ASSOCIATION PROFILE
“We’re not updating our members as much anymore,
but has Covid-19 affected our industry? Yes. I’d say production
is down a little bit and there are more Covid
protocols going into the jobsite, but construction has
been pretty clean locally as far as the virus is concerned.
I only know of one job in London that had any Covid
cases,” said Harris.
Mike Carter, executive director of LDCA, attributes
the success of low Covid-19 numbers in London’s
construction industry to the productive relationship
between the construction industry and provincial government
ministries such as Ontario’s MLTSD. Both
worked together to develop an entirely new set of health
and safety protocols in a month. LDCA works to develop
and maintain relationships with local, provincial and
national bodies with oversight of the industry as part of
its commitment to advocacy.
Having pivoted to meet the ever-evolving changes
brought on by Covid-19, LDCA is now looking forward
to Ontario’s reopening and finding ways to address the
impact of that return on the construction industry.
“These protective health and safety standards were
critical, but the impacts of the pandemic were and are
broad. For instance, supply chains have been fundamentally
disrupted and commodity prices are rapidly
escalating, to the point that planned projects are not
going forward as originally planned,” said Carter who still
leaves room for optimism going forward. “Many aspects
of construction have been negatively impacted, but with
perseverance and adaptability, we are surviving reasonably
well. We look forward to a post-Covid-19 world,
whenever that occurs.”
One of the many reasons Carter looks forward
is because a post-Covid-19 world means LDCA can
re-establish in-person events. Connection to the local
industry is one of the main reasons those in London’s
construction industry join LDCA. From golf tournaments
to chili cook-offs and BBQs, networking events
remain integral to LDCA’s membership.
“We used to have less frequent, in-person get-togethers
and now we have far more frequent, less personal gettogethers
via Zoom,” said Carter. “There can be a lot more
rapid information processing by the industry, but the
industry really loves in-person relationship building. We
are one of the few associations that is still going ahead with
three golf tournaments this year because our members
really desire it.”
The LDCA is hoping to host in-person events later
this summer and will follow all Covid-19 protocols
regarding gatherings.
Workforce recruitment
Covid-19 also meant LDCA’s efforts to combat the
industry’s workforce renewal issue have been put on
indefinite hold.
“There are both supply and demand issues. Right now,
there’s a heightened level of construction demand that will
last for what I will say is the next seven years, and when
you look at the average age of a construction worker at 47,
you start to run into a huge raft of people retiring,” said
Carter. “Our challenge is it’s way less likely that a trade
will get passed down from father to son and from mother
to daughter and outside of that. We’re not as sophisticated
in our recruitment as other industries, so we’re having to
learn all new methods of reaching our target audience.”
To organize the industry behind the recruitment
process, two years ago, LDCA conceived of the Skilled
Trades Education Centre (STEC). It’s a teaching program
that involves in-person mentorship and hands-on experiential
opportunities for those wanting to learn a trade.
Home builders formally partnered with the industrial-
commercial and civil part of construction to advance this
single initiative which impacts the entire industry. With
buy-in from the Thames Valley District and the London
District Catholic school boards, along with Fanshawe
College, LDCA is taking positive, proactive steps to recruit
the next generation of skilled trades workers.
46 Issue 4 2021 www.pilingcanada.ca
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