Career paths of tradespeople in the construction industry

Skilled labour shortages have been projected for Alberta’s construction industry. As the career paths tradespeople follow significantly affect future supplies of skilled labour, this study explored the career paths of tradespeople in the provincial construction industry. Three major characteristics of the career paths of tradespeople were analyzed: first industry career stage, number of years spent in each stage, and number of projects worked on during each stage. Sector-based comparisons discovered that tradespeople in the industrial/pipeline sector progressed more quickly through some career stages. Analysis also revealed that in general, switching industry sectors during a career stage lengthens the duration of that stage. We also explored which factors affect construction tradespeople’s career paths using a chi-square correlation test. Intergenerational differences were observed; a correlation between educational level and highest industry career stage was detected. Study findings will support the development of labour projections, educational programming, and human resources strategies.