A career in Road & Bridge Building and Heavy Construction
Road & Bridge Building – 2020
The provincial government has budgeted $46,150,000 in capital improvements to roads and bridges for the 2020-2021 construction season.
The financial breakdown is as follows:
- Bridges $5,500,000
- National Highways $14,000,000
- Collector Highways $14,500,000
- Trans-Canada Hwy Extension $3,000,000
- Confederation Trail $1,150,000
- Provincial Paving $8,000,000
“Our regular members started the road construction industry’s season on the same timeline as usual, which is the end of May or early June,” says Melissa Paquet, Executive Director, PEI Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association.
“Our membership consists of 24 regular members and 96 associate members. Our Association has developed a document for our members called COVID-19 Standardized Protocols, which can be found our website at www.peirb.ca/covid-19.html
“For information about hiring, it is best to contact employers directly.”
See a list of their members at www.peirb.ca/regular-members.html
Road & Bridge Building on Prince Edward Island – Company hiring practices
- Go with the flow Traffic Control Inc., Montague
- Island Construction Ltd., Charlottetown
- Kings County Construction Ltd., Montague
Jobs in road and bridge building
- Skilled Labourers
- Flaggers
- Heavy Equipment Operators
- Truck Drivers
- Heavy Equipment Mechanics
- Technicians
- Supervisors and Superintendents
- Consulting Engineers who design the roads
- Building Surveyors
- Estimators
- Office Managers, Accountants, Heavy Equipment Dealers
Through the years, there has been a shortage in Skilled Labourers and Heavy Equipment Operators. Qualified Heavy Equipment Operators and Mechanics are also difficult positions to fill.
Many older workers who have been in the industry for years are beginning to retire. To replace them with new younger qualified people is difficult.
There can also be a shortage of Flaggers. Flaggers need to first take a safety course, but they don’t necessarily need to have experience, because they could be trained on the job. Flagging is a tough job. They stand all day in all kinds of weather, and there can be an element of danger dealing with traffic.
To check for open positions in the PEI Road and Bridge Building industry, visit www.islandbuilder.ca and www.workpei.ca
Promoting a career in Road Building
“These days, the career choices young people are facing can be overwhelming,” says Melissa. “One of our initiatives moving forward is to promote a career in Road Building on Prince Edward Island. This is a viable industry. People who work in road building and heavy construction really do build our communities and our province.”
Education options
- The Construction Technology program at Holland College includes a component of heavy civil (roadbuilding).
- Civil Engineers, who design roads, need a university Engineering degree.
- JVI offers courses for Truck Drivers and Heavy Equipment Operators.
Finding work in the road and bridge building industry
“Anyone interested in working in this industry is welcome to contact the Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association office,” says Melissa. “I can put people in touch with most of the roadbuilding companies in operation on PEI. Job seekers can send me a resumè, and I will forward it to our members.
“Job seekers can also contact company owners directly to ask what skills they are looking for and how to get into positions.
“Employee commitment is very important. Employers want to invest in people who are willing to stay with their companies for the long-term. They don’t want to train them and then lose them. Being such a seasonal Island, it is hard to get that commitment because many workers have to go off-Island in the winter to find employment to pay the bills.”
 | For more information about the PEI Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association , call 902-894-9514. Visit www.peirb.ca and click on Our Members for a list of employers in the industry. For a list of roadbuilding tenders, visit www.princeedwardisland.ca/tenders. For PEI jobs advertisements in Road and Bridge Building, visit www.islandbuilder.ca and www.workpei.ca. |
 | Click to watch videos of the trades and technology programs Holland College offers across PEI. |
 | Click for related articles on the Road & Bridge Building Industry. |