19 NATIONAL BULLETIN | Issue 2, 2025 Canada’s mechanical sector – which currently employs about 205,000 people, or about 13 per cent of all construction employment – is comprised of about 16,000 businesses. About three-quarters of these employ fewer than 10 people. For the 2025 to 2034 forecast period, the net recruiting demand for plumbers is expected to total about 2,300. The sector will also need to recruit about 2,900 HRAC mechanics, 10 steamfitters, pipefitters and sprinkler systems installers, 1,200 sheet metal workers and 300 construction millwrights and industrial mechanics. Despite these numbers, the overall picture is not entirely bleak. Because the mechanical sector relies heavily on apprenticeship as a pipeline for new workers, it tends to have a younger demographic. “It’s also a key contributor to apprenticeship development,” Raiswell says. He notes that of the 54 Red Seal trades, construction accounts for 33, with mechanical mainly hiring workers in about 11 – roughly one-third – of those. “I don’t think we’ve hit that inflection point where we can say things have tipped the scale either one way or the other,” says MCAC COO Ken Lancastle. “We’re not in dire straits, but there’s still some work that needs to be done.” The potential solutions are not new, and in fact are already being implemented on several fronts. Raiswell groups them into two categories: “One is raising awareness about careers in the trades and in the mechanical sector. I think the industry is doing a good job of this, and we’re seeing positive returns on those efforts with the growing number of young people coming into the sector,” he says. “The other is diversification. The reality is that the industry can draw more from people in equity-deserving groups to bolster its workforce.” He points out that women still account for just five per cent of the more than 1.2 million people who are employed as skilled trades workers. “There’s a huge opportunity for the industry to tear down the barriers to entry into the trades and make work environments more accommodating to their needs,” he says. Indigenous people are statistically overrepresented in construction employment, but, Raiswell says, “the Indigenous population is the fastest- growing demographic in the country, and generally speaking, Indigenous people tend to be more disposed to working in the trades than other demographic groups.” Thus, there is still potentially a significant pool of Indigenous workers who could be attracted to the sector. Newcomers to Canada are still somewhat underrepresented, but, with Canada expecting to welcome almost 4.4 million newcomers between 2025 and 2034, this is another potentially fruitful source of workers. “We’ve started to see some progress with underrepresented groups,” says Lancastle. But since construction in general, and the mechanical sector in particular, are competing with every other industry for their share of the labour force, there is still work to be done on the recruitment side. “Changes need to be made in terms of how we work to build a stronger and more resilient Canadian economy. We have to demonstrate that this industry is going to be a driving force in the Canadian economy and showcase to more Canadians the types of careers that are available.” Among industry stakeholders across the country, “there’s a lot going on,” says Lancastle, pointing to MCAC’s Susie Builds initiative as just one example. “The more we can talk about the opportunities in our industry,” he adds, “the better we’re going to do in the long run.” Looking to grow your business? Join the Enercare Dealer Program Enercare can help you grow your business with the Enercare Advantage® rental program. Offer your customers a no upfront cost option* with affordable monthly rates, making it easier for them to replace their home equipment with energy-efficient solutions. As an Enercare Authorized Dealer, you own the customer relationship and act as their go-to expert for HVAC, water heating, and water treatment. Backed by our support, you’ll now be able to expand your customer base. Own your customer relationships, increase your customer base — with the support of Enercare. For Western Canada, call Warren Kutcha at 1-780-884-2742 For Ontario, call Krista Bothman at 1-416-303-4864 *Terms and conditions and certain exceptions apply, see rental agreement for details. ®Enercare, Enercare Advantage and the design are registered trademarks of Enercare Inc., used under license. HVAC Water Heating Water Treatment Generators Co-branded marketing support Choose equipment from your preferred manufacturer Service and maintenance opportunities Enercare Dealers enjoy the benefits of:
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