b'Presidents Message OIRCABoard of DirectorsPresidentMark AgiusFlynn CanadaPast PresidentDoug MaikawaTrio Roofing Systems Inc.First Vice-PresidentDarcy BeitesDouro Roofing & Sheet MetalContractors Ltd.Second Vice-PresidentJay CampbellDean Chandler Roofing Ltd.TreasurerPeter SerinoSopremaRebranding the DirectorZach PetrachekAtlas-Apex RoofingDirectorJoel DandeleConstruction Industry as a Career By Mark Agius, President, OIRCA Dantech Building TechnologiesDirectorMarinos BarlasSchreiber BrothersDirectorMark MollisonConestoga Roofing & Sheet MetalDirectorM any of us of a certain age in the construction industry will re- capture the attention of students and teach them about the skilledMike Godfreymember when high schools contained shops offering classes totrades at a young age. Godfrey Roofing Inc.Directorexpose students to the various trades. The classes were diversi- It is also encouraging to see the provinces Ministry of Education isRyan Warnerfied and covered industries such as auto shop, machine shop, electrical,on track as well. In the past they have kept the notion of apprentice- Covertite Eastern Ltd.carpentry, drafting andoh, yeshome economics.Directorships and skilled trade jobs buried as they pushed students towardsDavid RauthThe shops were eventually removed as high school counsellors fo- diplomas and degrees. Now they are providing professional learningRauth Roofingcused on promoting college and university education to their students.Director Some school boards created technical-focused schools, which are nowopportunities for teachers including guidance counsellors so they canMary Smith few and far between. Some of us did go on to post-secondary educa- become knowledgeable about the skilled trades. Lexsuco Corporationtion, but many went on to become apprentices, learning a trade andPre-apprenticeshiptrainingprogramsarebeingpubliclyfundedONTARIO ROOFING NEWS is a market-ing and information periodical published for the living a very comfortable upper-middle-class life. and can last up to a year. They combine classroom training with anOntario Industrial Roofing Contractors Association Much has been written about the shortage of skilled workers in theeight- to 12-week work placement. This initiative is supported throughby MediaEdge Publishing. construction industry. The construction industry has always been tiedAdvertising in ONTARIO ROOFING NEWSto new Canadians; immigration was, and still is, the main driver forlabour market agreements between both the federal and provincialis restricted to the member companies of OIRCA.new entrants into the trades. Over the course of the last decade, manygovernment. The Ministry has also developed a new promotionalPublished for:employers and new Canadians have found our bureaucracy a barriervideo with an additional investment in skilled trade career fairs across to coming to our country to work. It has been reported that a third ofthe province.Ontario Industrial Roofing Contractors Associationtradespeople are nearing retirement, and the province is projected toOf course, the most welcome announcement of late is the launch of940 The East Mall, Suite 301face a shortfall of 100,000 construction workers over the next decade.Ontarios new agency to better serve tradespeopleSkilled Trades On- Etobicoke, ON l M9B 6J7Tel: (416) 695-4114 l Toll Free: 1 (888) 33-OIRCABy 2025, it is estimated that as many as one in five jobs in Ontario willtario. This much-anticipated unveiling took place in late January andoirca@ontarioroofing.combe in the skilled trades.is designed to replace the failed Ontario College of Trades (OCOT).www.ontarioroofing.comI believe what we are facing in our industry is a marketing problem.This new Crown agency will promote and market the trades, de- Published by:There is a stigma that clouds our construction industry in general. Thisvelop the latest training and curriculum standards and hopefully pro-stigma has been around for a while, perpetuated by a lack of marketingvide a streamlined, user-friendly experience for tradespeople. With33 South Station St. l North York, ON l M9N 2B2and limited ways of introducing the industry into our current edu- Tel: (866) 480-4717 l Email: robertt@mediaedge.cacation system at an early age. By aligning key industry stakeholdersMinister McNaughton at the helm, I have greater confidence that the with educators, various levels of government and trade associations, wefailings of OCOT will not be repeated. 531 Marion St. l Winnipeg, MB l R2J 0J9can address this problem. There are ample opportunities for those seek- I mentioned earlier that the roofing trade is generally consideredTel: (866) 201-3096 l Fax: (204) 480-4420www.mediaedgepublishing.coming a lucrative career in construction and, more specifically, in roofing.less attractive than other trades, but I want to finish off my columnPresident Some construction trades are better off than others. I understand,by disputing that claim. I myself have been involved with some veryKevin BrownSenior Vice President l Publisher for example, that electricians have no difficulty attracting apprentices.complex and challenging roofing projects over the years, from work- Robert ThompsonOther less glamorous trades, such as roofing, are not as fortunate. Iming over operational nuclear facilities, mines and hospitals, to all typesDirector, Business Development sure most parents wouldnt be too thrilled to have their son or daughterMichael Bellof industrial, commercial and institutional buildings, and one corre- Branch Manager come home from school one day announcing that they are going to besponding theme is that every building requires a roof! Recently, ourNancie Priva roofer. But of course, someone has to install roofs on our buildings. IEditor would argue that a roof is perhaps one of the most important compo- company partnered with another OIRCA member when we replacedJustyne EsseryDesign Specialist nents of the building envelope.the iconic Rogers Centre Stadium roof in Toronto. That project re- Marisa GiesbrechtHowever, the current Ontario government does seem to be listeningquired months of pre-planning and presented challenging logisticalJunior Design Specialist to us about the shortage. When they merged the Ministry of Labourconditions and coordination as the facility remained operational dur- Bethany GiesbrechtNational Sales Executive with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities a few years agoing the replacement. Both companies required a highly trained skilledPat Johnstonunder the leadership of Minister Monte McNaughton, we definitelyworkforce of roofers utilizing customized scaffolding systems to ex- All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may turned a corner.not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, pedite the work under extreme conditions and schedule constraints.without the prior consent of the publisher. The Ministrys focus on apprenticeship and attracting young peoplePublished March 2022to the skilled trades is real, and millions of dollars are now being in- By aligning key industry stakeholders with educators, various levelsPublication Agreement #40787580vested to promote this career choice. Minister McNaughton seems toof government and trade associations, we can address our industry Ontario Roofing News is printed on 10%have the Premiers support as we are witnessing the expansion of sev- marketing problem. Perhaps the title of my first Ontario Roofing Newspost-consumer FSC certified paper using soyabased inks. When necessary to mail an issueeral programs, including the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Programarticle as OIRCA President should have read, Rebranding the Roof- in an enclosure, we use an environmentally-friendly,100% oxo-degradable poly-wrap.(OYAP). OYAP now has 63 recruiters working across the province toing Industry as a Career Destination!8ONTARIO ROOFING NEWSISSUE 4 2021/22 THE ONLY SOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL ICI ROOFING CONTRACTORS IN ONTARIO ORN'