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More building inspectors, better standards
National standards for operating engineers
Gold Seal training on-line
Computer–based safety for pipeline construction workers
Get Smart…Get the Card
Focus on Boilermakers
Aboriginals to fill ironworker shortage
Essential Skills Strategy
Labour Market Information
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More building inspectors, better standards
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The looming shortage of building inspectors and the lack of national standards in the industry are the targets of a national initiative now underway at the Construction Sector Council.
The Canadian Home Inspectors and Building Officials Certification and Accreditation Models project will provide greater worker mobility, a wider variety of job opportunities and a bigger pool of qualified personnel in the construction industry. It will address the challenge of an inadequate supply of skilled labour brought on by the aging workforce and is expected to meet the anticipated demand for more building officials and home inspectors as changes are made to the building code and as the private sector takes on more of the workload.
The CSC is working with the Canadian Association of Home and Property Inspectors (CAHPI), the Alliance of Canadian Building Officials (ACBOA), and the First Nations National Building Officers Association (FNNBOA) to get the project off the ground over the next 18 months. Other key funders include Human Resources Development Canada and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
News Release: CSC aims for more building officials and home inspectors
Download PDF: Building Credibility: The National Certification Program for Home and Property Inspectors
Download PDF: Building Credibility: The National Certification Program for Professional Building Officials
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National standards for operating engineers
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National occupational standards for the 29 operating engineer occupations have been developed.
Operating engineers are vital to most major construction products, operating and maintaining heavy equipment. But the lack of national occupational standards makes it difficult for them to move from one province or territory to another. In addition, studies show that there may be a shortage of skilled operating engineers as many retire over the next 10 to 15 years.
The CSC and the Canadian Operating Engineers Joint Apprenticeship Training Council have developed the pan-Canadian standards and are promoting the operating engineer profession as a stable career choice.
National Occupational Standards for Operating Engineers
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Gold Seal training on-line
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The CSC, in partnership with the Canadian Construction Association, is poised to develop e-learning technology after a needs assessment has confirmed the demand for Gold Seal education in an e-learning format in the construction industry. The idea is to develop a framework for a national program that delivers on-line construction management and supervisory courses recognizing Gold Seal competencies. The learning technology template will be developed in a way that allows it to be easily applied to other sectors within the construction industry.
Download PDF: Log on to learn: Computer-based training for construction managers
News Release: Construction management training goes on-line
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Computer–based safety for pipeline construction workers
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The CSC’s computer-based Pipeline Construction Safety Training (PCST) program for oil and gas pipeline construction is now available on CD-ROM. This interactive safety training that satisfies worksite health and safety regulations and provides a basic standard of awareness for all facets of pipeline construction.
The CSC has been working with stakeholders from the pipeline construction industry to develop this pan-Canadian program. Courses include work preparation, hazard recognition and control, environmental recognition, urban and rural hazards and controls, operational hazards and controls, vehicle and equipment operation and emergency response. Modules are being tested with pipeline construction workers and safety experts in various locations across Canada. Some courses were tested on focus groups and feedback was very positive.
This initiative responds to the industry’s need for a consistent, Canada-wide safety standard for pipeline construction that facilitates contractor and worker mobility.
Download PDF: Mobile Learning for the Mobile Worksite
Computer-based Pipeline Construction Safety Training
News Release: Pipeline construction leaders embrace e-learning technology
Online Computer-based Pipeline Construction Safety Training Demonstration
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Get Smart…Get the Card
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The publication of the new CSC booklet – The Smart Way to Hire: A "How-To" Guide on Smart Card Technology – culminates our work on this ground-breaking project that would allow construction workers to carry information on their skills, training and certification on an electronic card. Among other benefits to the construction industry, this portable data base expedites the hiring of workers onto the job site.
The booklet is a guide for buyers of construction, contractors and labour groups on the implementation of smart card technology.
Download PDF: A "How-To" Guide on Smart Card Technology
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Focus on Boilermakers
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The Boilermaker Career Awareness Strategy developed by the CSC and the Boilermaker Training Trust Fund is ready to roll out.
Elements of the campaign include branding and messaging, a national website (www.boilermaker.ca), school curriculum information, a network of supporters including speakers, and a list websites that provide career information.
The aim of this project is to increase the number of high school students entering the boilermaker trade by raising awareness of the trade to those who may be headed for a career in construction. The plan is to make students aware that boilermakers are highly paid, can learn on the job, have a flexible workplace and often work in an entrepreneurial environment with significant opportunities for career advancement.
A national labour-market study made it clear that the boilermaker industry faces potential shortages over the next five to 10 years unless something is done to attract new workers to the trade.
Download PDF: Boilermakers think big. Shouldn't you?
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Aboriginals to fill ironworker shortage
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The Construction Sector Council has launched a four-year initiative to address the shortage of skilled ironworkers in Canada and provide an opportunity for Aboriginal youth to learn a trade they can be proud of and where they could earn a good wage.
Aboriginal communities are the largest untapped labour pool in the country and historically, there has been a strong Aboriginal presence within the ironworker trade.
Among other things, the program will identify best practices to encourage Aboriginal youth to enter the ironworker trade. It will also provide a clearer picture of the career opportunities within the trade, as well as mentors and role models to foster pride in the profession.
The CSC is working with the Aboriginal Human Resource Development Council of Canada (AHRDCC) to get the project underway.
Download PDF: Ironworker Aboriginal Career Awareness Program
www.aboriginalconstructioncareers.ca
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Essential Skills Strategy
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The CSC is working to increase the level of essential skills that are needed in the construction industry.
In late November 2003 we hosted an Essential Skills Workshop in Ottawa and more than 65 key industry, government, and practitioner representatives attended. The workshop raised awareness of essential skills activities within the construction sector and identified industry needs with respect to essential skills. Over the day and a half the participants identified issues, possible actions and a role for the CSC. This information will now be translated into an essential skills strategy for the Construction industry. From this strategy the CSC will identify specific projects and partner with industry to begin to address the essential skill needs of the industry.
Essential skills, as defined by HRDC, include: reading text, document use, writing, numeracy, oral communications, problem solving, decision making, job task planning and organizing, significant use of memory, finding information, working with others, computer use and continuous learning.
Download PDF: Essential Skills Strategy for the Construction Industry
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Labour Market Information
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Work is progressing rapidly on the development of a construction workforce supply and demand forecasting system -- the largest project ever to be undertaken by the CSC.
We are now in the process of identifying useful information, such as the flow of construction workers to other industries and back, how often construction workers change employers compared to other industries, and which regions workers come from during periods of high demand. We hosted a series of 15 sector-specific regional focus groups. They provided information on what types of actions are being taken and the types of labour market information required to make effective human resource decisions.
The CSC is setting up a regional network of LMI committees to help ensure that the LMI forecast reflects regional realities.
Six research projects have been completed:
- Future Labour Supplies for Canada’s Construction Industry
- Emerging Trends in Management, Supervision and Mentoring in the Construction Industry
- Training Canada’s Construction Workforce: Meeting the Industry’s Needs
- The Impact of Technology on the Construction Labour Market
- Working Mobile: A study of Labour Mobility in Canada's Industrial Construction Sector
- A Study of Assessment and Recognition of Foreign-Trained Worker Credentials in the Construction Industry
- A Study of Aboriginal Participation in the Construction Industry
More research papers are on the agenda for the months ahead.
The CSC has published a pamphlet outlining the need for an LMI program.
Download PDF: The Construction Industry: A Large Workforce. A Lot of Questions. One Solution: The Labour Market Information Program.
News Release: New research spurs construction industry to act on shortages
Download PDF: Poster/Ad: LMI: Just One More Great Canadian Idea
Owners and LMI (pdf)
Conference Board of Canada: LMI Case Study (pdf)
News Release: Foreign-trained workers “fall through cracks”: new study
News Release: New study could help build crucial labour source: mobile construction workers
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