RC115 NovDec 2024 - Magazine - Page 20
SKILLED TRADES
we need that diversi昀椀cation. And it is harder because a lot of those
people running those companies, they’re trades people who may
not necessarily have the education in those areas or the funds and
the ability to invest in it. They need support and that would have to
come from governments funding or initiatives.
MIKE BADRY: This is an e昀昀ort that never really stops, does it? And we
will solve one side of the Rubik’s Cube, and then the other side
remains unsolved when it comes to diversity. From the perspective
of PCL there needs to be constant and intentional action to diversify
our workforce on all fronts, which we’re seeing from governments
when they put out some of their tenders, and not all the 昀椀rms have
the resources to be able to do this, so it’s the small call to action.
Something that we do is measure ourselves on an ongoing basis
around diverse hiring and hold ourselves accountable. And if we all
do that, in 10 years the workforce will look very, very di昀昀erent in
construction.
JEANNINE MARTIN: So many thoughts, but maybe I’ll just go with this.
We had a panel up at our construction leadership forum with
some underrepresented groups, and I think that the overwhelming
message was that as far as we’ve come, it’s not far enough. Job sites
and other areas of our industry are not welcoming for these groups
and the behaviors have not changed enough to create a draw that
makes them want to stay. And so there’s a lot of work that needs
to be done. And it’s about leadership. Leadership comes from the
top. When we condone those behaviors, they continue. You have
to take action when things are inconsistent with the company
values and you have to show that you are actually changing
the culture.
BILL FERREIRA: We still have work conditions that are less than
favorable. They don’t create a particularly inclusive or diverse
environment. We’re still 昀椀ghting about whether we should
have separate washrooms for women or not on work sites.
Women are still in a lot of cases not being provided with proper PPE. It’s again, not a challenge at the larger company level,
but when you get down to the bulk of the industry, there’s still
a lot of improvement that needs to happen.
We spend a lot of time focusing on recruitment, but it’s
the retention piece that’s also critical. If we can’t retain these
individuals, they’re going to walk from the industry and
they’re going to talk to their friends. And now the challenge to
recruit individuals from those underrepresented groups into
the industry has just grown tenfold. There’s still a lot of work
left, but we are starting to see a lot of progress as well, in part
because of the leadership from some of the larger companies in
the industry.
To watch a replay of the entire discussion,
visit: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/skilled-labour.
PART OF THE HISTORY OF
CANADIAN INFRASTRUCTURE
For more than two decades, ACCIONA has been helping to build
Canada’s largest and most important infrastructure projects.
From research and development to the design, construction,
operation, and maintenance of large-scale, complex projects,
we’ve invested in the environment, the future, and our
Canadian roots with every step.
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