NOV 2014
H
business elite canada 33
industry, particularly in the compulsory worker
category, such as a journeyperson.
“Another of the challenges we face is finding
ways to provide and maintain work year-round
at an affordable price, including the cost of
providing adequate temporary heating in the
winter,” he said.
Another solution lies in apprenticeship pro-
grams offered through schools and colleges
that involve the First Nations population, new
immigrants and women in industry.
“We have seen a growth of women in Sas-
katchewan’s construction workforce. Following
the Second World War, it was only three per-
cent and that number remained at three per-
cent for the next 30 to 40 years in the province,”
said Folk. “But in past five to 10 years, the num-
ber has grown to 10 percent of the workforce,
which is a growing sector of the trades employ-
ment programs, but still relatively low when 50
percent of the population are women.”
Unfortunately, Saskatchewan is the passing
gateway for many skilled workers to the oil and
gas industrial powerhouse of Alberta. That’s
one reason why the SCA looks for workers in
other provinces who are open to moving, often
with families in tow, for financially sustainable,
long-term opportunities in the construction
trade.
Looking ahead to the future, Folk antici-
pates that the workforce and companies will
be challenged by the involvement of new and
emerging Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) in
the province. “Right now we are working with
our members to ensure that they are a part of
those major projects,” Folk said.
