P.E.I. construction industry heading overseas in search for skilled workers

Members of P.E.I.'s construction industry are looking to England and Ireland to help recruit skilled tradespeople.

The group is hoping to connect with hundreds of potential employees at job fairs this month in Birmingham, England, and Dublin, Ireland.

Sam Sanderson, general manager with the Construction Association of P.E.I., said the Island needs more than 1,000 tradespeople to keep up with the demand to build more housing.

"It's not only right now, it's what we need for the future, our immediate or short-term and our long-term needs to be able to bring that skill set to P.E.I.," he said.

"Another very important part of this is the more skilled people we bring to the Island allows us more opportunity to … bring unskilled labour onto the sites and help train, as well."

Recruiting in the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland makes sense, Sanderson said, because the construction standards are similar and there would be no language barrier.

"Our wages are certainly substantially higher. Our living conditions are a little bit different. Our cost of living is very comparable … but there is a quality of life and there is a certain number of individuals that are looking for a new pathway."

'Full couple of days'

It's the first time P.E.I. has gone on a mission like this, but other provinces have done it with success, Sanderson said.

He'll be joined on the mission by members of the home builders association, some construction businesses and immigration officials at events planned this week.

"I'm excited," he said. "I do like to talk so I suspect it'll be a full day, a full couple of days.

"I'm going representing our 330-plus company members, but also industry as a whole. So I've got all kinds of things to talk about all kinds of tremendous opportunities."