ees by providing wages, safety training,
benefits, a retirement plan and a tuition
refund program to encourage ongoing
education. Matrix Connect is changing the
face of job hunting in Alberta’s construc-
tion and general labour industry.
PROGRAMS FOR
INDIGENOUS AND
FOREIGN WORKERS
Align Personnel is a unique branch of Ma-
trix Labour Leasing, focusing on the place-
ment of indigenous labour in Alberta’s oil
and gas sector. Their candidates have the
same training provided to Matrix employ-
ees with additional education in environ-
mental stewardship and wildlife aware-
ness. Patricia Forrest is Align’s CEO and
has an extensive background in staffing,
particularly for the oil and gas industry,
Warren explained.
Matrix Construction is meeting an ongo-
ing need for specialized and skilled labour
by using a unique process to screen and
place foreign workers into qualified roles
on job sites in Western Canada. Current-
ly a trial program, Matrix Construction
combines the expertise of both immigra-
tion consultants and Matrix recruiters to
find and place highly skilled workers from
around the world.
Offering extra opportunities to their em-
ployees, whether it’s a company-matching
RRSP contribution or health benefits, is
important to Matrix and to its founder per-
sonally. “We’re trying to change the way
people think; the way they operate in this
industry,” Warren explained.
“I personally have been burned by a cou-
ple of different contractors; not getting
paid, not having any benefits, just not hav-
ing great representation. I felt that for me,
no matter how successful I’ve become, I
don’t want to lose that. If you spend so
much time growing and you’re so focused
on growth, you kind of lose a little bit of a
sense of where you’ve come from.”
CONCERNS GO STRAIGHT
TO THE TOP
That philosophy has helped Matrix build a
strong internal team that aims to provide
good jobs, take care of their employees
and offer exemplary service to their cli-
ents. But if there’s a problem, whether
involving an employee or a client, it goes
to the top of the chain to be handled by ei-
MAR/APR 2015
H
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