for the Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) – the

only national, multi-trade and technology competition in the country. Participants were tested on their respective trade/area of knowledge against industry standards, which provided an amazing opportunity to enhance their skills.

This event is well-known for its hands-on competition, which takes place alongside peers. The ultimate goal for each participant is achieving the distinction of being named the nation’s best in their chosen field.

More than 550 competitors from across Canada competed in over 40 skilled trade and technology competitions ranging from welding and landscape gardening, to robotics, fashion, technology, automotive service, and video production. At the Closing


Canadian youth excel

Ceremony, competitors received official recognition for their outstanding performance. Over 200 medals were awarded to the top industry champions in six skilled trade or technology sectors, including transportation, construction, manufacturing and engineering,

information technology, service, and employment. The complete list of medal winners is available for download on the Skills Canada website (www.skillscompetencescanada.com).

In addition to the competitors, over 10,000 student participants – the highest

TOP AND ABOVE: More than 10,000 visitors had the opportunity to experience over 50 Try-A-Trade® and Technology activities.


number to date – were in attendance. There was also strong representation from industry, government, and the education sector.

Over 50 Try-a-Trade® and Technology activities were available to all attendees, enabling everyone to experience the skilled trades and technologies first-hand. Several industry celebrities attended and participated in the official launch and Try-a-Trade® and Technology activities, including Mike Holmes Jr. and Sherry Holmes of HGTV Canada’s Holmes Makes it Right; Kate Campbell of HGTV’s Decked Out, Holmes on Homes and host of Custom Built; Paul Lafrance, founder and CEO of Paul Lafrance Design and host of HGTV’s Decked Out, Disaster Decks and Deck Wars; and Jeremy Senaris, runner up, MasterChef Canada (Season 3).

They were on site to raise awareness of the variety of career opportunities available in the skilled trades and technologies, and to encourage youth to get involved

in these sectors. Also in attendance was the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour. Minister Hajdu met with young visitors, toured the event, and spoke with young women working in skilled trades and technology during a special panel broadcasted through Facebook Live.

Additionally, the 31 members of WorldSkills Team Canada 2017, along with several international competitors, were in attendance to complete a training project in preparation for the 44th WorldSkills Competition, which will be held in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., from October 14 to 19, 2017. This four-day WorldSkills Competition is the biggest of its kind and is considered the pinnacle of excellence in skilled trades and technologies training.

Other highlights of the 2017 Skills Canada National Competition included:• A focus on the importance of the nine

Essential Skills in the skilled trades and technologies. Working with others was

the Essential Skill that was profiled at SCNC 2017.

• A Canada 150 Initiative: A group of 40 Skills Canada alumni were in attendance at various locations throughout the competition, speaking to youth and promoting career paths in skilled trades and technologies.

• An Essential Skills stage: Several Skills Canada partners highlighted their trade or technology through interactive demonstrations during the two days of competition.

• An Essentials Skills forum/stakeholder roundtable was held in partnership with the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum. The theme was Building blocks for youth success in trades.

• An Essential Skills webcast, live from the RBC Convention Centre. Panelists included representatives from industry, education, and labour, as well as industry celebrities, who discussed the importance of Essential Skills.

• A dedicated “career zone,” where over 50 industry partners and educators demonstrated their brand, trade, or occupation through interactive activities.

• VIP networking events attended by corporate sponsors, suppliers, educators, industry partners, labour, and government stakeholders.

• First time: SCC produced a mini-series for web or TV on the landscape gardening competition.

• First time: SCC, in partnership with Vale Canada and Canadian Armed Forces 17 Wing Winnipeg, provided youth from Nelson House in Thompson, Manitoba with a special SCNC experience. Thirty-one youth and seven chaperones were provided with transportation and accommodation so they could attend SCNC. Through their SCNC experience they learned about career and education options available in the skilled trades and technologies.Through these competitions, Skills

Canada seeks to raise awareness about skilled trade and technology sectors to all Canadian youth and their influencers. For more information about SCNC visit www.skillscompetencescanada.com. y

Experience SCNC in 2018The next Skills Canada National Competition will be held at the Edmonton EXPO Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, from June 3-6, 2018.

ABOVE: Fun at the event’s official launch.


In April 2017, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) expanded its Gold Seal Certification Program to include a construction foreman designation as part of the changes being made to the program

throughout the year. Prior to this change, only

superintendents, project managers, estimators, owner’s construction managers, and construction safety coordinators involved with construction and heavy civil management were able to qualify for CCA Gold Seal designations.

Foremen working in the Canadian construction industry have been asking to be part of the Gold Seal Certification Program for years. In a process that began more than a year ago, and after careful consideration, the committee in charge decided that foremen were part of the management team and so added them to the group of designations that are certifiable.

“I think that when we were looking at a new strategic plan for Gold Seal, we recognized that in many cases a foreman shares a lot of the duties of a superintendent,” says Kees Cusveller, Chairman of the Gold Seal Committee. “This was the light bulb moment for us in how we viewed the role of foremen. Whether you are a paving contractor, an electrician, or a drywaller – it doesn’t matter. It’s about managing the workforce, managing equipment, and managing material, and, for us, that qualified foreman to be a management role.”

In general, the Gold Seal certification is an industry-recognized endorsement that acknowledges an individual’s time on the job, skill level, and the great effort taken to better themselves in their chosen profession. Those with a Gold Seal certificate are more likely to secure a job and move up the ladder because employers know that someone with this training has been vetted for experience, skill, and knowledge; they are a true professional at their job.

“Is it mandatory to have Gold Seal to get a job? No,” says Cusveller. “A lot of employers

BuildForce already had a certification package available, which was shared with CCA. This meant that CCA didn’t have to start from scratch in developing certification criteria. The association was able to take the information from BuildForce and adapt it to meet the program’s needs.

“Having that kick-start from BuildForce probably knocked off a good year of development, compared to having to do it all ourselves,” says Cusveller. y

may look for the designation, but very few will say that you need to have it. But, if you are a Gold Seal-certified foreman, it means something and would be an advantage for those looking to advance in the industry.”

For the first time, CCA is making additional education mandatory in order to receive the Gold Seal designation; asking for courses in construction 101, ethics, and safety. The association is doing this in order to assure industry that a certain level of requirements has been met by the foreman in the pursuit of certification.

“I believe the challenge for some of the foremen will be to meet the education requirements, including the mandatory education,” says Cusveller. “Safety is the course that most would typically have taken, but we feel that all three courses are vital for certification.”

BuildForce Canada played a pivotal role in the design of the foreman-specific Gold Seal Certification Program.


FACT:If a foreman is interested in pursuing Gold Seal certification, they are encouraged to visit the Gold Seal website (www.cca-acc.com) and begin the process by completing the application. They will need to meet specific requirements, including having the experience and mandatory education, to be eligible. They also need to take a multiple-choice exam and earn at least 75 percent on it.

Whether you are a paving contractor, an electrician, or a drywaller – it doesn’t matter. It’s about managing the workforce, managing equipment, and managing material, and, for us, that qualified foreman to be a management role.

Certified foreman will have the advantage in today’s modern construction industry

Foreman certification joins the Gold Seal ranks


rigorously evaluate new programs – to conduct the independent review of its LMI products. BuildForce had contracted out similar evaluations in 2007 and 2011, and the methodology and many of the indicators used in this most recent review were consistent with those of the previous evaluations. This enabled SRDC to be able to track how stakeholders’ views on use, value, and impact may have evolved over time.

When compared to 2011, there was an eight percentage-point increase in the number of respondents who relied on BuildForce’s LMI, either on an exclusive or primary basis. This is a strong indication of BuildForce solidifying their position as the nation’s principal supplier of construction and maintenance LMI products.

When asked, two key motivations were given as to why stakeholders chose BuildForce over others to be the main source of LMI: the representativeness

negative impact on their overall objectives, with more than half of all those surveyed saying that BuildForce was integral to what they do and that its absence would have a noticeable impact on their organizations.

While it’s true that BuildForce is not the only source of LMI, this review has affirmed that BuildForce is the main source of LMI for stakeholders in the construction and maintenance industry, with most using it for general information about industry, to inform policy and program decisions, and for the planning of future education and training programs.

Two key factorsBuildForce contracted the services of the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) – a non-profit research organization created specifically to develop, field test, and

Last year, BuildForce Canada reached out to its stakeholders to explore the efficiency and value of its labour market information (LMI) forecasting products

and to identify additional information that would be useful to the construction and maintenance industry.

Results of the evaluation are encouraging. Most of the review’s respondents said that BuildForce LMI products had improved their decision-making processes and have helped guide many choices on large-scale projects, benefitting companies in areas such as HR planning, policy and program development, financial matters, and in the planning of education and training programs.

Respondents also said that not having access to BuildForce’s LMI products would have a substantial


PositiveProof

Rating of BuildForce’s LMI strengthens within industry


of the information provided by the organization and the overall relevance of the information to industry’s needs.

“About 75 percent of respondents rated these two factors as the main reasons they go to BuildForce, which speaks to their authority and the rigor of the work that they do,” says David Gyarmati, one of the co-authors of the report by SRDC. “But this really wasn’t a surprise to us. BuildForce has been around for a very long time and the industry is aware of their credibility and what it is that they offer. What is noteworthy is the apparent strengthening of these views among stakeholders in the industry.”

Value and impact The SRDC evaluation determined that BuildForce’s LMI continues to provide a high-level of value to those who use it. The report also determined that the most useful analysis provided by BuildForce is in its forecast of the demand and supply of labour, with the majority of respondents preferring BuildForce’s regional-level information to that of a national nature.

BuildForce has been around for a very long time and the industry is aware of their credibility and what it is that they offer.

When asked about the cost of creating this information internally and then putting it into a usable form, without the use of BuildForce’s LMI products, stakeholders estimated the value they currently receive to be far in excess of the cost of any additional investiture of time and person power to replicate it.

“Through this latest evaluation we have confirmed the high degree of awareness, use, and value of BuildForce’s LMI products to the Canadian construction industry,” says Gyarmati. “When these new results are

compared to the earlier evaluations, they should be tremendously reassuring to BuildForce and its stakeholders, clearly demonstrating that BuildForce continues to have a significant positive impact on the Canadian construction and maintenance industry.”

As part of the evaluation, survey respondents were also asked to identify gaps in the labour market information. BuildForce heard this feedback and will continue to evaluate the feasibility of providing additional, more detailed information and analysis in the future. Stay tuned. y


Having a well-trained supervisor leading a company’s tradespeople can go a long way toward ensuring project success. BuildForce Canada’s First

Level Supervisor Training Program teaches the essentials on this topic, covering everything from communication skills (both speaking and listening), site safety, leading effective teams, and much more.

Ron Cherlet, Labour Relations Representative at Construction Labour Relations – Alberta (CLR-A), is very familiar with this program. He was instrumental in the curriculum’s recent updates, and he says that the CLR-A and the Building Trades of Alberta (BTA) use the resource as part of their Better SuperVision supervisor training program (in conjunction with in-class training).

With this update, the course is now accessible on a wide variety of platforms,

and to lead their workers, regardless of the trade makeup of the crew.”

The new First Level Supervisor Training Program is now available online at elearning.buildforce.ca. It is strictly an online course, consisting of six modules, which will take most students about 14 hours to complete. y

including Windows and Mac, as well as multiple devices, including PCs, iPads, and tablets. Students learn from a variety of multi-media, including videos and real-world examples.

Cherlet points out that the new content is truly reflective of today’s current industry needs and issues related to supervisor training. “This program has been updated so it really zeros in on the knowledge that a supervisor will need now and into the future as they lead their crews.”

Cherlet also notes that the updates truly reflect what industry wants because industry partners, like CLR-A, were consulted with and were invited to share their modification ideas and suggestions.

“This training is really beneficial to supervisors who are leading crews of all sizes,” says Cherlet. “It’s going to teach these men and women what they need to know to be successful in their position,


Updates to supervisor course make it more modern, accessible


Jason Peterson HPMA Managing Director/Labour Relations Lead, Business Support,Manitoba Hydro

Robert KucheranGeneral Vice President, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades;Chairman of the Executive Board, Canada’s Building Trades

Wayne Prins Executive Director, CLAC

Dr. LB (Lindsay) Langill Vice President of Training, Independent Contractors and Businesses Association

MEMBERS

Robert Blakely Director of Canadian Affairs and Chief Operating Officer, Canada’s Building Trades Unions

Paul de JongPresident, Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA)

Patrick DillonBusiness Manager & Secretary Treasurer, Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario

Bill EarisDivisional Manager, Generation Construction & Contract Management, BC Hydro

Ron GenereuxVP Productivity & Construction, Suncor Energy Services Inc.

BOARD OF DIRECTORSBuildForce Canada is only as strong as its people. You will find no better people to represent the interests of the industry than those who sit on the BuildForce Canada Board of Directors.

CHAIRChristina TaylorManager, Labour Relations and Workforce DevelopmentIrving Oil

VICE CHAIRClyde Scollan President and CEO,Construction Labour Relations Association – BC

PAST CHAIRJohn SchubertPast Chair, Canadian Construction Association

/ BUILDFORCE BASICS //

The mandate of BuildForce Canada is to provide accurate and timely labour market information (LMI) to advance the needs of the entire construction and maintenance industry. BuildForce Canada will lead value-added programs and initiatives that build the capacity and the capability of the construction workforce to meet current and future industry demand to drive economic growth in Canada.

BuildForce Canada’s Strategic Partners

BuildForce Canada relies heavily on the experi-ence and expertise of our partners – the people and organizations who shape our industry. All of our projects and initiatives are determined by our partners, and led by key stakeholders. Thank you to everyone involved!

» Alberta Council of Turnaround Industry Maintenance Stakeholders

» BC Hydro

» Canada’s Building Trades Unions

» Canadian Construction Association

» Canadian Home Builders’ Association

» Canadian Natural Resources Limited

» CLAC

» Irving Oil

» LNG Canada

» Manitoba Hydro

» Merit Canada

» National Construction Labour Relations Alliance

» Nexen Energy ULC

» Ontario Power Generation

» Progressive Contractors Association of Canada

» Shell Canada

» Suncor Energy

» Syncrude Canada

Man

date

Get to know BuildForce Canada


ASSOCIATIONSInternational Association of Heat & Frost Insulators and Allied Workers ..............................................10Pipeline Contractors Association of Canada.............3Progressive Contractors Association of Canada..........28

BUILDING ENVELOPE AND ROOFING INSPECTION SOFTWAREDigital Facilities Corporation .................................28

CONSTRUCTION LABOUR MANAGEMENTIronworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (I.M.P.A.C.T.) ..............................4

CONSTRUCTION-RELATED UNIONSCarpenters’ District Council of Ontario ..................13CLAC ..................................................................... IFCConstruction & General Contractors Local Union 180 ...........................................................56General Presidents’ Maintenance Committee for Canada / National Maintenance Council for Canada ...........................................................17IBEW Construction Council of Ontario ............................................................41International Union of Operating Engineers .........29International Union of Painters & Allied Trades ..........................................................8Iron Workers, Local Union No. 771 ........................23

/ BUYER’S GUIDE //

CONSTRUCTION-RELATED UNIONS CONTINUED

LiUNA .......................................................................6Quebec Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council .....................................................35United Association ................................................IBC

CONSTRUCTION TRADE TRAINING FOR WOMENWomen Building Futures ......................................35

DRONE SERVICESHigh Eye Aerial Imaging ........................................45

EMPLOYEE BENEFITSBCCA Employee Benefits .......................................25

ENERGY PROCESSING, TRANSPORTING AND MARKETING COMPANYIrving Oil ................................................................19

LABOUR RELATIONSCanadian Building Trades Union ........................OBCConstruction Labor Relations Association of BC ...................................................................52Construction Labour Relations Association of Saskatchewan Inc. ...........................................12

OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYEE TESTINGCannAmm..............................................................58

PORTABLE GAS DETECTORSGasclip Technologies ....................................... 30-31

PROVINCIAL AND REGIONAL BUILDING TRADES COUNCILSManitoba Building Trades, Allied Hydro Council ................................................................44Millwright Regional Council of Ontario ............................................................50Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council of Ontario ...............................................55

SAFETY PRODUCTSTrue Safety Gear .....................................................50

SPECIALTY ALUMINUM TRIMSFlannery Inc. ..........................................................34

TOOLS OF THE TRADEGasclip Technologies .............................................50

UNION SAVING INCENTIVESUnion Savings .......................................................37

WORKFORCE SKILLS DEVELOPMENTSkillPlan.................................................................22

Download - BuildForce Magazine Fall 2017 - BuildForce Canada Magazine... · MAGAZINE FALL 2017 Canada Post Mail ... Something near and dear to my heart that ... about, and I believe you will

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