Workplace Issues

Demand for foreign workers on the rise

The number of temporary foreign workers being used to meet short-term peak demand in the construction industry is on the rise, especially in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, a new study reveals.

LINDA WHITE -- Special to the Toronto Sun
Send to a friend
Print

"Temporary foreign workers are responding to short-term needs," says George Gritziotis, executive director of the Construction Sector Council (CSC). "We're seeing increases in construction activity like we've never seen before ... and at the same time we're losing workers to retirement. That has created a huge demand for workers."

CSC published the report, "Temporary Foreign Workers in the Canadian Construction Industry: An Analysis of Programs and Mechanisms" to help industry know more about this crucial labour source -- including how many foreign workers are here, where they're coming from and where they're going to work.

The study identified several clear trends: temporary foreign workers are fulfilling a critical short-term need and their employment is on the rise across Canada. Most come from the United States, with the United Kingdom and the Philippines tied for second place. The majority is employed in the institutional, commercial and industrial sector, with the new home building and renovation sector close behind.

Last year, CSC identified the need to train 250,000 workers by 2015 in order to replace retiring baby boomers and to meet demand for new construction projects. The country is already feeling the effects of the labour shortage. "Alberta has been depleting the worker pool from Atlantic Canada and is now looking abroad for fully-qualified workers," Gritziotis says.


Although the number of temporary foreign workers has increased dramatically, it represents just a small portion of the workforce. Of the nearly 100,000 temporary foreign workers who came to Canada in 2005, about 3% worked in construction -- a percentage that accounted for less than 1% of all construction workers, CSC reports.

The use of temporary foreign workers is expected to continue. "Demographically, Canada has an aging population, especially in Atlantic Canada, where the natural birth rate is negative," Gritziotis says. "For our workforce to grow even 1%, we are dependent on foreign workers."

For many employers, hiring temporary foreign workers is new territory. "Some need help to navigate the process for hiring temporary foreign workers," Gritziotis says. CSC is producing a step-by-step guide for employers and people interested in working in Canada. "We're seeing not just employers use the Temporary Foreign Workers Program, but industry groups."

CSC recognizes the importance of having the appropriate infrastructure in place for foreign workers. "They may have the technical skills, but not the language skills. They need to have health and safety training and need to know their rights," Gritziotis says. "There are a lot of best practices out there that will go into this guide."

But the Temporary Foreign Workers Program is just part of the solution. "We need to get youth, women and members of the Aboriginal community into apprenticeships and need to better use older workers, especially as mentors," Gritziotis says.

linda.white@rogers.com



Send to a friend     Print