Saskatoon and Region Home Builders' Association Canadian Home Builders' Association Energuide for Houses r2000
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HUMAN RESOURCE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT

CHBA - Saskatchewan ISSUE OUTLINE:

-The fundamental challenge facing the residential construction industry in Saskatchewan is current and future capacity.
-The current construction occupational descriptions do not break down the residential components of each occupation.
-The existing apprenticeship program and provincial training programs for construction trades and workers are very comprehensive, with significant portions devoted to non-residential construction.
-Based on the results of a survey of the residential construction industry in Saskatchewan last year, the major issues identified were:

  -shortage of skilled workers (particularly in the carpentry trades).
  -low wages
  -young people not entering the trades
  -poor image of the industry
  -underground economy

CHBA - Saskatchewan STRATEGY:

-In order to address these issues, a training strategy was developed to encourage individuals to pursue a career in residential construction and to promote a professional image of the industry. The strategy was for industry, in partnership with the Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission, to develop residential occupations, which would lead to training and certification within the provincial apprenticeship system. The goal is to ensure that all people entering the residential construction industry have the opportunity to work towards a designation within the provincial apprenticeship system.
-As the first step towards achieving this goal, the following objectives were identified:

  -Develop a list of all the different job functions within the residential construction industry in Saskatchewan
  -Group job functions into residential occupations
  -Develop a validated description of each occupation in terms of the following:

-Primary Tasks
-Working Conditions
-Abilities, Skills & Knowledge
-Education & Training Requirements
-Employment & Advancement
-Salary
  -Review the existing Occupational Analyses to determine which ones can be used to develop training programs for residential occupations, and whether or not additional analyses need to be produced.

CURRENT STATUS/LATEST STUDY:

-A list of job activities (both in the office and in the field) was compiled by interviewing construction managers and other individuals involved in, and knowledgeable about, the residential construction industry in Saskatchewan. With their assistance, the job activities were then grouped into residential construction occupations.
-A Development Group and a Validation Group were compiled to help develop occupational profiles for each identified occupation. The groups consisted of people that have worked in residential construction for several years on a daily basis, and ranged from individuals working in large organizations to those working in small, owner-operated companies. The responses from the Development Group were used to develop draft Occupational Profiles.
-The draft Occupational Profiles were sent to the Validation Group, which was asked to verify the information in the Occupational Profiles.
-Because the Occupational Analyses do not distinguish between tasks for non-residential and residential construction, each Occupational Analysis was reviewed and analyzed. Tasks that were identified as being applicable to residential construction were identified and separated from the document.

FUTURE ACTIVITY/NEEDS:

-Priority needs to be given to occupations where there are shortages of skilled workers.
-Areas in which there are industry problems should also be considered a priority.
-Areas in which there is currently an interest in developing training should also be considered a priority.
-Occupational Analyses need to be developed for occupations that are not included in the current series. Also, existing Occupational Analyses need to be expanded and/or modified to reflect residential construction.
-Each residential occupation needs to be assessed to determine whether or not it should become a trade, a sub trade or proficiency.
-A working relationship needs to be established with the relevant trade boards.
-A certification process for those occupations that do not have trade boards and are not included in the Apprenticeship program needs to be developed.
-It is imperative that the CHBA - Saskatchewan develop a communication strategy to inform the industry of our training strategy and how it will affect them.
-The CHBA - Saskatchewan must make the training strategy a priority and continue its commitment to the goal of the residential construction industry.
-Partnerships with other organizations must be formed, and additional funding must be obtained to initiate Phase 3

CHBA - Saskatchewan BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACCEPTED THE REPORT AND CONTINUES TO WORK ON THE FUTURE ACTIVITIES:

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
A copy of the latest report is available from the CHBA - Saskatchewan upon acceptance of the report by the Provincial Government. Phone 569-2424 in Regina or 1-800-720-0075.
Send us an email by using the Contact Us link.

© 2008 Saskatchewan Home Builders' Association