WWW.VIKTECH.CA

CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

#03 | 2014

DON’T WORRY ABOUT RECRUITMENT – VIKTECH’S GOT YOU COVERED

ROYALISM:FROM CANADA TO DENMARK

6 TIPS ON HOW TO PROTECT YOUR WORKFORCE

INTRODUCING MIA KNUDSEN:THE NEW COUNTRY MANAGER FOR VIKTECH, CANADA

UPDATE ON THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN CANADA

LET VIKTECH HELP YOU!

www.viktech.ca

Are you involved in a large deadline or do you need to focus your resources on tasks other than recruiting, retaining and training?

We have a database with +360 skilled tradespeople and general labour eager to assist you. Below we have listed examples of 5 of our qualifi ed staff, all of them available to start working for you asap:

Framing Carpenter - Leo Over 20 years in construction as a carpenter | Experience in high-rise building, cottages, decks, docks and chalets |Foundation forming and framing from the ground up in-cluding footings | Two to three years’ experience instal-ling/cladding steel wall and AD panels | WHMIS, Fall Ar-rest Certifi ed and Lift ticket certifi ed | Lives in Kitchener .

Drywall/Tapper/Painter - MichaelTwo years’ experience in drywall installation and taping | Two years’ experience in painting using rollers, brushes and paint sprayer | Demolition and general labour inclu-ding drywall, hardwood fl ooring and paint maintenance | WHMIS Certifi ed | Lives in Toronto.

Skilled Labour - Philip Over 11 years in general construction | Multifaceted general contractor/carpenter’s assistant | Experience in framing, footings, fi nish and trim carpentry, demolition, renovation and some electrical | Experience in restora-

tion carpentry on swing stage| Filled hollow steel door frames with mortar and hanging doors | Knowledge of precast concrete panels and able to read blueprints, sketches, specifi cations| WHMIS & Fall Arrest Certifi ed | Lives in Scarborough and fl exible with commuting.

Skilled Labour - Christopher 10 years of experience in construction| Over four years of framing houses from walls and fl oors to building roofs |Erecting walls, sheathing interior/exterior walls | Four years’ experience in specialized trim and baseboard work, cabinet insulation, kitchen installation and drywall | Two years of landscape installation of patio stones, re-taining walls and maintenance | Able to read blueprints, sketches and specifi cations |WHMIS and Fall Arrest Cer-tifi ed | Lives in Kitchener.

General Labour - Jahvar Over one year of experience as a hoist operator and work within general construction labour | Worked up to 44 fl oors | General labour including safety railings, safety fences, cement work, clean-up and packing/unloading |Lives in downtown Toronto – comfortable taking public transportation | WHMIS and Fall Arrest Certifi ed | Lives in Toronto.

Phone: +1 416 479 5435E-mail: viktech@viktech.cawww.viktech.ca

D O N ’ T WO R RY A B O U T R E C R U I T M E N T

VIKTECH’S GOTYOU COVERED

Maxim Group used the services of Viktech for their projects and eventually ended up hiring a Viktech employee for permanent employment. Today, Bill Sullivan, Principal of Maxim Group, happily endorses Viktech to industry colleagues and competitors in need of labour.

BILLSULLIVAN:

“My experience

with Viktech has been very

positive”

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“A Viktech representative came to visit at a time where we were in severe need of labour in Calgary, which is a very tight market,” continues Mr. Sullivan. “He walked us through how the program typ-ically works, walked us through some of the candidates that he had been able to place in some of our competitor’s orga-nizations, and followed up to see what needs we had. He followed up at the right time and was able to place a couple of people for us in Calgary, which is a tough market for us.”

Viktech recruited Michael Ashbury for the Maxim Group project – a highly skilled and experienced tradesman in exterior restoration. Michael turned out to be just the right professional for Maxim Group, and three months into the project the company decided to hire him permanent-ly for its Calgary operation. Mr. Sullivan says he is very satisfied with Viktech’s services and even endorses Viktech to his competitors. “I’ve given the Viktech com-pany name to a few of our competitors who were in need of labour,” he notes.

M axim Group is a recognized industry leader in the mul-tifaceted field of exterior

building restoration. The company op-erates nationally across Canada, with offices in Ontario, as well as Calgary and Halifax. With more than 40 years of experience as a corporation, Maxim Group knows exactly what it needs to get a job done. Skilled labour is es-sential when restoring a building, but qualified tradespeople can be difficult to find – especially when time is tight.

So how do you get qualified labour in a quick and easy manner? Maxim Group turned to Viktech. “My experi-ence with Viktech has been very pos-itive,” explains Mr. Sulllivan. “It’s been very easy and efficient, and the paper-work has been minimal on our end.”

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PHONE: +1 416 479 5435

F R O M C A N A D A TO D E N M A R K

ROYALISM

The Canadian and Danish Monarchies have several things in common. Both monarchies are constitutional, both date back hundreds of years, and both are reigned by a Queen. Read on and refresh your memory, or perhaps learn some-

thing new about the two country’s monarchies.

THE BRITISH MONARCHY IN CANADA Canada has been a monarchy for cen-turies – first under the kings of France from the 16th, 17th and 18th centu-ries, then under the British Crown in the 18th and 19th centuries, and now as a kingdom in its own right. Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth ll is a constitutional monarch, acting en-tirely on the advice of Canadian gov-ernment ministers. According to the monarchy’s official website, “she is fully briefed by means of regular com-munications from her ministers.” The federal dominion of Canada was formed in 1867 with the passage of the British North America Act. It was the first dominion of the then British Empire, and the country’s full indepen-dence followed peacefully throughout

the 20th century. Canada remains the most visited country by the Queen during her 60-year reign, and she has often described it as her second home.

THE DANISH MONARCHY The Danish Monarchy can be traced back more than 1,000 years. Like the British Monarchy, the Danish Mon-archy is constitutional, and cannot make or pass legislation. However, the Monarch participates in the formation of new governments and the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs regularly inform Queen Mar-grethe ll of Denmark on political devel-opments and affairs. The main task of the Queen of Denmark is to represent Denmark abroad and act as a figure-head at home.

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A SPORTY CROWN PRINCE

WE SHALL CALL YOU PINGO OR FREDE.

THE TITLE OF PRINCE – AND FARMER

‘GOD SAVE DENMARK’

AND YOU, SIR, WE SHALL CALL ‘HENRIK’

THE ARTISTIC QUEEN OF DENMARK

COULD YOU HOLD MY HAM?

The Crown Prince of Denmark, Frederik, does not shy away from physical challenges. In 1995, he joined the country’s elite Naval Diving Corps and passed one of the most physically demand-ing courses in the Danish armed forces. An am-bitious sportsman, he enjoys boat racing and has completed six marathons as well as an Ironman Triathlon.

The Crown Prince has been nicknamed Frede and Pingo by the Danes. The latter was his name in the army, but it has stuck with the general public for years.

Prince Joachim the younger brother of Crown Prince Frederik, is educated in agriculture and has only recently given up his farm in Southern Den-mark to move back to the capital, Copenhagen.

Queen Margrethe ll of Denmark is known for her annual New Years Eve address which always ends with ‘Gud bevare Danmark’ (God save Denmark).

Margrethe married the Prince Consort Henri, a Frenchman, in 1967, but the Danes quite quickly renamed him Henrik. Supposedly, it was easier to pronounce and sounded more familiar.

Margrethe ll studied psychology and archaeolo-gy in 1960 and since 1970 has been engaged in numerous artistic endeavours including working as an illustrator, a set designer for theatre, and a textile artist. Furthermore, the Queen has – along with the Prince Consort – translated French literary works into Danish, and Danish ones into French.

At a Royal Gala celebrating the Queen’s 70th birthday in 2010, the Queen participated in a trick performed by the Danish comedian and magician Rune Klan. The trick involved the Queen choosing a piece of sliced ham from a pile as if it was a pile of cards. It is well worth doing a search on You-Tube to view the clip.

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PHONE: +1 416 479 5435

F R O M C A N A D A TO D E N M A R K :

COUPLE OF DENMARK

OFFICIAL VISIT OF THEIRROYAL HIGHNESSESTHE CROWN PRINCE

On September 17 to 19 of this year, a Danish business delegation led by the Confederation of Danish Industries (DI) and the Danish Trade Council, visited Toronto on the occasion of a visit by His Royal Highness The Crown Prince and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess.

A key goal of the royal visit was to increase existing business relationships between Canada and Denmark. There were four sec-

tors represented by the delegation:

• Health• Taste• Style• Green Building and Living

(Construction)

Viktech participated in the program as part of the Green Building and Living sector, attending a con-struction seminar where Danish companies present-ed their own vision in matters of construction. Viktech gave a presentation on the subject: The Danish Model – Exploring opportunities for cost savings and efficiency gains by leveraging flexible on-demand skilled trades. The presentation empha-sized key ways in whicih Viktech’s Danish Model contributes to an increase in cost savings and effi-ciency gains for our Canadian partners.

EMPLOYEES OR WORKFORCE? By providing workforce solutions for every need, Viktech is one of the building and construction sec-tor’s strongest collaborators. We deliver:

• Temporary and permanent placements• Long distance staffing• Large projects assistance• Support during busy periods• ‘Try and hire’ program

At the seminar, His Royal Highness The Crown Prince Frederik visited the Viktech stand, where he greeted Viktech clients in attendance HRH the Crown Prince was very interested in learning about Viktech and how the company ensures the high quality work delivered by it’s skilled labour team.

Viktech Country Manager, Mia Knudsen explained that a top priority for recruiters is to ensure their skilled labour has extensive experience in their field. Where needed, Viktech also provides training courses. Moreover, by allowing Danish skilled labour to work on longer projects, Viktech can offer qualified skilled labour in areas of trade that can be hard to cover with local trades.

Following the seminar, Viktech clients were invited to attend an informal business lunch together with Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince Couple.

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PHONE: +1 416 479 5435

6 TIPSHIRING TEMPORARY WORKERS?

ON HOW TO PROTECTYOUR WORKFORCE

Inspired by recommendations from

Workplace Safety & Prevention

Services (WSPS), here are six tips

on how to prepare your business for

temporary workers.

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PHONE: +1 416 479 5435

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Figure out how to safely integrate temporary workers before they arrive. Often workers are called in at the last minute. This can leave little or no time to go through health and safety issues, which can result in injuries and accidents that could have otherwise been

avoided.

Provide temporary workers with the same level of instruction and supervision as you do

to your regular employees.

Monitor temporary workers’ health and safety performance. Reinforce safe praticies

and coach as needed.

Document all health and safety procedures and make them accessible to everyone –

including temporary workers.

Check with the agency to determine if the worker has received the right training. If so, request a record of it. If you assign a temporary worker to a new job requiring different skills, advise the employment agency to train the

worker properly.

Enforce all health and safety procedures and discipline all workers for violations. Document the form of discipline taken so you have a

record of enforcement.

INTRODUCING MIA KNUDSEN:THE NEW COUNTRY MANAGER FOR VIKTECH CANADA

I n late August, Mia Knudsen was brought into the Viktech family to serve as the new Country Manager

in Canada. A native Dane, Mia has lived abroad for the last 11 years – seven years in Sweden and four years in Czech Republic. She was educated in Global Business Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark, and has worked at Nordea Finance, the largest North-ern European financial group, where she was responsible for the company’s major Danish clients and worked on IT projects.

Mia Knudsen is no stranger to running a Danish business in a foreign setting. During her time in Prague, she contact-ed a Danish online company looking to expand. A true entrepreneur, Knudsen established an office for the company in Prague, which grew to 15 employees in just 18 months.

But Mia hasn’t been moving around to different cities these past 11 years just for the fun of it. She is married to Jess, with whom she has three children aged five, seven and nine. Jes has been working at

the Danish Embassy in Stockholm and Prague and was recently employed at the Danish Consulate in Toronto which is why Mia decided to look for job opportunities in the area. “I am very exited about running a Danish business abroad, and what is really interesting for me in this context is the fact that the possibilities seem endless here,” she explains.

Mia has also already grown fond of the Canadian people as well. ”I’ve only been in Canada for three weeks now but I al-ready see a lot of resemblances with Denmark. For instance, Canadians are extremely open-minded, they are very humorous and the Canadian mentality re-minds me a lot of the Danish mentality,” she says.

The primary task at hand for Mia as the new Country Manager will be to increase the market share in the region and struc-turalize tasks tied to recruitment and con-sulting. We have no doubt that Mia is just the right fit for the job, and we look forward to working with her. Welcome to the team!

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PHONE: +1 416 479 5435

CANADIAN ECONOMY IS RECOVERINGThe Canadian economy is slowly recovering from the global economic downturn. Recent econom-ic forecasts state Canada’s Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to increase in 2014 and 2015 at 1.9 and 2.4 per cent respectively. In the upcoming year, also Ontario’s economy will continue with a growth below 2 per cent. However, there are better years to come. Ontario’s outlook for 2016 promises a growth towards 3 per cent, exceeding the 3 per cent mark in 2017 and 2018.

ECONOMY GROWTH WILL STIMULATE HOUSING INVESTMENTS AND RESIDENTIAL ACTIVITIESAlso the 2014 outlook for the construction indus-try shows modest growth. In the previous year, the industry suffered especially from less residential activities. Not surprisingly, the Ontario Ministry of Finance therefore reckons the 2014 offset to come from maintenance and repair construction. But fol-lowing the positive economic outlook, the national housing market will experience a modest growth in 2015 and a further boost in 2017 and 2018. This out-look is related to the overall growth of the national economy which will increase incomes, stimulating more housing investments and residential activities.

TORONTO IS LEADINGNORTH AMERICA’S CONSTRUCTION BOOMThanks to a strong increase of multi-family home constructions, Ontario accounted for Canada’s strongest provincial gain of building permits in this summer. It is especially Toronto’s steady construc-

tion boom that is the reason for Ontario’s great per-formance. With 122 active high rise projects this summer, no other North American city can keep up with Toronto’s construction boom. And according to Toronto Construction Association, the construction scene in the city is likely to grow even further, as Toronto is continuously attracting new residents, resulting in a moderate and steady growth of the town. And truly, it seems that Ontario’s capital has the power to go against the contemporary nation-al decline in residential construction: 92 per cent of the city’s active 122 high rise projects are built for residential use and a vast majority of these are con-dominiums.

ONTARIO’S COMMERCIAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS STRONGEST IN ALL CANADAAccording to Statistics Canada, overall investments in non-residential building constructions have in-creased by 4 per cent between the 2nd quarter in 2013 and 2014. While Ontario’s industrial and insti-tutional constructions are suffering from a decrease in investments (a decline of 5.1 and 14.2 per cent respectively), the province remains strong on com-mercial building constructions. Compared to 2013, investments have risen by 9.4 per cent and in the second quarter of 2014, Ontario was named to be by far the largest contributor to the increase in com-mercial investment in the country. As a result of a higher spending on office buildings and retail and wholesale outlet, Ontario’s commercial investments rose by 3.4 per cent to $ 3.1 billion – waiting for an even brighter future to come.

Canadian construction industry has suffered from less residential activities but shows modest growth as the national economy grows. There is a contemporary focus on maintenance and repair construction but new housing investments are to come in future. Ontario remains Canada’s most attractive province for new commercial investments. Toronto is leading the North American construction boom demanding for further residential building constructions.

UPDATEON THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

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LET VIKTECH HELP YOU!

www.viktech.ca

Are you involved in a large deadline or do you need to focus your resources on tasks other than recruiting, retaining and training?

We have a database with +360 skilled tradespeople and general labour eager to assist you. Below we have listed examples of 5 of our qualifi ed staff, all of them available to start working for you asap:

Framing Carpenter - Leo Over 20 years in construction as a carpenter | Experience in high-rise building, cottages, decks, docks and chalets |Foundation forming and framing from the ground up in-cluding footings | Two to three years’ experience instal-ling/cladding steel wall and AD panels | WHMIS, Fall Ar-rest Certifi ed and Lift ticket certifi ed | Lives in Kitchener .

Drywall/Tapper/Painter - MichaelTwo years’ experience in drywall installation and taping | Two years’ experience in painting using rollers, brushes and paint sprayer | Demolition and general labour inclu-ding drywall, hardwood fl ooring and paint maintenance | WHMIS Certifi ed | Lives in Toronto.

Skilled Labour - Philip Over 11 years in general construction | Multifaceted general contractor/carpenter’s assistant | Experience in framing, footings, fi nish and trim carpentry, demolition, renovation and some electrical | Experience in restora-

tion carpentry on swing stage| Filled hollow steel door frames with mortar and hanging doors | Knowledge of precast concrete panels and able to read blueprints, sketches, specifi cations| WHMIS & Fall Arrest Certifi ed | Lives in Scarborough and fl exible with commuting.

Skilled Labour - Christopher 10 years of experience in construction| Over four years of framing houses from walls and fl oors to building roofs |Erecting walls, sheathing interior/exterior walls | Four years’ experience in specialized trim and baseboard work, cabinet insulation, kitchen installation and drywall | Two years of landscape installation of patio stones, re-taining walls and maintenance | Able to read blueprints, sketches and specifi cations |WHMIS and Fall Arrest Cer-tifi ed | Lives in Kitchener.

General Labour - Jahvar Over one year of experience as a hoist operator and work within general construction labour | Worked up to 44 fl oors | General labour including safety railings, safety fences, cement work, clean-up and packing/unloading |Lives in downtown Toronto – comfortable taking public transportation | WHMIS and Fall Arrest Certifi ed | Lives in Toronto.

Phone: +1 416 479 5435E-mail: viktech@viktech.cawww.viktech.ca

Are you involved in a large contract, long distance project, approaching a deadline or do you need to focus your resources on tasks other than recruiting, retaining and training?

We have a database with +850 skilled tradespeople and general labour eager to assist you. Below we have listed examples of 4 of our qualified staff, available to start working for you asap:

FRAMING CARPENTER - LEOOver 20 years in construction as a carpenter | Experience in high-rise building, cottages, decks, docks and chalets | Foundation forming and framing from the ground up includ-ing footings | Two to three years’ experience installing/clad-ding steel wall and AD panels | WHMIS, Fall Arrest Certifi ed and Lift ticket certifi ed | Lives in Kitchener.

SKILLED TRADE – PATRICK (FROM DENMARK)Over 7 years in construction in Denmark and over 6 months in Canada | experienced in exterior and interior renovation and restoration of old structures | windows and doors re-placement | old roof demolition and new roof installation | waterproofing | brick renovation | caulking | sanding wire wheeled metal railings and power washing | painting metal railings | jack hammering the concrete slabs on the balco-nies | working on heights and on swing stage | WHIMIS and Fall Arrest Certified | Lives in Toronto.

SKILLED LAIBOUR - MIKETwo years’ experience in drywall installation and taping | Two years’ experience in painting using rollers, brushes and paint sprayer | Demolition and general labour including dry-wall, hardwood fl ooring and paint maintenance | WHMIS Certified | Lives in Toronto.

GENERAL LABOUR - STEVEOver one year of experience in construction and working at heights | General labour including helping caulkers and bricklayers to operate the swingstage, clean-up and pack-ing/unloading | Lives in downtown Toronto – comfortable taking public transportation | WHMIS and Fall Arrest Certi-fied | Lives in Toronto.

PHONE: +1 416 479 5435E-MAIL: VIKTECH@VIKTECH.CAWWW.VIKTECH.CA

LET VIKTECH HELP YOU!

LET VIKTECH HELP YOU!

www.viktech.ca

Are you involved in a large deadline or do you need to focus your resources on tasks other than recruiting, retaining and training?

We have a database with +360 skilled tradespeople and general labour eager to assist you. Below we have listed examples of 5 of our qualifi ed staff, all of them available to start working for you asap:

Framing Carpenter - Leo Over 20 years in construction as a carpenter | Experience in high-rise building, cottages, decks, docks and chalets |Foundation forming and framing from the ground up in-cluding footings | Two to three years’ experience instal-ling/cladding steel wall and AD panels | WHMIS, Fall Ar-rest Certifi ed and Lift ticket certifi ed | Lives in Kitchener .

Drywall/Tapper/Painter - MichaelTwo years’ experience in drywall installation and taping | Two years’ experience in painting using rollers, brushes and paint sprayer | Demolition and general labour inclu-ding drywall, hardwood fl ooring and paint maintenance | WHMIS Certifi ed | Lives in Toronto.

Skilled Labour - Philip Over 11 years in general construction | Multifaceted general contractor/carpenter’s assistant | Experience in framing, footings, fi nish and trim carpentry, demolition, renovation and some electrical | Experience in restora-

tion carpentry on swing stage| Filled hollow steel door frames with mortar and hanging doors | Knowledge of precast concrete panels and able to read blueprints, sketches, specifi cations| WHMIS & Fall Arrest Certifi ed | Lives in Scarborough and fl exible with commuting.

Skilled Labour - Christopher 10 years of experience in construction| Over four years of framing houses from walls and fl oors to building roofs |Erecting walls, sheathing interior/exterior walls | Four years’ experience in specialized trim and baseboard work, cabinet insulation, kitchen installation and drywall | Two years of landscape installation of patio stones, re-taining walls and maintenance | Able to read blueprints, sketches and specifi cations |WHMIS and Fall Arrest Cer-tifi ed | Lives in Kitchener.

General Labour - Jahvar Over one year of experience as a hoist operator and work within general construction labour | Worked up to 44 fl oors | General labour including safety railings, safety fences, cement work, clean-up and packing/unloading |Lives in downtown Toronto – comfortable taking public transportation | WHMIS and Fall Arrest Certifi ed | Lives in Toronto.

Phone: +1 416 479 5435E-mail: viktech@viktech.cawww.viktech.ca