Collin Pullar is President of the Saskatchewan Construction Safety Association, an industry-funded association providing services to some10,000 members of the residential, commercial, and industrial construction sector. His presentation centered around construction safety.
There is presently a significant volume of new construction on the drawing boards coupled with a shortage of qualified workers. This is big concern as no one can afford to have folks missing from work. An aging population in the workforce is also a contributing factor.
An organization known as “Build Force” looks at the demand up to 10 years forward and forecasts coming gaps in some skilled trades. Equipment is also forecast to be in tight demand.
The industry is looking for ways to use technology to affect a savings in the labour force; (i.e.prefab construction elsewhere, then assembled using fewer people.)
The organization is also looking at better ways to train people. Books and classrooms do not equip folks going out into the field. They are developing simulator training using head sets to give those learning a better idea of what it is like on the actual jobs.