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Construction – Commercial

Construction – Commercial Employer Hiring Practices

Castle group of companies

Spring Valley Building Centre, Kensington; O’Leary Building Centre, Town ‘N Country Carpet One, Summerside and Western Truss, Elmsdale

Eight good reasons to get into construction careers

Construction outlook for 2023

Sam Sanderson, Manager of CAPEI.

Sam Sanderson, General Manager of the Construction Association of PEI (CAPEI) says the repairs needed after the damage caused by post-tropical storm Fiona is still a concern for commercial construction in 2023.

“Small craft harbours and shorelines were severely damaged, and a great deal of roofing still needs to be repaired.”

He says 2023 is looking like another banner year for commercial construction. He lists the following large projects:

  • renovations to the Daniel J. MacDonald building (which houses Veterans Affairs Canada)
  • continuing renovations to Province House
  • construction of the new Sherwood Elementary School
  • site work is going on now for the new UPEI medical school facility
  • construction of the extensive new $100 million Mental Health Campus

Jobs in demand

Sam says Carpenters continue to be most in demand in the sector. “Roofers, Electricians, HVAC, Plumbers and Masons continue to be the key professions that will continue to be available.”

He notes that a specialized skill like masonry is in high demand as renovations at Province House, the West Block Parliamentary Building in Ottawa, and similar projects around the world are on the rise. “PEI is not the only jurisdiction in need of highly skilled tradespeople. It’s happening across Canada and around the world.”

Programs

In 2022, CAPEI was named Partner Association of the Year by the Canadian Construction Association. CAPEI was recognized for its programs that bolster the skills necessary in the industry.

“Participants in our Skilled Newcomers program built an ICF foundation,” Sam says. “That kind of hands-on learning creates more employability skills.

“The participants were highly skilled in trades to begin with. They are going into project management, estimator roles, and general labour,” he says. “Some are working on their engineering or architectural certifications in Canada.”

All 11 participants of the most recent Youth in Trades program finished the program and were fully employed afterwards. “Our work with youth has been very innovative. We have brought in virtual reality career exploration toolkits to several schools on PEI and we hope to have them in

every high school on the Island this year. There are 28 modules in these kits that students can explore.”

CAPEI is offering the second cohort of its Discover Carpentry program this year. “It’s been a very successful program, due to our Construction Training Centre, which allows for more hands-on training. Our participants are learning a lot of employability skills and are ready to go to work.”

Partnerships

CAPEI is working with youth organizations such as 4H to have its virtual reality career exploration toolkit reach more youth. It is working with Immigrants and Refugee Services Association PEI and other local newcomers’ groups to promote careers in the trades. And its international recruiting platform called TradesCan will be launched in Ontario and Nova Scotia this winter.

The association now is up to 320 members and continues to work with municipalities and the provincial and federal governments to get funding for career exploration and training.

“We have been talking to groups such as Engineers PEI and the Architects’ Association of PEI on construction techniques for net zero and climate change. It’s great that designers and engineers want to create net-zero projects, but they need us in the construction industry to build the net-zero buildings,” Sam says.

“We need to be involved on day one. A lot of thought, planning, and collaboration goes into each project, no matter what size it is.”

All trades in the industry are in demand, including:

  • Plumbing
  • Electrical
  • Roofing
  • Bricklaying/Masonry
  • Carpenters
  • Cabinet makers
  • Refrigeration (HVAC)
  • Truck drivers
  • Electrical power line and cable workers
  • Concrete specialists
  • Safety professionals
  • Project managers
  • Site managers
  • Architects
  • Engineers
  • Labourer
  • Floor Installers
  • Ironworkers and structural metal fabricators
  • Renovation managers
  • Environmental Technologists
  • Heavy equipment operators
  • Welders and related machine operators
  • Painters and decorators (except interior decorators)
  • Bookkeepers
  • Accountants
  • IT Specialist

Starting wages

“We are starting to see an increase in wages, salaries, and medical benefits,” says Sam. “Employers are looking at new and creative ways to maintain their current and future work force.

“Wages for entry-level positions range from $15 to $20. Salaries are being increased to encourage people to come into the industry, and as they receive further experience and training, wages are increasing more.

“We are starting to hear stories of new people coming into this industry saying they are now earning a livable wage that may not obtainable in other sectors.”

How does someone get started in the industry on PEI?

Ben Paton is the HR Manager. He regularly meets with CAPEI members and will post open positions on www.workpei.ca and www.IslandBuilder.ca

Those interested in a career in construction should contact Ben Paton, CAPEI’s HR Advisor, at [email protected] or 902-368-3303.

Reach out to CAPEI to see what kind of careers are available. Sam identified a couple of pathways into the industry.

“You can take one of the post-secondary Industrial Technology and Trades program choices at Holland College. After graduation, work with an employer and register with the provincial Apprenticeship program to work toward professional certification in a designated skilled trade.

“You can also go directly into the industry and earn while you learn and register with the Apprenticeship program if you want to work toward professional certification in a designated skilled trade.”

Reach out to CAPEI to see what kind of careers are available. Sam identified a couple of pathways into the industry.

“You can take one of the post-secondary Industrial Technology and Trades program choices at Holland College. After graduation, work with an employer and register with the provincial Apprenticeship program to work toward professional certification in a designated skilled trade.

“You can also go directly into the industry and earn while you learn and register with the Apprenticeship program if you want to work toward professional certification in a designated skilled trade.”

PEI Construction news you can use:


Find your passion; find your skilled trade

Training available to new entrants and those already in the industry

Skilled Newcomers in Construction program will have three intakes in 2022. Check the CAPEI website for information session time and eligibility. The next information session is December 8. Details are posted on the website and on Facebook.

Youth in Trades 2022 program will be held in Charlottetown and Summerside. Information session details will be posted on the website in early January 2022.

The Construction Industry Training Centre in Charlottetown is now open and will be utilized for all CAPEI programs.

The facility will offer entry-level training only. “We encourage those who want to take further training to go through the apprenticeship accredited trades programs at Holland College,” says Sam.

“The new facility will help the industry dig deeper to help those interested in entering the field. We have offered programing for youth to expose them to a career in construction for almost 32 years and are now offering programs to newcomers. The new training centre opens up even more possibilities.

“There are so many potential opportunities,” says Sam. “We want to offer training opportunities to more people, so partnerships are important. We are working to partner with organizations to attract more newcomers, Indigenous peoples, women, and all ethnic backgrounds to make the construction industry an accessible and valued career choice. Construction knows no barriers and we need to create any opportunity we can.”

This new training location will offer hands-on experience and help people become more employable. “It will provide the industry with new staff who have more exposure and experience, and who will be more ready to take on entry-level jobs.

“Education is a factor in becoming a more inclusive workplace. Training has been available online through Buildforce Canada for many years and we are constantly promoting that to industry. We are working on possibly offering more training and making it available to our members.

“As an industry leader, CAPEI reaches out to our members to see where the shortfalls are and works to accommodate them. We aim to come up with new exciting and appealing ideas that both employers and employees can benefit from. We are all looking to find that next great employee or employer and to help them excel.”

There is an increasing need for continuous training to keep up with technology and standards in this industry, which is already so busy and in such high demand. “We are working with some partners to deliver virtual reality training. That is the way future training is going, and we hope to have more to announce on this in the near future.

Apprenticeship – earn while you learn

To enter the apprenticeship program, a person must:

  • Be at least 16 years of age
  • Have a high school completion certificate or equivalent
  • Be working in one of PEI’s 58 designated trades with a suitable employer
  • Other eligibility and allowances may apply.

For more details, visit www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/topic/apprenticeship-program

Trades education and training

Holland College offers a number of programs to gain employment in the construction industry. Visit www.hollandcollege.com/programs

UPEI’s Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering. Visit www.upei.ca/engineering

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For more information:

  • Construction Association of PEI, call 902-368-3303. Visit www.capei.ca.
  • For more about Buildforce Canada, visit www.buildforce.ca/en.
  • For more about the Canadian Home Builders Association-PEI, call 902-367-6125. Visit www.chba-pei.ca.

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