Opportunities for Young People to Start Construction Career

Prince Edward Island – Major projects, an upswing in residential building and rising retirements are creating opportunities for young job seekers in P.E.I.’s construction industry, according to the latest labour market forecast from BuildForce Canada.

“With more than 27 percent of the construction workforce retiring this decade, retirees are outnumbering new recruits,” said Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director of BuildForce Canada. “It’s a demographic shift that opens the door for young people considering a career in construction.”

BuildForce Canada’s 2016‒2025 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast shows commercial and institutional building projects are driving most of the province’s construction job growth. Highways, bridgework and other major engineering projects will also help boost non-residential construction employment to new high levels in 2017 and again in 2020. A resurgence in new housing activity, along with steady growth in home renovation, will create jobs in residential construction between now and 2021. P.E.I.’s construction workforce will grow by 600 workers, or 10 percent over the scenario period.

BuildForce Canada’s forecast also shows:

• When planned major projects wind down after 2020, rising retirements and steady maintenance work provide stable conditions for non-residential construction workers.
• As many as 1,700 skilled workers are needed to replace retiring baby boomers over the next 10 years.

“The construction industry is relying on young people as well as experienced workers willing to make the move from other sectors and provinces,” added Sparks. “Their skills are needed, especially when construction activity peaks.”

BuildForce Canada is a national industry-led organization that represents all sectors of Canada’s construction industry. Its mandate is to provide accurate and timely labour market data and analysis, as well as programs and initiatives to help manage workforce requirements and build the capacity and the capability of Canada’s construction and maintenance workforce. Visit: www.constructionforecasts.ca

For further information, contact: Rosemary Sparks, Executive Director, BuildForce Canada, sparks@buildforce.ca or (905)-852-9186

Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program