October 2, 2008

Federal Election

CCA joins chorus of voices calling for skilled labour

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is part of a national coalition that says all political parties in the federal election are ignoring a serious shortage of skilled labour in the country.

Investing in Skills, which is a national coalition of business, labour, education and health groups, was launched in Ottawa late last month.

According to the group, the skills shortage affects all sectors of the Canadian economy and is forcing many small and medium-size businesses to operate with fewer employees and ignore growth opportunities.

“The shortage of skilled workers is crippling our country’s economy,” said Paul Charette, chairman of the CCA and of the newly launched coalition.

“In the construction sector alone, close to 260,000 new workers are needed over the next eight years. We expect all party leaders to tell Canadians how they plan to address this crisis.”

The coalition said that this situation can not be solved overnight.

However, the scope, complexity and urgency of the problem requires a range of national policy responses, from immigration to employment insurance to increased investment in apprenticeship and post-secondary education.

“As our country braces for more economic uncertainty, we can choose to invest in a skilled workforce that can compete with the best the world has to offer, or we can continue to turn our back to the problem and force employers to fight among themselves for an ever-more scarce resource,” said Jayson Myers, president of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters. “Our members are telling us that all parties should get a failing grade on this important issue.”

The coalition is made up of 17 national organizations including the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance, the Canadian Labour Congress, the Canadian Healthcare Association, and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.

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