Labour shortage worries home builders
Forget “je me souviens.” The motto in Quebec these days is “nous embauchons.” It’s on huge signs hanging from warehouses and factories along every major highway. It’s in ads for hiring fairs for mid- and large-sized companies. It’s in our Facebook news feeds, too, as employers increasingly turn to recruiting on social media. There are so many jobs that a think-tank recently declared it’s time the provincial government stopped trying so hard to create more. The problem is not really that there are too many jobs, however. It’s that a wave of older workers is now retiring and there are not enough younger workers with the skills to close the gap. It’s an issue affecting almost every sector, including construction — bad news in a building boom. The issue is, understandably, top of mind among Quebec’s residential construction entrepreneurs. A recent survey by the Association des professionnels de la construction et de l’habitation du Québec (APCHQ) found nine out of 10 of its members were concerned about labour shortages in the industry, with eight out of 10 saying they feared it would limit the potential growth of their business. The APCHQ is in the midst of a province-wide road show to gather input on this and other issues of concern to its members. According to François Vincent, vice-president of government relations and communications, from Montreal to the Malbaie and beyond, the pressing need for skilled tradespeople is a threat that could have repercussions well beyond the industry. “We are facing a major issue for the future growth of our industry, particularly in the regions,” Vincent said. “The residential construction industry is important for economic stability and growth in the province. Construction is an important part of the economy, and we need to make sure we maintain good growth and job creation.” According to Vincent, the residential construction and renovation industry in Canada represents almost seven per cent of GDP and 1.2 million jobs. Yet because most companies in the sector are small to medium-sized businesses (85 per cent in Quebec have fewer than five employees), their voices may not ring as loudly in the legislature as those of our aerospace and manufacturing giants, for instance. The industry association’s survey found labour shortages didn’t just affect productivity, profitability and the punctuality of projects; in an industry so dominated by smaller businesses, the impacts were often personal. Almost eight in 10 managers said they had to increase their own hours on the job to make up for the missing manpower. Hence the road show. In April, Vincent plans to bring the concerns he has heard from industry members in urban and rural regions throughout the province to policy-makers in Ottawa, and will do the same in Quebec City in May. Some of the concerns he has heard, like the lack of suitable building sites in swampy Abitibi, are specific to certain regions. Others, like the difficulty of finding enough senior workers to supervise apprentices, are more universal. One thing’s for sure: Vincent said more needs to be done to persuade youth — and their parents — that choosing a career in the trades can be every bit as financially and personally rewarding as gunning for a white-collar job in an office tower. “We need youth to know construction and renovation is wellpaid work. Our entrepreneurs are dedicated, and this is valued, fulfilling work,” he said.