November 1, 2012

CSC answers call for labour market information proposals

VINCE VERSACE

managing editor

The Construction Sector Council, through its labour market information special planning committee, has answered the federal call for proposals to have critical construction labour data developed.

“We are now waiting to see how successful our submission to the call is so we can see a continuing of the LMI (Labour Market Information) in 2014,” said John Schubert, Canadian Construction Association (CCA) chair at the association’s recent board meeting.

The federal government recently announced its new Sectoral Initiatives Program with a Call for Concepts specifying three areas of interest: national standards, national certification and LMI.

The CSC submitted an LMI Concept Paper, in response to the federal call, seeking funding for the development of an LMI. A decision is not expected until 2013.

“If successful we will proceed forward,” added Schubert.

“We have agreed funding formulas, participation and governance documents put in place.”

The CSC will receive federal funding until March 31, 2013.

In July of 2011, the federal government announced it would phase out core funding for all sector councils by March 31, 2013, which cast the future of construction’s LMI, generated by CSC, into doubt.

In response to the federal sector council announcement the CSC established a LMI Planning Committee to guide the development of a new structure and organization accountable for producing LMI forecasts for the construction industry beyond 2013. The CSC board of directors has passed a motion to transition to the new governance structure.

Schubert has been selected as the CCA representative on that LMI Planning Committee. New governance and funding models for the CSC were developed and have been endorsed by all of the stakeholders, reported Schubert.

The new CSC organizational structure calls for a 12-person director board comprised of four members appointed by the participating owners’ group and four each from labour organizations and contractor associations. Each group has been asked for $120,000 annually to support CSC’s operations.

Schubert recently chaired a meeting of that CSC contractor association group where it was agreed that the financial commitment would be shared equally ($30,000 each annually). He has also agreed to be CCA’s representative on the new CSC board.

The CSC is currently midway through its development of the 2013 forecast scenario and it should be available in early 2013.

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