Canada's building trade unions and the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) today announced a joint agreement to advance the long-term competitiveness of the oil sands industry, with particular focus on developing a stronger skilled trades workforce.
"The oil sands industry is the largest employer of skilled trades workers in Canada," said Dave Collyer, CAPP President. "The oil sands industry is working closely with the building trades on initiatives to improve labour availability, including workforce mobility, skilled trades training and apprenticeship opportunities, and immigration. Ensuring Canada has a strong skilled trades workforce benefits all Canadians."
According to the federal government's Construction Sector Council latest forecast, by 2018 construction employment will rise by 180,000 jobs and about 200,000 skilled trades workers will retire. While about 170,000 new entrants are expected, a 200,000-worker gap is forecast. Worker shortages have inflationary implications, including cost increases for construction projects and increased project execution risk, and could impact the industry's ability to attract investment.
"Canada's skilled trades labour unions train 80 per cent of construction apprentices, including 40,000 trained annually in concert with the oil sands industry and our employer partners," said Robert Blakely, Director of Canadian Affairs for the Building and Construction Trades Department. "With cooperation between oil sands companies and unions, oil sands will be Canada's skilled trades training super-highway, deliver good paying jobs, the next generation of skilled trades people, and grow our economy."
The North America-wide Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD) coordinates activities and provides resources to 15 affiliated trade unions in the construction, maintenance and fabrication industries. In Canada, the BCTD represents 500,000 skilled trades workers.
