Solution Found For Skilled Trade Worker Shortage

EDMONTON, AB, May 7, 2013 /CNW/ - Canadian project management and industrial recruitment agencies have been sourcing trade workers from the United States and around the world for many years. An Alberta based recruitment agency has come up with a long term solution that will put Canadian workers first and have future Alberta construction projects less dependent on temporary foreign workers to complete the mega oil sands projects. 

"We have a win - win - win situation at hand" says Andrew Regan, Vice President of Operations for Western Tradesmen Inc., "the solution is to take care of Canadians first and foremost", Regan says. Western Tradesmen Inc. along with its industry partners has been sourcing skilled workers in Canada and abroad for over seven years. 

Regan goes on to explain, "We have approached various companies within the industrial sector and have put together a plan that creates a solution for the critical, long term shortage of Canadian Trade Workers. Most companies prefer to hire Journeyperson trade workers. Western Tradesmen Inc. has put forth a proposal that for every one temporary foreign worker that is dispatched to a Canadian construction site, one or two Canadian apprentices must be dispatched as well."

Over the course of three years, as Canadian apprentices gain enough experience and hours to become qualified Journeypersons, we start to have a ratio of two Canadian Journeypersons for every one temporary foreign worker. Over the next six years, we will have lessened our dependency and need for temporary foreign workers. This will result in boosting the Canadian economy by having Canadians earning some of the highest wages in the world and much of the monies earned, stays in Canada.

Regan says: "There are plenty of apprentices throughout the country that are available for work. There are plenty of youth who would like to enter in a trade but are not sure of the route to take. In many Provinces, the education system pushes for high school students to continue education into University. Not all students are university bound. Many are mechanically inclined but do not know how to get a job in the trades or the pressure to go to university is often great. The reality is, a Journeyperson trade worker often earns much more than university graduates and often starts out in the workforce without much debt. 

Not all companies have embraced the Western Tradesmen plan: Many recruiting companies, in particular ones from outside of Canada, operate from a standpoint of a numbers game. It is in the best interest of those foreign recruiting companies to source the majority of the workers from outside of Canada. This is because of the fees and commissions that are paid to the foreign recruiting companies and or its commissioned sales people. 

Western is looking to change the way the process works by aligning itself with Clients in the oils sands who are also looking for a solution to the long term labour shortage. Western Tradesmen Inc. is a proud Alberta company. One of our goals is to get the message to the youth across the country. Let them know that there is opportunity for a better way of life and higher earning potential than they may currently have.  Collectively, we must have a long term plan and work together. Together we will help solve the long term shortage of trade workers.

Alberta's oil sands are the third largest proven crude oil reserve in the world, next to Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. New projects are being added every year and production is expected to increase from 1.3 million barrels per day in 2008 to 3 million barrels per day in 2018. Skilled trade workers working on projects in Alberta are among the highest paid workers in the world.

SOURCE: Western Tradesmen Inc.

Andrew Regan
[email protected]
Western Tradesmen Inc.
10060 Jasper Ave
Tower 1, Suite 2020
Edmonton, AB T5J 3R8
Phone: [phone] (o)
             1.403.800.3014 (c)