By Leah Nord, Senior Director, Operations, CHBA
Canadians are all too familiar with the country’s housing crisis. The federal government has stated that we need 5.8 million homes built throughout the country between 2022 and 2033 (3.5 million additional homes more than the 2.3 million we would normally build in that time frame) to address the supply shortage and address housing affordability. There are numerous barriers to reaching this goal, and among the most significant is: Who is going to build these homes in the years to come?
BuildForce Canada
BuildForce Canada estimates that to reach this government target of 5.8 million homes, the residential construction workforce needs to grow to more than 1.03 million workers by 2033 – a staggering 83 per cent above our current levels. The most in-demand professions include electricians, trade labourers and helpers, contractors and supervisors, gas fitters, painters, windows and doors installers, roofers, drywallers and plasterers, insulators, and refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics. This is at a time when 22 per cent of residential construction workers will retire by 2033, with 40 per cent of the workforce aging to 55 years of age and older.
CHBA has focused on a three-pillar approach to addressing current and future workforce challenges, advocating for a combination of increased domestic workforce, changes to the immigration system, and increased sector productivity to help ensure that labour shortages are not a barrier to building the homes that Canada needs to address our housing affordability crisis.
When looking at immigration, CHBA often says that we need new Canadians who not only want to own homes but who can also build them. The same can be said about Canadian youth – among our domestic workforce, we need to do a better job at attracting – alongside retaining – young Canadians into our sector. And, to state the obvious, this is no easy task.
Residential Scenario Outlook
In the first instance, it’s a numbers game. As BuildForce Canada explains in its Residential Scenario Outlook 2024-2033, as our country’s population ages over the next decade, the share of Canadians under 24 years will remain the same, meaning there are fewer youth to replace retiring workers. As a result, sectors and companies will be competing for a relatively smaller percentage of youth, intensifying the talent war for new/entrant workers.
Furthermore, there is a longstanding stigma around entering the skilled trades, which includes the residential construction trades. Statistics Canada has reported that between 2016 and 2021 the number of tradespeople employed in Canada declined, especially among youth (age 15 to 24). And although, for example, overall apprenticeship enrolment has increased in the post pandemic period, completion rates continue to be disconcerting, and are in fact trending downward (from an average of 60 per cent in 2010 to 45 per cent in 2022), with completion rated for women at least 10 per cent lower than their male counterparts since 2017.
Yet there is some encouraging progress thanks to some great work going on in communities across the country by local and provincial HBAs and their members.
The Guelph & District Home Builders’ Association (GDHBA) in Ontario hosts an annual Residential Construction Day for local high school student to learn more about careers in the skilled trades directly from their members. Nearly 100 students are given hands-on experience with tools and construction techniques, and they tour a variety of homes in a community under construction, allowing them to see the different stages of the homebuilding process. This unique experience helps inform students about what courses to take on the path to apprenticeship, and what they can look forward to in a career within the industry. GDHBA CEO Melissa Jonker says that they created the event because “our members saw the overwhelming need to encourage students to consider careers in the skilled trades. Over the last six years, this event has been a tremendous success with an increase in participants each year. The event allows us to showcase the high-paying, in-demand careers that could be part of the students’ futures.”
Valuable hands-on building experience
CHBA Central Interior (CHBA CI), based in Kamloops, BC, has partnered with Thompson Rivers University for 35 years to provide first-year students in construction, electrical, plumbing and HVAC with valuable hands-on building experience and access to the latest tools, technologies and industry practices. Students and industry members build a Training House, which is then sold to the YMCA BC for their annual Dream Home Lottery fundraiser. During the build, members provide mentorship, fostering a supportive learning environment that encourages students to pursue careers in residential construction. Matt McCurrach, a builder and developer from Kamloops and the current national President of CHBA, speaks passionately about this initiative: “The Training House is a shining example of how collaboration and hands-on experience can inspire the next generation of tradespeople. It’s initiatives like this that ensure the future of our industry remains bright and innovative.”
In eastern Canada, CHBA Newfoundland and Labrador have partnered with Skills Canada to market their Youth Apprenticeship Summer Program (YASP). The programs allow students in grades 10 and 11 to work for seven weeks in the summer with a Journey Person to try out a trade and see if it is a career path that interests them. The students earn hours towards their apprenticeship if they decide to continue with the trade and some have been kept on by the summer employers after the program concludes. YASP is a pilot project designed by Skills Canada, and CHBA-NL has been helping to connect members with students for the program.
The above are just a few examples among several initiatives taking placing across the country, from scholarships and financial aid to one-the-ground exposure and training programs, to encourage more young people into the skilled trades. Canada needs to invest effort into building up a workforce large enough to build the homes we need and every effort makes a difference.
