LABOUR STUDY LEADS TO OPPORTUNITY

As we head into the summer of 2023, we are keen to announce that the results of our labour study are FINALLY in! Our report is now compiled and available for membership to review. We look forward to sharing the results with you and extend thanks and gratitude to the vendor and retailer community who took the time to participate.

Some interesting stats were illuminated which will help us identify some focus areas and opportunities that we as a collective can work on. It will also help us shape Phase 2 of the Let’s Go Build campaign that I hope all our members are now actively engaging with.

Some key stats to note are:

• Over the next five years, the average anticipated rate of retirement is estimated to be 19% (approximately 4% per year).

• The greatest proportion of senior management and technical positions are filled by those aged 40 to 54 years (52.9% and 46.2%, respectively).

• In terms of attrition, employers estimated that:

• 37% of departing employees leave to find work within the building supply sector

• 63% of departing employees leave the sector altogether

• The majority (72.3%) of employers reported that they expect to see an increase in the overall size of their workforce (measured in FTEs) over the next five years.

We often like to say that the LBM industry is the best-kept secret when it comes to employment and if we want to ensure we have a healthy pool of employee prospects and leaders, we need to create awareness of the industry.

This data will continue to propel our WRLA Academy programs to ensure that our training and development keeps more people within the industry and ready to step into the more senior and technical positions.

Speaking of WRLA Academy, you will have the opportunity to read about the courses that are now available online later in this issue. We are acutely aware that Net Zero continues to be a priority and have been advised by many members that our industry is behind on the knowledge of these changes and that we have a lack of urgency to get on board. As a result, we have partnered with experts on the topic to deliver programming at a discounted rate to ensure that our members have access to the information.

Please be sure to take advantage of all these member benefits and ensure that your marketing and HR staff are engaged with Let’s Go Build! The WRLA is a large industry association and it is power in numbers that can help to influence change! The success of our efforts relies on the engagement of our members.

I look forward to connecting with you at our upcoming golf tournaments this summer and if you want to get more involved with any of our committees, I encourage you to reach out!

Liz Kovach PRESIDENT, WRLA

Dates for 2023 WRLA golf tournaments:

• Saskatoon Tournament:

Thursday, August 10 at The Willows

• Winnipeg Memorial Golf Tournament:

Thursday, August 24 at St. Boniface Golf Club

• Calgary Classic Golf Tournament:

Thursday, September 7 at Sundre Golf Course

• Kenosee Golf Tournament:

Wednesday, September 13 at Golf Kenosee

Visit wrla.org/events/ golf-tournaments/ or scan the QR code to learn more.