👷‍♀️ Talent Thursdays: Ready to rumble

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Good morning! Are construction’s iconic hard hats coming off? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the U.S. is transitioning away from traditional hard hats to more high-tech safety helmets for inspections. Officials say hard hats have an outdated design that goes back to the 1960s and encouraged the construction sector to phase them out.

📈 LABOUR BY THE NUMBERS

The average wage for a B.C. construction professional will top $78K next year, without adding in overtime, bonuses, or benefits. And many trades will be even higher, according to the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association’s (ICBA) 2024 Wage and Benefits Survey.

👷‍♀️ PEOPLE MOVES

Daryl Heppner, operations manager for Polycrete Restorations, is celebrating 30 years with BM Group.  Balraj Mann, CEO of Polycrete and BM Group chairman, said that “it is not an understatement to say Polycrete nor the BM Group would not be where it is today” without Heppner. 

Steve Van Hoffen has been appointed chief financial officer of Maple Reinders after serving the company in increasingly senior finance roles for over 17 years. Van Hoffen stated that he looks forward to supporting the business units to excel, contributing to the company’s strategic growth, and continuing his career at a company that aligns with his values.

Carla Parsons has been named director of business development - B.C. & Alberta at FINEX INC. Parsons stated that FINEX is a Canadian based, high-density fiber cement that's about to change the dynamic in Western Canada. Prior to the role, she worked as director of communications for Canadian Construction Women (CCW). 

Frano Cavar will be expanding his role at the Calgary Construction Association to director of public affairs and external relations. He has spent more than two years at the association as director of government relations. 

Grant Grenier is starting a new position as Construction & Asphalt Manager at Lafarge Canada. Prior to this, Grenier spent more than 20 years at Graham as a construction superintendent and a business development manager. 

Erin Elliott, Wesgroup Properties’ VP of accounting, has been appointed director of stakeholder relations for Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW).

🗞 HEADLINES

🥊 Mixed martial arts organization UFC and Skilled Trades College of Canada (STC) announced a new marketing partnership that showcases STC within UFC’s live events hosted in Canada, including Pay-Per-Views and Fight Nights.

🏆 The Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and Mark’s Commercial have launched the Safety Innovation Showdown. The competition asks students to pitch ideas to revolutionize safety in the skilled trades. These ideas could range from innovations in personal protective equipment to advancements in training methodologies and equipment design. 

♻️ Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU) is launching a training initiative to educate construction professionals on addressing climate change. The program targets trades instructors, offering free online and in-person courses to integrate climate change education into apprentices' training. The pilot program starts this year. 

💼 Statistics Canada reported that the Canadian economy added only 100 jobs in the final month of 2023. The result came as the number of full-time jobs fell by 23,500 in December, offset by a gain of 23,600 part-time jobs. Experts say the weaker job market conditions came as high interest rates continued to weigh on economic growth.

🧠 LEADERSHIP

Resources for professional development

• Three “bad boss” habits to avoid

• Mark Cuban’s take on diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) for hiring

• Caliber Projects principal Justin Bontkes breaks down wealth building

• How to level up your listening game

• Strategic networking can help your career grow

📣 NOMINATIONS WANTED

We are looking for construction influencers

Nominations are open for SiteNews’ Most Influential People in Construction Awards. We are looking for individuals inspiring others and forging new paths in the sector. They can be from any corner in the industry and in any position. Just let us know why you think they are a mover and a shaker.

🔥 HOT JOBS

Vice President of Construction - Ottawa, Ont. - Buttcon

Chief Financial Officer - Montreal, Que. - OEC Group

Vice President, Regulatory Compliance - Calgary, Alta. - Alberta Energy Regulator

Chief Estimator, Water - Toronto, Ont. - Graham 

Vice President of Construction - Dartmouth, N.S. - Natural Forces Solar

Vice President, Corporate Affairs - Vancouver, B.C. - Canfor

🔥 Check out all roles up for grabs right now at SiteNews Jobs or put your job post in front of tens of thousands of construction professionals here.

Struggling to fill a role? send us an email at [email protected] to connect with one of our specialized recruitment experts.

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Here’s to a great rest of the week!

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