A career in Road & Bridge Building and Heavy Construction
PEI Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association
“2020 was a very successful year for our industry on Prince Edward Island,” says Melissa Paquet, Executive Director, PEI Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association. “The outlook for the 2021 construction season is encouraging.”
“Together as an Association we have done an exceptional job working safely in the face of COVID-19. Our industry was very fortunate to continue to work and has done so in a safe and responsible manner. Our Association has developed a document for our members called COVID-19 Standardized Protocols, which can be found on our website at www.peirb.ca/covid-19.html “
The Provincial Highway Capital Budget Estimate for 2021-2022 is as follows:
| Bridges | 8,500,000 |
| National Highways | 23,000,000 |
| Collector Highways | 18,500,000 |
| Provincial Paving | 10,000,000 |
| Active Transportation | 1,250,000 |
| Total | 61,250,000 |
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
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.
“Our workforce is still seeing a shortage in labour and skilled persons across the board,” says Melissa. “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.”
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.
“One of our goals is to encourage recruitment, training, and a positive work environment for young people to join our industry. We would like to be more involved at the high school level promoting careers in our industry.”
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
“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.”
“Anyone interested in working in this industry is welcome to contact the PEI 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.”
The association has 23 regular members and 94 associate members.
See a list of members at www.peirb.ca/regular-members.html
For more information on PEI Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association, call (902) 894-9514 or email [email protected]
To check for open positions in the PEI Road and Bridge Building industry, 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. |