< PreviousWorkforce development is an issue that has been at the forefront of economic strategies and community discussions across North America, as the needs of the workforce continue to be misaligned with the conditions of reality.Written by Jessica FerlainoAs businesses struggle to fill positions that are necessary for their growth, more needs to be done to create a pipeline of talent. This is why workforce development has become an important concept for economic development professionals across Canada and the U.S. Economic development agencies are working hard to bring together industry associations and leaders in education (K – 12, college, university, career and technical training centers, etc.) and industry to identify the needs of local economy and strategize how best to address these chal-lenges before they become a hindrance to economic growth and prosperity. What makes workforce development efforts unique is the role collaboration plays in a program’s success. While people reside in local communities, employment can be local, regional and, thanks to advancements in travel and technology, even national and international, and as a result, require a local and global approach to talent. Workforce development is a Western concept that emphasizes the importance of people and the role human resources play in the economic success of a business, a community, a region, a state and a nation. The goal of workforce development initiatives and programs is to enhance economic stability and viability as well as community prosperity through worker education, training, upskilling and reskilling activities. It helps to realign the labour market with the needs of the greater economy. DEC 2018 - JAN 20191011CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS In Canada, a total of 400 000 jobs remained vacant through-out the summer months, with the majority of the openings in British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick, proving that it is an issue that spans the nation from coast to coast. Job vacancies are most common in the personal services, construc-tion, hospitality, enterprise management, health and education, agriculture, professional services, transport and manufacturing sectors, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). While jobs remain unfilled, the unemployment rate has reached a historic 40-year low of 5.8 percent. A total of 1.1 million Canadians remain unemployed, proving that a mismatch of skills exists in Canada. What is happening in the United States isn’t much different in this regard, though wage growth seems to be stronger south of the border. Governments, agencies, organizations, educators, educational institutions, human resources professionals, industry associa-tions and business owners alike have all recognized the need for talent development and have come together to collectively address the problem. Most workforce development strategies revolve around labour mobility and recruitment, as well as reskilling and upskilling to better address the workforce needs of the economy while pro-moting full employment for residents. This has been especially important as the exodus of aging and retiring workers contin-ues to take place. Worker mobility can help to alleviate the labour shortage, though it will not provide a comprehensive solution. There is a growing number of interprovincial workers in Canada but a labour shortage persists, which means new workers need to be attracted and trained with the skills that address the needs of the market. In 2008, the number of interprovincial workers reached a peak of 453 000 workers who leave their home in search of secure employment and a good living, even if it takes them away from home to do so. While residence is local, employment is both local and regional and any solutions will require both a local and regional focus. A focus on reskilling or training is often the most successful way to meet the needs of the local economy, and to do that it takes collaboration between the various levels of government, local, regional and state educational institutions and industry stake-holders. Collaboration enables the workforce to be flexible, adaptable and even proactive to changes in the economy. If a disconnect exists between education and industry, the “Collaboration enables the workforce to be flexible, adaptable and even proactive to changes in the economy.”likelihood of the needs of the economy being met are grim. This has been part of the problem facing the economy today. For many years, high school students were encouraged to pursue a college or university degree if they were to have any hopes of securing a professional career and a bountiful liveli-hood to go along with it. Now, many millennials are educated but lack the necessary skills to fill the various positions that are available that require a specialized skill set. As emphasis moved to the pursuit of a college or university degree out of high school, it also had an impact on the trades. Funding for appren-ticeship and training programs was reduced and due in part to the offshoring of manufacturing and industry, skilled labour was no longer being developed locally. When industry started to make its return, the talent simply wasn’t available and millen-nials had officially become the largest age demographic in the workforce, overtaking both Generation X and Baby Boomers for the first time. Recognizing the demographic shift that has taken place in the labour market, new efforts are being made to promote the various opportunities that are available and the quality of life these careers can afford to millennials and their young families. Many of the opportunities that are available are in advanced manufacturing and other industries where automation is being employed and creating new demand for skilled labour. Where skilled labour is not available, robotic functions are. More and more companies are investing in technology and although certain activities can be mechanized, a new demand for labour has arisen. It is perceived that robots are going to replace workers, and while it is true of certain tasks, workers are still required to maintain and operate the automated systems, which requires new skill sets and training. While some companies have the means to invest in capital equipment, automation and in-house training programs to lessen the impact of the labour shortage, for many, resources are not available to be able to develop talent at the rate it is required. Further, in some places, talent is simply not available to train. This is why governments at all levels are stepping up to the plate to provide resources, both in terms of training and recruit-ment. Businesses rely on talent for productivity and these busi-nesses are the backbone of the functioning and strength of the local, regional, state, national and even global economies. Companies may not be able to solve the labour crunch on their own, but there are actions that can be taken to attract and retain talent. Now is the time when competitive pay, fair working conditions, a positive work culture and appreciation go a long way in not only attracting employees, but remaining profitable for the long term. As wage growth in Canada has been weak, a strong culture could be the edge a company needs in a highly competitive job market. Unless corrections take place in the labour market – be it through training or recruitment – without a new cohort of skilled labour, the economy will not be able to achieve its true growth potential and it could have far-reaching economic implications as a result. It is time to fully leverage and optimize available resources to ensure that companies and entire industries can remain profit-able for the long term. And the only way this will be achieved is if there is a collective effort from government, education and industry to understand, address and evolve with the changing labour market realities present in the economy. 13CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Grand WarszawskiShutterstock.comDEC 2018 - JAN 201914In 2012, the owners of the Centreville, Utah-based real estate development firm J. Fisher Companies founded Strategic Builders to specialize in full scope general contracting with a unique company outlook.15CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Written by Samita SarkarJ Fisher Companies is a vertically integrated real estate development group that handles private equity, land acquisition, real estate development, construction and property management. Meanwhile, its subsidiary, Strategic Builders, works closely with its clients on project bidding, design, and building services to complete all projects with an owner’s perspective in mind. This ensures that the ownership groups that work with Strategic Builders and J. Fisher receive exactly what they want, at a great value. “Since we are so closely involved throughout the develop-ment process with the ownership group, we approach our projects from an owner’s perspective,” explains Christian Traeden, Executive Vice President at Strategic Builders. “Our company values clarity and quality above all else. As an owner, if we can set realistic expectations and deliver a quality project that stands the test of time, everyone’s jobs become easier in the group.” Another market differentiator for the company is its focus on technology as a way to streamline processes and stay efficient and effective. Strategic Builders has been using cloud-based project management software since Day 1 of “Strategic Builders is proud to be helping Salt Lake City tackle the issue of affordable housing with quality units that homeowners can be proud of.”the business, which helps the team execute estimating, con-tracts, and billing in a timely manner. “We use an integrated project management software called PASKR,” says Traeden. “They’ve been great partners with us. Their program integrates bidding, scheduling, contract-ing, billing, site management, document management – just really every step of our construction process – into one tool. It enables us to hold everyone involved in the project account-able at each stage of the process.” Strategic Builders can build almost any type of product, includ-ing offices and TIs (tenant improvements), light industrial, retail, multi-family and mixed-use units, and custom homes. The team has completed class-A, market rate, and more recently, affordable housing projects as well. For example, according to the JF Capital (another J. Fisher subsidiary) website, the Moda Meadowbrook project is a mixed-use, 145-unit affordable apartment project that “will provide housing to Utah’s workforce that are earning at, or below, 60 percent of area median income (AMI). J. Fisher Co has acquired several properties with the intent to develop DEC 2018 - JAN 201916 affordable apartments and improve neighborhoods in the Salt Lake Valley. Their hope is that these new developments will be the beginning of a solution for the housing crisis Utah is currently facing.” The community’s amenities include a large clubhouse, a fitness center, and bike maintenance facilities, and will be just a five-minute walk from the TRAX Meadowbrook station. Moda Meadowbrook is one of several developments under J. Fisher Companies Moda brand, and the first units will be occupied in fall, 2019. On August 1, 2018, just two months after that project broke ground, Moda Granary Place opened its doors. These 134 affordable, workforce housing units are in a five-story apart-ment complex in an up-and-coming city district, and will help households earning about $38,400. In 2017, Salt Lake City’s City Council passed a five-year housing plan called Growing SLC that outlines a path to increasing vibrancy in the city’s housing market, providing security for vulnerable residents, and creating equity in housing choice. Strategic Builders is proud to be helping Salt Lake City tackle the issue of affordable housing with quality units that home-owners can be proud of. “This past summer, we were excited to complete our first afford-able housing project in Salt Lake City and break ground on our second. Affordable housing is becoming a key part of our business. Our third project is scheduled to start in April 2019,” Traeden informs us.Strategic Builders’ upcoming project, Moda Union, will be a 206-unit TOD apartment development in Midvale City. This project will consist of 96 one-bedroom units and 110 two-bedroom units that are income and rent-restricted. The walkable development will provide immediate access to TRAX at Fort Union Station and will feature wide sidewalks, street level glass “storefront” construction, and tenant ameni-ties and common spaces including a lobby, a gym, and shared office and lounge spaces. Indoor bike storage spaces will also be available to tenants.But the Moda brand isn’t composed solely of affordable housing projects. Moda Highland Park, completed in “Moda Highland Park, completed in February 2018, is a luxury 40-unit townhome development in a growing Salt Lake City community.” February 2018, is a luxury 40-unit townhome development in a growing Salt Lake City community, complete with spacious floor plans and high-end finishes.“We are excited to have completed what we feel is one of the best townhome developments on the east bench of Salt Lake City,” said Owen Fisher of J. Fisher Companies in a Moda Highland Park is a project that our team is very proud of and we are excited to continue to better the communities we have an opportunity to work in.” The upcoming nine-story, 220-unit Moda Luxe development represents another high-end project. The majority of the units will be a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments with four three-bedroom penthouse units on the ninth floor. At 108 feet, Moda Luxe is the second-tallest rental property in development in Salt Lake City. Interestingly, J. Fisher Companies is not much older than Strategic Builders itself. It was founded in 2007 during the 19CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Next >