opportunity to experience the quality of work available in the
rigging, crane and specialized transport sectors. After seeing
the success of the NessCampbell event, Rix knew that it was
time to bring Lift & Move to Canada.
“Popular shows like How It’s Made represent only a small
part of the industrial sector. It’s time to show the next generation
of workers how the industrial machines they were watching were
installed in factories. With the help of Lift & Move, Matcom
and its partners delivered a peek inside the world of rigging,
heavy hauling and cranes. Students learned that this industry
is the backbone of the industrial sector and how these services
impact their daily lives,” said Rix.
“Here in Canada as well as the U.S., we are facing a shortage
of skilled trade workers due to a number of factors. We found
students were not aware of what we do and the workers that
are in the sector are starting to retire out,” he said, noting that
Matcom targeted high school and college students aged 15 to
25 for the event.
Good jobs and career opportunities
Lift & Move USA is a career exploration and education
outreach organization founded in 2015 and organized by the
KHL Group, the National Commission for the Certification
of Crane Operators, the Specialized Carriers & Rigging
Association (SC&RA) and the Specialized Carriers & Rigging
Foundation. Career fairs are held at SC&RA member-company
locations for students ages 15 to 24 and feature live equipment
demonstrations and hands-on learning stations.
The Vaughan Lift & Move career fair mirrored the United
States-based program and was supported by industry leaders and
a dozen local high schools and colleges. Anderson Haulage,
CN, Crane Rental Association of Ontario, Hydra Slide and
United Rentals are just a few of the nearly 30 companies that
offered their expertise to the 200 students in attendance.
Students rotated through 10 career stations that each
displayed a different type of trade work including welding,
rigging and crane operation. In a live equipment demonstration,
Anderson Haulage brought in a flat deck truck and used the
on-site cranes to move a massive cylinder and position it for
transport. The event featured a marketplace where a variety
of companies set up booths, met with students, distributed
merchandise and promoted careers in the industry.
“This was a good place for companies to talk to students
about career opportunities,” said McCleave.
He mentions that Matcom began the planning process for
the event by first approaching trade schools and then recruiting
high schools.
“We saw that it was important to get information about
the crane and rigging trades out to students before they enter
secondary training programs at colleges. The idea behind
Life & Move events is to generate new talent into the trade.”
The current median age for a crane operator or a rigging
professional is 42. Trades in general have a skills debt and
an ever-growing need for young workers to fill positions as
tradespeople ‘age out’ of their roles. This is a need that is especially
evident in areas involved in the lift and move sectors.
A 2016 survey of major industry players discovered large
shortages of skilled workers for hourly craft positions. The
Associated General Contractors of America found that 69
per cent of the survey respondents said they were having a
hard time filling job openings. For heavy equipment operators
these numbers were lower, but still significant with 43 per
cent of survey respondents stating they had challenges finding
qualified staff to fill new and existing positions.
According to Rix, there continues to be a growing
problem within the trades industry in Ontario and across
North America.
“Younger generations are going away from more traditional
trade jobs due to an increase in technology advancements.
The trade industry can often be viewed as unsexy, boring
EDUCATION
Matcom president Matthew Rix speaks to students about the
importance of trades work at the Lift & Move opening ceremonies
Matcom’s Bob Low teaches students about
a career as a safety co-ordinator
“Lift & Move Canada will bring clarity
to the next generation about the
trades industry and help to explain
how these jobs are not only fun and
exciting, but can also help to provide
a career for many young individuals.”
– Matt Rix, Matcom
66 Q3 2019 www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
