It's estimated that 67,000 journeymen will be need across Canada by 2023 (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Chad Klassen

LABOUR SHORTAGE

Construction industry in Kamloops struggling to keep workers on projects

Jul 24, 2019 | 5:26 PM

KAMLOOPS — The work on construction sites in Kamloops is getting done, but it’s taking longer than contractors would like.

“Right now, in the last few years, there hasn’t been enough people to go around,” said owner of Homex Development Matt McCurrach. “With that, jobs are slower and we’re getting houses slower to the market than everybody wants. Everybody’s affected right now in the industry. It’s the builders, the tradespeople.”

On most job sites, contractors says they’re down at least a skilled labourer and a general labourer, and sometimes more. Many companies are advertising on-site the need for more people. Carpenters are severely lacking, according to McCurrach, as well as electricians and plumbers.

“Carpenters is one of them. Dry-wallers, masonry people, anything to do with concrete,” he said. “So it’s right across the board.”

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Homex Development Corporation is advertising the need for labourers on its project at the corner of Summit Drive and Springhill Drive (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

These shortages all line up with a study conducted by the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum. According to the results, an estimated 67,000 new journeymen will be required in the 10 largest Red Seal trades in Canada from now until 2023. B.C. has the highest need over the next four years with nearly 50,000 workers required.

The study says carpenters are the most in demand across the country with another 34,000 needing to be trained.

“I think the opportunities in trades is immense,” said the Dean of TRU Trades & Technology Baldev Pooni. “The report outlines some of the compensation values people just out of the trades as apprentices are earning on average in those ranges around $60,000 per year. Within two years of their completion, they’re people earning 30 per cent more.”

As the dean of trades and technology at TRU, Pooni is working his best to ensure positions are filled. He says, though, it takes time to groom quality workers.

“If you’re looking for fully-qualified people, you have to be projecting four years ahead as to what you’re going to need,” said Pooni.

Contractors in Kamloops fear that with pipe starting to be laid for the Trans Mountain expansion as early as this fall, it will make the labour shortage that much worse.

“There’s going to be people, machine operators will be going on there, welders, labourers, they’re going to be hiring everybody for those positions,” said McCurrach. “And the job situation in our region is not going to benefit residential housing.”

In the meantime, McCurrach says the industry is trying to keep its head afloat with enough workers on site. He says if this trend continues, some projects may come to a complete stop.