RC120 SeptOct 2025 - Magazine - Page 42
LABOUR
To raise awareness and equip the sector with insights,
CourseCompare produced a strategic insights report based
on interviews with construction leaders from Pomerleau,
Orion Construction, and industry groups including
Building Transformations, and BuildForce Canada,
highlighting the core competencies for project coordinators
in Canada.
“To restore housing affordability and deliver the
infrastructure Canadians need, we must train the
right people for the right jobs.”
Canada needs a new training standard for project
coordinators
In a construction industry navigating intense demands,
high-stakes expectations, and tighter timelines, one role is
increasingly at the centre of it all: project coordinators.
“The project coordinator role is foundational to
ensuring projects remain on time,” says Bill Ferreira,
Executive Director of BuildForce Canada, which supports
the construction industry with labour market insights
and workforce tools. “It’s an invaluable role that is often
overlooked when project delivery is discussed. But without
seasoned and committed project coordinators, projects can
quickly fall behind. It’s often the di昀昀erence between success
and failure.”
“The project coordinator has become one of the most
critical roles on a construction team—not because they
hold decision-making authority, but because they’re the
connective tissue that binds a project together,” says
Cameron Archer, Director of Sales and Marketing at Orion
Construction in B.C.
So why are they often overlooked in strategic workforce
planning and formal training?
“The expectations placed on coordinators have evolved
faster than the training available to them,” Archer explains.
Project coordinators are expected to manage drawings,
specs, schedules, and team communication from day one.
But too many start without the fundamental skills to do so.
The consequences? Flow breakdowns, setbacks, and rising
costs, especially on fast-moving builds.
This is a role with “a steep learning curve,” continues
Archer. While project coordinators learn from 昀椀eld
exposure and mentorship, he says more formal training
is key. “What’s missing isn’t just technical upskilling, but
We
transform
together.
We’re a global leader in major project, program, and portfolio
delivery.
Together with our clients, we turn challenge into opportunity
and complexity into success in real estate, infrastructure,
energy and natural resources.
www.turnerandtownsend.com
42—RENEW CANADA – SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025
RENEWCANADA.NET
