B.C. Construction Boom Likely to Continue for Next Several Years | BuildForce Canada

B.C. Construction Boom Likely to Continue for Next Several Years


VANCOUVER – British Columbia’s construction sector is employing a record high number of people, and it isn’t going to decline anytime soon.

This and other forecast details were released today in The Construction Sector Council’s (CSC) third annual edition of Construction Looking Forward: Labour Requirements from 2007 to 2015 for British Columbia.

The forecast indicates that major construction projects will continue to flow into the province for the next couple of years, causing increased growth in construction employment and increased demand on the labour market. A decline in construction activity is forecasted for late 2009, which will ease labour markets back to a more manageable state, although they will remain above 2006 levels.

“The tight markets across Canada now and over the next few years compel industry and governments to target their efforts to ensure all potential workers, including Aboriginal peoples, women, youth, unemployed and underemployed workers and immigrant workers are part of a thoughtful and comprehensive solution,” says George Gritziotis, Executive Director of the Construction Sector Council.

The CSC developed Construction Looking Forward with input from BC’s Labour Market Information (LMI) committee that includes stakeholders from all sectors of the construction industry. The forecast is a tool to help industry stakeholders manage risk and plan for the future.

“This report is very important for the construction industry in British Columbia,” says Manley McLachlan, President of the British Columbia Construction Association. “By combining economic projections with the list of planned construction projects on the horizon, it gives industry stakeholders information to make knowledgeable decisions about their sector, the future and how they plan and manage risk for their businesses over the next several years.”

“The huge boom in construction right now in the province requires that we all ensure programs are in place to meet the increased demand for qualified workers who can continue to operate safely on our worksites,” says Wayne Peppard, Executive Director of the BC Yukon and Territory Building and Construction Trades Council.

M.J. Whitemarsh, CEO of Canadian Home Builders’ Association of British Columbia says, “The labour market information is critical for our planning as we continue to develop data that is more specific to our sector.”

Construction Looking Forward forecasts will be released for each province over the coming weeks.

A new feature to this year’s Construction Looking Forward allows stakeholders to perform customized data searches online. This tool will help individuals source out the exact data that is relevant to their needs.

The Construction Sector Council’s BC LMI Committee is a multi-stakeholder committee representing the key organizations for the construction sector in British Columbia. With funding support from HRSDC and Service Canada, the committee provides industry input into the forecast and also undertakes research projects that help the industry plan strategies to address current and future human resource challenges.

The Construction Sector Council was established in 2001 as an independent labour/business partnership to address the workforce needs of the construction industry. The CSC is a neutral forum that brings together stakeholders to provide data that industry can use to make critical planning decisions. CSC provides this data to industry who undertake their own analysis. The Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program provided funding for this project. The report is available on the CSC website at www.csc-ca.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Tanya Volk
Karyo Edelman
(604)623-3007
tanya.volk@karyo-edelman.com

Rosemary Sparks
Construction Sector Council
(613) 569-5552
sparks@csc-ca.org

INDUSTRY CONTACTS:
Manley McLachlan, President
BC Construction Association
(250) 475-1077

Wayne Peppard, Executive Director
BC Yukon and Territory Building and Construction Trades Council
(604) 291-9020

M.J. Whitemarsh, CEO
Canadian Home Builders’ Association of British Columbia
(604) 432-7112