Government Need to Partner with Canada's Construction Industry to Strengthen Foundation for Economic Growth
by SHCA SHCA

Government Needs to Partner with Canada’s Construction Industry to Strengthen Foundation for Economic Growth 

With many Canadians distressed about the housing crisis, high cost of living and economic uncertainty impacting their daily lives, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is launching an industry call-to-action urging the federal government to partner with the construction industry on building a strong foundation for a stronger Canada.

Estimates by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation reveal that Canada needs to build 3.5 million additional homes above and beyond what is currently projected to be built by 2030. With the current construction workforce shortage, the industry does not have the workers required to meet the projected building needs. Add to that inflation, rising interest rates and affordability, and Canada’s deteriorating foundational infrastructure and it becomes clear that Canada is in dire need of a holistic and long-term strategy to get on track. 

Through its online advocacy platform, the Construction Action Network, CCA is urging its 18,000 members and the public to send a letter to their local MPs reminding them of the importance of partnering with the industry to make the following strategic changes:

  • Commit to a comprehensive, long-term infrastructure investment strategy that includes a 25-year plan for housing and trade-enabling infrastructure. 
  • Address the workforce shortage by modernizing the existing immigration policy and points system to better reflect the workforce needs of the Canadian economy.
  • Modernize procurement to ensure practices better balance risk-sharing between public contracts and the private sector, reduce red tape, and accelerate approvals for critical projects.

While the federal government has launched various programs, such as the Express Entry program to target immigrants with high-demand skills as well as several initiatives under the National Housing Strategy to fast track the building of new homes, these measures are short-term solutions to problems that require consultation, partnership and long-term planning.

In addition to the campaign, CCA will be hosting its annual Hill Day event on Nov. 7, 2023, where industry representatives will meet with parliamentarians to discuss the construction sector’s essential role in creating and maintaining the infrastructure Canadians use daily. This includes the foundational infrastructure at the heart of new homes and communities.

With construction as its partner, the federal government can build a stronger Canada through comprehensive infrastructure investment, workforce development and procurement modernization.

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Saskatchewan on Track to Exceed Target of Rebuilding 100 Bridges Over Four Years
by SHCA SHCA

Saskatchewan on Track to Exceed Target of Rebuilding 100 Bridges Over Four Years

Eleven rural communities will receive nearly $4.9 million in provincial grants from the Rural Integrated Roads for Growth (RIRG) program to rebuild 14 bridges and large culverts. 

When combined with municipal dollars, the total estimated value of the projects is more than $12.3 million.

“We prioritized investments in rural bridges and roads to keep our economy going during the pandemic,” Highways Minister Lori Carr said. “Four years ago, Saskatchewan pledged to rebuild 100 bridges over four years. With the announcement of this latest round of projects, we will have rebuilt or replaced 105 rural bridges.

“Thanks to $1 million in grants from RIRG, our rural municipality will replace two bridges,” RM of Lacadena Reeve Brad Sander said. “Investments in transportation infrastructure support our farmers and keep our rural economy growing.”

RIRG assists rural municipalities to build and upgrade local infrastructure. The program provides grants up to 50 per cent of each project’s total cost, to a maximum of $500,000.

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SHCA The Interchange - Default background
by Shantel Lipp Shantel Lipp

Preparing for a Brighter Future: An Update on Saskatchewan’s Fall Tender Schedule

Shantel Lipp - Portrait

It’s that time of year where we begin to say goodbye to this year and look ahead at what the upcoming year will bring. As the summer construction season nears its end, I know you are eager to see what is contained in the fall tender schedule. Now that it is out, I want you to know what the board and I are doing about it. 

Off the top, we are building new relationships. As you know, there is a new minister, Lori Carr, but there are also new faces in other prominent roles in the ministry. We look forward to working with Kyle Toffan, the new deputy minister, who previously served in the Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement, where he was deputy minister. There is also a new chief of staff, Josh Hack. 

As we approach an election year in this province, we are eager to promote  how Saskatchewan as a whole can benefit from increased investment in trade infrastructure. First, we need the ministry to understand that changes are necessary to prepare for that brighter future. 

The board and I recently met with Carr and Toffan to lay out those changes. We have been consistently pointing them out to others who have been in her position, but this is an opportunity for someone new to see them from a fresh perspective. 

Making these changes would send a strong message not just to the heavy construction industry and the industries who supply ours, but the world. Canada – and Saskatchewan in particular – has a strong reputation for being a global source and provider of fuel, fertilizer and food. Robust infrastructure is necessary to move commodities and people through the country and out to other parts of the world. When it comes to planning how that trade infrastructure will be maintained and enhanced, our country’s reputation is weak. That impacts our competitiveness in global trade, which adds a challenge to growing our economy. 

Here at home, there are changes that could be made to signal to the world we are serious about competing.

First, Saskatchewan’s government must do better when it comes to getting work out in a timely fashion. Tenders continue to hit the market too late. The 2023 Fall Tender Schedule was only recently released. In the fall of 2022, there were several projects listed on the fall tender schedule that were released too late. Some were not released at all, leaving them to be carried over. It is not just contractors who are impacted by these delays, but also  those in design and engineering, materials, fuels, aggregates, oils and equipment supply. 

We also learned something very important about how to assess the quantity of projects in the tender schedule. Projects that are tendered with a two-year completion date have all production quantities linked to the year it was actually tendered. So, for example, a project on the 2022 fall tender schedule with a 2024 completion date shows all quantities in 2022 – this is why we see the same projects announced multiple times in the budget speech.

What this does, from our perspective, is skew the overall budget numbers and mislead our industry when it comes to the overall quantities shown on the tender schedule. We have asked the ministry to better display these types of jobs to paint a more realistic picture of what’s coming to the market.

When contractors have a longer – and more accurate – look down the road at what the level of investment is projected to be, they are able to better determine their business priorities and investments. They can be better organized and prepared, making them more efficient, productive and competitive. They can become more capable of managing costs and  preparing to serve emerging market sectors. Long-term, continuing to release projects too late in the year will have a negative impact on industry capacity. 

Second, neighbouring provinces are projecting their investment in the coming years while Saskatchewan continues to announce annual spending. In the spring of 2022, the Manitoba government announced a $2.4 billion three-year capital plan. The plan commits to investing a minimum of $500 million per year into highways. Alberta announced this year that it will spend $2.3 billion on roads and bridges as part of its 2023-26 Capital Plan. 

Saskatchewan released a low level of work in the 2023 Fall Tender Schedule. On top of that, this year there was only one asphalt plant working in the province producing product for the Ministry of Highways. 

The SHCA board made it clear that our industry has the capacity to complete three times the amount of work shown on the last few fall tender schedules. That capacity is available to the Saskatchewan government, but it will be the Manitoba and Alberta governments who will see an advantage because of their commitment to long-term, sustainable funding of major highways and trade corridors. 

This year’s construction season saw almost all the major paving contractors looking for work in our neighbouring provinces. Eventually, we will see more companies leaving the market, which will reduce the amount of competition in our province. This will have a negative impact on the cost and quality of building and maintaining our critical infrastructure. 

We encourage Minister Carr to bring a clear message to the cabinet table that there is a strong case for increasing infrastructure investment sooner rather than later, especially considering the challenges posed by inflation.

We all know construction is not immune to increased costs. It will cost less to invest in trade infrastructure now than it will later, and the return on that investment is substantial. For every dollar of investment, in the short term, there is an immediate return of one dollar and thirty cents to the province. 

We are seeing the provincial government make announcements about social spending, such as the one they made at the start of October dedicating $90 million to address homelessness and addictions. Being able to find the money to announce spending on areas such as that is possible when we have a strong economy generating income for the provincial government. 

The return we would get on investing in trade infrastructure can make more such announcements possible. 

Investing in infrastructure that supports trade helps to grow our economy by ensuring we are competitive in the world trade markets. Over the longer term, that return on the investment could be as high as four or five dollars during the asset’s lifespan. That means infrastructure built and maintained by the members of SHCA will contribute to Saskatchewan’s continued economic growth. That growth will contribute to paying for all the social investments – in health, education and more – that ensure a high quality of life for people living in this province. If we don’t sustain our investment and make changes to support the industry, it won’t be there to provide for our future needs.

Next is an election year. I, along with the board, will continue to hammer the message, “If you can’t move it – you aren’t selling it.” We look forward to the budget in the spring of 2024 that shows taxpayers the Saskatchewan Party is serious about creating “growth that works for everyone.” 

Change can be good. In our province, I am working with the board to make that case so we see positive change that benefits more than our industry. It is change that is beneficial to the daily lives of the people living and working to make this province even better than it is today.

Manager man industrial engineer building yellow business helmet work hand safety wear construction
by SHCA SHCA

Construction Company Fined $70,000 for Serious Workplace Injury

On August 23, 2023, KMS Construction Ltd. pleaded guilty in Swift Current Provincial Court to one violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.

The company was fined for contravening clause 3-1(c) of the regulations (being an employer, fail to comply with the duties of an employer at a place of employment including the provision of any information, instruction, training and supervision that is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers at work, resulting in the serious injury of a worker). As a result, the Court imposed a fine of $50,000 with a surcharge of $20,000, for a total amount of $70,000.

Two other charges were withdrawn.

The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on June 17, 2021, near Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, when a worker suffered serious injuries in the cab of a scraper buggy. 

The Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety works with employers and workers to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses through education, inspections and prosecutions.

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Yellow Excavators are digging the soil in the construction site
by SHCA SHCA

Link Developments Ltd Selected to Construct Regina General Hospital Parkade Project

Link Developments Ltd has been selected as the team that will construct and maintain the new Regina General Hospital (RGH) parkade with construction set to begin this fall.

Link Developments Ltd was selected through a two-stage procurement process. A Request for Qualifications resulted in four teams moving forward to a Request for Proposals, where Link Developments Ltd was ultimately selected as the successful team.  

“This milestone is significant in addressing the challenges encountered by residents, staff and other users of the Regina General Hospital parkade facility,” SaskBuilds and Procurement Minister Joe Hargrave stated. “Our commitment remains unwavering as we strive to deliver accessible and convenient infrastructure for the benefit of all Saskatchewan residents.” 

“Our government is very pleased to have a construction team in place for the new parkade at Regina General Hospital,” Health Minister Everett Hindley said. “We have heard the concerns of staff and visitors to the hospital. This parkade will provide a safe, convenient option for parking for years to come.  

The new parkade at the RGH will be built in the northwest section of the existing visitor parking lot. Link Developments’ proposed design includes a parking facility with a total of 1,005 stalls, consisting of 873 stalls in the parkade and 132 surface stalls, for a net increase of 686 parking stalls.

“Ensuring a better quality of life for all Saskatchewan people remains a priority for this government and the key objectives for this project drive us closer toward this goal,” Regina Pasqua MLA Muhammad Fiaz said. “These include improving safety, accessibility and convenience for staff, patients, families, and visitors at Regina General Hospital.” 

“The Saskatchewan Health Authority is pleased that the construction of the parkade at the RGH is moving forward,” Interim Vice President, Quality, Safety & Chief Information Officer, of Saskatchewan Health Authority Michelle Mula said. “With safety at the forefront of our decision making, the parkade aims to provide additional safe and accessible parking at RGH for staff, patients and visitors.” 

Regina-based Link Developments Ltd. has been operating in Saskatchewan since 2014. Link Developments’ team recently built the Eastgate Centre – Medical Professional Building with a heated parkade in Regina. They also built the University of Saskatchewan stadium parkade and the Avenue P Medical office building in Saskatoon.  

“Our dedicated team of local consultants and contractors, in partnership with Cornerstone Credit Union, is grateful for the opportunity to construct this parkade for our community,” said Carmen Lien, Link Developments team spokesperson.

“Understanding the eager anticipation surrounding the necessity of this parkade, we are thrilled to bring this long-awaited project to life, serving our neighbours and families in Regina with heartfelt pride.”

Construction is expected to begin September 2023 and expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

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SHCA The Interchange - Default background
by Shantel Lipp Shantel Lipp

The Season of Change

Shantel Lipp - SHCA President

The leaves have turned colours, the temperature is dropping and as summer turns to autumn, we look forward to working through changes that have come up in this industry.

At the end of last month, numerous changes were made to Saskatchewan’s cabinet. That includes Lori Carr becoming the Minister of Highways, taking over from Jeremy Cockrill who moved to the Ministry of Education. I thank Minister Cockrill for his interest in learning about our industry and its successes and challenges, and I look forward to bringing Minister Carr up to speed along with her executive team.

I, along with the SHCA board, will be meeting with Carr in September and October to talk about this construction season, including what was built and what work may be carried over. I have heard that during this season there was only one asphalt plant processing material for highways work, when during a normal season we should see at least four or five mixing material. I will also be pointing out to her the fact that many Saskatchewan contractors were building outside of the province this year.

I have questions for her and her officials too, to learn what they see coming up in the months and years ahead. I want to discuss project planning and the upcoming budget. Then, there is the memorandum of understanding that was signed in April by our province and Manitoba to strengthen the economic corridors between both provinces. We would like to know more about what the next few years of work between the provinces will include.

Also, I will take the opportunity to point out that our neighbouring provinces have made multi-year commitments to highways in recent budgets. In Manitoba’s last provincial budget, the government announced a $2.4 billion, three-year capital plan. The plan commits to investing a minimum of $500 million per year into highways. In Alberta, the provincial government announced it was investing $7.3 billion over three years in its Transportation and Economic Corridors capital plan. 

I will be sharing with Carr that inconsistent and uncertain funding burdens our industry. It makes it difficult for members to prepare for the future when the amount of capital investment can swing up and down by tens of millions of dollars from one year to the next. Deciding to invest in equipment becomes difficult, as does creating jobs and retaining employees. Those neighbouring governments are making three-year commitments, but we know provinces would see more value from five-year investments.

I know you are busy evaluating what you can realistically complete this season. With the temperature taking longer to rise in the morning, the number of hours you have in a day for pavement to cure is shortening and so being efficient matters a lot right now if projects are to get done. However, I also know you are looking forward to what other projects are coming up to bid on, so it is important that we discuss the fall tender schedule. We are working with the ministry to better identify when projects will hit the market.

Then, next month, I have an opportunity to join those gathered at the 2023 provincial Area Transportation Planning Committees Convention in Saskatoon on Oct. 10-12. Those who attend tend to be government officials, rural, urban, and Indigenous leaders, and industry specialists from across the province.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Transportation for Growth & Prosperity in Saskatchewan.” I have been asked to present on how SHCA hopes to shape a growing Saskatchewan and where we see opportunities for growth. I will be sharing who we are as an association, why strategic investing in trade infrastructure can encourage Saskatchewan’s and Canada’s economic growth, and the advocacy SHCA undertakes on behalf of our members. I will also be sharing the support we have in the province from those in other industries who recognize the importance of the work you do and the infrastructure you build and maintain for their own growth and success.

Finally, I look forward to seeing you at the board meeting and a first-of-its-kind event that SHCA is developing for our industry in November.

The first-ever industry summit for Saskatchewan, which SHCA is excited to spearhead, will bring together contractors, suppliers, engineers and other professionals to focus on infrastructure and transportation. There will be great industry education sessions, an innovative trade show and awesome networking opportunities spread over two days on Nov. 29 and 30 at the Delta Hotel & Convention Centre in Regina. More information will be published on SHCA’s website as well as in the next issue of Think BIG magazine.

Until then, I know you will be working safely and efficiently to complete everything on your to do list as the board and I work to get your challenges and successes recognized and addressed.

Bright dymanic fire and ice ring in space, this is opposite symbol, 3d rendering, computer generated background
by SHCA SHCA

A Virtuous Circle

Economic growth in Saskatchewan

By Paul Martin, Martin Charlton Communications

People follow opportunity. 

That economic development truism is the foundation of any community growth strategy. People will move to your community or remain there if they believe they have a positive future for their careers, their lifestyle or their family’s wellbeing. 

No province has more experience with this topic than Saskatchewan, which endured more than two decades of out-migration as our citizens saw better prospects elsewhere. We were able to reverse the drain back in 2006 and have posted positive population numbers ever since, but growth brings its own set of imperatives. In particular, the need for infrastructure growth and renewal.

More people in a community not only results in more households or the need for expanded retail outlets, but it also means more schools, expanded health care delivery and enhanced transportation infrastructure. 

You’d think we’d be used to this after more than 15 years on the winning side of the population growth equation, but recent demonstrations at the legislature and the government’s response to the need for expanded capacity in the education system suggest this remains a work in progress. And, given that our population expansion has now reached a pace we haven’t seen in a century, there is no doubt the volume of this story is going to be amped up.

At the heart of this discussion is investment.

Capital flowing into a community is the fuel that drives growth and opportunity. Billions dedicated to expanding the mining sector, for example, triggered construction of the mine itself, but the spin-offs are also impressive. The industrial sectors in our major cities are evidence of how that cycle works – investment decisions precipitate the arrival of those who do the actual building and the service teams required to support them. All those new arrivals bring families who require more services – schools, hockey arenas, residential subdivisions and grocery stores, the hallmarks of a community in growth mode.

To borrow a phrase: nothing happens until somebody makes an investment – the so-called virtuous circle where investment sparks growth, which sparks more investment. 

To borrow a phrase: nothing happens until somebody makes an investment – the so-called virtuous circle where investment sparks growth, which sparks more investment. 

Economic developers often say communities that reach a population of 500,000 become self-perpetuating. In other words, their flywheel has enough momentum that the virtuous circle becomes a self-fulfilling legacy.

Saskatchewan, while on its way, has not yet achieved the status of cities such as Calgary or Winnipeg, which now prosper and grow regardless of how the rest of the province is performing, but it is reasonable to assume our current pace of growth makes the half million number not only attainable, but inevitable. 

Ensuring we have the infrastructure in place to meet that target should be a vital part of the provincial growth strategy because the virtuous circle tells us: growth begets infrastructure requirements which begets more growth.  

Snow Plowing Truck
by SHCA SHCA

Tech For Talent

The British Columbia Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association will use heavy equipment simulators and virtual reality to showcase highway maintenance careers

By Jill Harris

Construction has an image problem – and it’s putting the industry’s future productivity at risk.

An industry perceived as tough, physically demanding, technologically inept and “old school” in its management practices can’t attract the talent it needs to perform in today’s modern marketplace. This perception of construction – which often doesn’t reflect the reality of working in the industry – is creating a barrier when it comes to attracting newcomers to pursue construction careers. As more and more current workers retire in the next five, 10 or 15 years, it’s critical that new workers come on board.

This skills gap is not something that construction companies can solve on their own – collaboration and a widespread effort from industry groups is key. 

An innovative recruitment program in B.C.

The British Columbia Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association (BCRB&HCA) understands the industry’s need to attract new workers and that opening new eyes to the possibilities in construction will require strategies designed for modern society.

“We were in conversations with provincial representatives at the end of last year, and there was potential grant funding available for creative talent outreach programs,” said Matt Pitcairn, vice president of BCRB&HCA. “We submitted an application for a technology-based program to expose people to the opportunities in our industry and hopefully pique their interest [in construction careers].”

Pitcairn says that construction isn’t immune to the generational shift that all industries inevitably experience, and the future workforce needs help to realize the opportunities waiting for them.

“Construction is embracing technology more and more,” said Pitcairn. “It’s not this ‘old-school’ industry but many people still have this perception.”

Combatting this perception is critical, and BCRB&HCA has a plan.

The association received a $3.9-million grant to help jobseekers across B.C. learn more about highway maintenance occupations. The three-year grant will provide funding to BCRB&HCA’s talent attraction program, which involves leveraging innovative training technologies to showcase key jobs in the industry. 

BCRB&HCA is using simulators that will place prospective jobseekers in the driver’s seat of snow plows and other types of heavy equipment, with the goal that people will realize the multitude of engaging, well-paying and fulfilling jobs they can have in construction, often right out of high school.

The “roadshow” will include a 34-foot customized trailer with five different simulators that replicate different models of heavy equipment and attachments.

“In addition to that, we have a number of virtual reality headsets and will set up stations outside the trailer,” said Pitcairn. 

The simulators will travel across B.C. to provide hands-on opportunities for participants, setting up at immigrant settlement services, veterans organizations, high schools and more, inviting as many people as they can to try operating heavy equipment on the simulators. 

“Our plan is to criss-cross the province and go to as many communities as we can, promoting weeks in advance [of] setting up shop,” said Pitcairn. “The industry has jobs in Cranbrook, Prince George, Quesnel, Langley – you name it. We want to put construction careers front and centre for [groups currently underrepresented in the industry]. There are opportunities all over B.C.”

BCRB&HCA saw the success that similar programs achieved and wanted to replicate and expand on the idea to suit heavy construction applications.

BCRB&HCA is using simulators that will place prospective jobseekers in the driver’s seat of snow plows and other types of heavy equipment, with the goal that people will realize the multitude of engaging, well-paying and fulfilling jobs they can have in construction, often right out of high school.

“We heard of other jurisdictions doing this very successfully,” he said. “Our partners in Prince Edward Island were using virtual reality technology to go into high schools and promote job opportunities, and similarly in Ontario. But nothing was touching on the snow plow or heavy equipment side. We took best practices from here and there and tried to put them together into one program.”

BCRB&HCA has ordered the trailer and the equipment to arrive this fall, with the aim of getting on the road in 2024.

“We’re going to cover as many kilometres as we can,” said Pitcairn. “We’re going to identify regions of the province and figure out when we’re going to be there, [likely in various] tours – a Vancouver Island tour, a northern tour, etc. We’ll talk with as many stakeholders as possible to map out the tour and stop in as many communities as possible.”

Pitcairn says that the program will have a robust social media strategy along with proactive outreach to local media and companies to make sure that everyone knows they’re coming to town and gets excited to jump in one of the program’s simulators.

BCRB&HCA will also invite its members on the program’s tours, encouraging them to be part of each event.

“We’ll be looking for volunteers and experienced snow plow and equipment operators to join us at the various stops along the way,” said Pitcairn.

The association’s plan is to put an online portal in place to facilitate future employment relationships. When people participate in the program, if they like their experience on the simulators, they can access the portal to see job opportunities in their neighbourhood.

BCRB&HCA will track participant data along the way, analyzing metrics of how many people participated in the program and, of those people, how many successfully began construction work.

“We’re going to do our best to attract successful engagement that leads to employment within the industry,” said Pitcairn.  

“Construction is embracing technology more and more. It’s not this ‘old-school’ industry but many people still have this perception.”

– Matt Pitcairn, BCRB&HCA
Canadian Flag

Made in Canada

When the British Columbia Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association (BCRB&HCA) was researching simulator technology for its industry talent acquisition program, the ability to support Canadian companies became an added bonus. 

“I had no idea before I started this journey that some of the leading global technology in the [simulator] space comes from Canada,” said Matt Pitcairn, vice president of BCRB&HCA. 

As it turns out, Montreal is a global hub in simulator technology, something that Pitcairn was happy to learn.

“I thought it was really neat
that we could use our grant dollars to give back and keep those dollars here in Canada,” said Pitcairn.

The snow plow simulator that BCRB&HCA purchased is coming from Virage Simulation in Montreal.

“From our research, they’re the number one company in the world for snow plow simulators,” said Pitcairn.

The other heavy equipment simulators that BCRB&HCA purchased are also coming from Montreal, from a company called CM Labs, which counts organizations like NASA and Liebherr among its current customers.

Rear view of businessman fixing white blank banner with hammer
by SHCA SHCA

Leadership Skills for Construction

What sets the construction industry apart from other industries

By Pat Rediger

Leadership skills are important in every industry, but the required skills can vary, and what works in one industry may not work in another. That’s why it’s crucial for the construction industry to develop leadership skills specific to its unique needs.

“I have found there is a world of difference between the construction industry and other industries,” said Mark Nesbitt of Nesbitt Training. “Where I work, there are the people who take a shower after work and the people in other industries who take a shower before work. That’s the easiest way to explain it. They think differently, they act differently and they talk differently. Everything is different.”

He says that part of developing leadership skills in the construction industry begins by identifying workers that can do more than what they are currently doing for their particular jobs. It’s finding that spark, realizing the potential and then working with those people to develop the skills they need to be future leaders.

It’s a process that’s not so different from Nesbitt’s upbringing. His family owned an aggregate business, where he received his first experience with people from the construction industry. At age 16, he became a construction worker and got his first job in Calgary. A short time later, he decided he wanted to further his career in the industry.

“I started at the bottom, and I was not content to be a worker because I knew I had more to offer. I could see something and figure out how to make it better. I just didn’t know what to do about it,” said Nesbitt.

When he turned 18, he was given his first self-help book, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, which changed his life. He realized that if he wanted more, he would have to concentrate on making himself better. It wasn’t just about learning the hard skills of the construction industry and the soft skills, such as working with people and adaptability.

Eighteen-year-old foreman

While he was working on his self-improvement, his efforts were noted by the company owner, and he was named foreman of the quarry despite his young age. The company grew rapidly, and Nesbitt’s career flourished simultaneously as he assumed more responsibilities. The owner confided in Nesbitt that he had set a goal to double the company’s size within five years.

“You have a pretty lofty goal, I told him, but that won’t work with some of the leaders in this company. I think we are really lacking in leadership skills. Not everyone understands how they have to sell a project and influence and motivate people,” said Nesbitt.

At that time, Nesbitt was reading books by leadership guru John Maxwell. His opinions influenced him, so he convinced the company owner to bring a Maxwell trainer to help officials develop their leadership skills. The training was well-received and served as a catalyst for the company to reach its goals.

The training also lit a spark in Nesbitt, and he began to evaluate his own skills as a leadership trainer. He recalled attending a training session featuring presenters from other industries and universities and feeling that their training missed the mark for the construction industry. Although some of the messaging might be the same, it must be emphasized differently to resonate with construction workers.

So, 25 years after he entered the industry, Nesbitt leaped at a second career. The John Maxwell company approached him to become a trainer. While initially he was not interested in being a teacher, he was eventually convinced to try it. He knew the leadership skills needed in the construction industry, and that was all that mattered.

“I will work with office staff, but my desire is to work with boots-on-the-ground [people] because experience has shown me who can be the best leaders on any construction project,” said Nesbitt. “They are usually the ones who started their careers on the end of a shovel. They are the ones who learn a trade, moved up and advanced. How can you train these people or motivate them if you’ve never done the job yourself?”

Identifying future leaders

Part of leadership development at any construction company starts with identifying workers who have a positive attitude and are willing to go the extra mile to complete a project. The next step is training those individuals to lead parts of the organization. The trouble is that many companies don’t use this process.

“If you bring in a worker and gave them an $800,000 loader to operate, you would probably make sure that someone from a company like Caterpillar came in and trained them on how to use it, how to become an efficient operator and all the safety aspects, which would help that person succeed. What I see in a lot of blue-collar trades is that someone is placed in a leadership position, but they are not taught how to lead,” Nesbitt said.

Nesbitt says he often sees people recently promoted out doing their former jobs because that’s what they know best and can excel at. They don’t realize that’s not their job anymore, and they have to do a different set of tasks, but they aren’t sure how to do them.

Teaching leadership skills doesn’t necessarily need to be complicated. It can be as simple as sharing an audiobook that discusses how to build a better team. Nesbitt is a big fan of audiobooks, having a library of 350 books on his iPhone. Every company should have a library of leadership books and resources to share with their staff.

As worker, recruitment and retention become increasingly more important in the construction industry, Nesbitt says that companies need to focus more on creating winning work teams that people want to join. It’s similar to a professional hockey or football team – everyone wants to join when the team is winning but jumps off the bandwagon during difficult times.

The reasons why people don’t stay in their jobs have been relatively consistent over the years – they do not see a future for themselves with the company. It’s vital to compliment workers for their efforts and position them for future leadership positions.

“If you put somebody in leadership training, you’re investing in them because you want them here for the future. They are the future of a company, and when a company does that, and the leaders motivate the workers, then the workers say, ‘I’ve got a future here.’”  

This article originally appeared in Piling Canada magazine.