If you are a Squamish youth, consider a career in construction.
In Squamish alone, plenty of jobs are available and on the way for workers with a trade.
The provincial government aims to build about 250,000 more homes in the next decade; hundreds of those per year will be in Squamish, as the District ramps up its building to meet demand.
Not to mention major projects and the infrastructure needed to meet our growth.
And this is true beyond our district in B.C. and Canada.
"If you just think of the pressure, we have to build infrastructure, to build housing, to build roads and bridges, and everything that is around us because our population is growing. The long-term view of a career in construction could not be brighter," said Chris Gardner, president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association.
The big three areas seeing the most need for workers are carpentry, electricians and mechanical contractors, but all the Red Seal trades are going to be in demand, he said.
He noted that at the beginning of 2023, there were about 80,000 job vacancies in construction across the country. He said that that has softened somewhat due to inflation, but the need is still great and will continue.
The average age of retirement in construction is 60, lower than the general workforce, and 20% of construction workers are currently aged 55 or older.
This means in the coming years, many of those workers will be leaving the workforce.
Gardner said that because it has yet to be explained to them otherwise, many youth don't understand the diversity, opportunity and fulfillment of many jobs in construction.
For example, if a youth wants to own their own business, construction is a path for that.
"When you drive by any construction site and you look at all the signs on the fence, nearly every single one of those signs has a family name, or a person's name—people who got together and started a company, took a risk as entrepreneurs. Every single construction company owner is an entrepreneur," he said, adding that some companies employ 20 people and some hundreds of people.
Similarly, teens may not be aware it is a path for those interested in technology.
"If you think of technology, which is changing the way we design and build buildings, construction is a technology story, but we don't tell that in a compelling way to young people," he said, "They're running around thinking that if I really want to be involved in technology, I have to do work for Amazon and Google."
And while about 90% of the crews on construction sites locals drive by are men, that doesn't mean the occupation isn't a positive path for all genders, he said.
There are already women in construction marketing accounting and working as project co-ordinators.
"If you like mobilizing people, working with equipment, planning complicated projects, working with budgets, it is all there in construction," he said.
Gardner added that not only is opportunity bright, the demand is creating living wages with increases that outpace inflation.
"They have tremendously dynamic and great opportunities,” he said.
