The construction industry is pulling together to advocate for smarter immigration policy in Canada.
Edited by / Jessica Kirby
Help Wanted: Canada’s immigration system unable to address construction labour needs
The following is a news release published by the BC Construction Association | Read more at bcbuildingtrades.org
British Columbia needs more construction workers, and it needs them now. According to recent data, the province will need 52,600 new construction workers by 2032 to avoid a disruptive labour shortage. Thirty percent of those workers will have to come from outside of Canada.
But new research from the BC Building Trades (BCBT) shows Canada’s immigration system has not only failed to address construction labour shortages, it is also making the situation worse for workers and the industry.
The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) was designed specifically to address the construction labour shortage by giving express entry to construction workers. It has failed to achieve that goal.
Between 2019 and 2023, the FSTP welcomed only 240 permanent resident construction workers to the province. At an average of 48 per year, that represents only .2% of economic immigrant migrations.
The use of the broader economic immigration class to address the construction labour shortage has been similarly disappointing. Over the last five years, only 7,000 tradespeople have obtained permanent residency in British Columbia through economic class immigration streams. This rate is far below provincial labour needs and will not provide the permanent skilled trades workforce the province requires to build much needed housing and infrastructure.
This poorly designed immigration patchwork has led to a massive increase in the use of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
“We are facing a significant labour crunch, and while Canadian construction workers should have first access to available jobs, we recognize the need for new entrants to help to meet the growing need for skilled workers,” said BC Building Trades executive director Brynn Bourke. “Instead of ignoring the problem in construction, we’re calling on the Government of Canada to put a special focus on immigration in BC.”
The use of TFWs has become a permanent fixture of BC’s construction industry with 7,160 of these workers brought in between 2019 and 2023. While TFWs represent 2.1 percent of the workforce across Canada, they are disproportionately prevalent in BC construction, making up 4.7 percent of the workforce.
“Too many contractors have become hooked on cheap temporary labour to boost their profits,” said Doug Parton, business manager of Ironworkers Local 97. “As they abuse the TFW system, Canadian workers are paid less and shut out of jobs that should be theirs. That’s not right. The TFW program is hurting Canadians and migrant workers, too. The entire system needs an overhaul.”
Since 2010, Canada’s overall reliance on TFWs has skyrocketed, increasing by more than 500 percent. Yet, construction was specifically exempted from newly announced reforms targeted at reducing temporary workers in March of 2024.
“‘Our union has long been concerned with the way the TFW program is used,” said Mark Olsen, president of LiUNA 1611. “Rather than solving labour shortages in the construction industry, it has enabled contractors to profit from the employment of migrant workers, driving down Canadian wages in the process. We need major changes to the program, now.”
To address the labour shortage and the failures of Canadian immigration and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the BC Building Trades is calling for action, including an independent audit to investigate mismanagement of the International Mobility Program (IMP) and the TFW program and a prohibition of activity on construction trades through the IMP and the TFWP until such an audit is complete. It is asking for a significant increase in the use of the Federal Skilled Trades Program; the exclusion of employers from the TFWP who do not have a demonstrated history of participating in the apprenticeship system; and an update to the temporary worker program by the federal government including a revision of the definition and methodology for determining the prevailing wage.
Read the full study at bcbuildingtrades.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/BCBT-Immigration-report-June-3-2024-FINAL.pdf
Immigration policy changes can help expand Canada’s construction workforce
The following is a news release published by the Canadian Construction Association | Read more at cca-acc.com
With companies struggling to fill current vacancies and 21 percent of workers set to retire in the next decade, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is looking to immigration as a means to build workforce capacity.
CCA, in consultation with its integrated partner associations, is preparing an analysis of current immigration practices in order to make recommendations to the federal government aimed at attracting the necessary workforce to Canada and the construction sector.
In a recent discussion with several Local Construction Association (LCA) leaders, concern was expressed over the federal point system as a potential barrier. For example, more points are awarded to higher education levels achieved while some trades are not recognized as a category. Some of these roles do not qualify for skilled labour or express entry yet are in great demand within the construction industry. CCA and its integrated partner associations believe that the points system needs to be adjusted so that the bias against construction workers is removed.
The industry is in a war for talent, and together with government, policies and practices need to be adapted to position construction as a career of choice. Investment is needed to build a pipeline of workers. According to a March 2022 report from Statistics Canada, there are 81,000 vacancies in construction alone. A skilled and experienced workforce is not created overnight. More attention needs to be placed on attracting immigrants and temporary foreign workers who can fill necessary positions now while building capacity for the future.
LCA leaders from various regions across Canada agreed that the government must accelerate the immigration process by improving efficiencies; reporting on applicants, approvals and other data regarding potential immigrants interested in the construction sector; reducing the approval period; and working with the industry to attract immigrants to work in construction.
It was also suggested that it may be helpful to engage with settlement agencies to promote a career in construction, which offers a good life, security, and good wage or salaried employment. ■
By the Numbers
Currently, immigrants account for:
- 20% of roofers and shinglers
- 16% of all electricians
- 15% of all carpenters
- 14% of all plumbers
- 12% of steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler system installers
- 23% of all general contractors and builders of residential buildings, with 27% of these immigrants having arrived in Canada between 2011 and 2021.
- 41% of all architects
- 40% of all civil engineers
- 23% of all urban and land use planners
- 24% of all construction managers
- 23% of all general contractors and builders of residential buildings, with 27% of these immigrants having arrived in Canada between 2011 and 2021.
Canada’s residential construction sector alone employs more than 600,000 workers.
- This sector employs a wide range of skilled tradespeople, including electricians, carpenters, and plumbers.
- Of all workers in these skilled trades, 18% are over 55 years old, and many are expected to retire within the next ten years.
- 21% of construction workers in total are set to retire in the next decade.
- BC’s construction industry needs to recruit 52,600 additional workers between 2022 and 2032 to keep pace with labour demands and avoid a deficit of 18,700 construction workers.
- Nearly 30% of labour supply for construction will need to come through immigration between now and 2032.
- Between 2016 and 2021, just 2% of primary immigration applications held apprenticeship certificates compared to 76% who were university educated.
Immigration policy changes can help expand Canada’s construction workforce
The following is a news release published by the Canadian Construction Association | Read more at cca-acc.com
With companies struggling to fill current vacancies and 21 percent of workers set to retire in the next decade, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is looking to immigration as a means to build workforce capacity.
CCA, in consultation with its integrated partner associations, is preparing an analysis of current immigration practices in order to make recommendations to the federal government aimed at attracting the necessary workforce to Canada and the construction sector.
In a recent discussion with several Local Construction Association (LCA) leaders, concern was expressed over the federal point system as a potential barrier. For example, more points are awarded to higher education levels achieved while some trades are not recognized as a category. Some of these roles do not qualify for skilled labour or express entry yet are in great demand within the construction industry. CCA and its integrated partner associations believe that the points system needs to be adjusted so that the bias against construction workers is removed.
The industry is in a war for talent, and together with government, policies and practices need to be adapted to position construction as a career of choice. Investment is needed to build a pipeline of workers. According to a March 2022 report from Statistics Canada, there are 81,000 vacancies in construction alone. A skilled and experienced workforce is not created overnight. More attention needs to be placed on attracting immigrants and temporary foreign workers who can fill necessary positions now while building capacity for the future.
LCA leaders from various regions across Canada agreed that the government must accelerate the immigration process by improving efficiencies; reporting on applicants, approvals and other data regarding potential immigrants interested in the construction sector; reducing the approval period; and working with the industry to attract immigrants to work in construction.
It was also suggested that it may be helpful to engage with settlement agencies to promote a career in construction, which offers a good life, security, and good wage or salaried employment. ■
