CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATING NEWS (update by every month)

Labour shortages remain key: Canadian Construction Association outgoing chair

Labour shortages, globalization and infrastructure investment were among the key issues the Canadian Construction Association's outgoing chair, Dee Miller, tackled over her last year at the association's helm.

"While steps are being taken by all of us recruiting, deferred retirement, enhanced mobility, there's no doubt were going to be all called upon to do more with less," Miller said during an address at the recent Ontario Road Builders' Association (ORBA) convention in Toronto.

"Historically, for most construction companies, we have relied on interprovincial worker mobility and recruiting from other areas. However, with construction activity increasing in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, there's no guarantee that interprovincial mobility is going to meet the industry's needs."

Miller ends her tenure as CCA chair at this week's conference in Savannah, Georgia. In her outgoing chair report to CCA members she explained that the continued growth of Canada's economy, due to global demand for natural resources, will result in both future challenges and opportunities for Canadian construction.

"In fact, by 2020, the Canadian construction industry is projected to become the fifth largest construction market in the world behind China, United States, India and Japan," she wrote.

"Canada continues to attract foreign interests both in construction opportunities as well as foreign investments through mergers and acquisitions. Globalization is impacting our Canadian economy as well as our domestic construction industry as never before."

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