OCS Talks
OCS Talks
Podcast Description
Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS) CEO, Brian Barron, discusses all things related to Ontario's unionized ICI construction sector with professionals from across the industry.
An educational industry podcast that addresses varying topics, challenges, and opportunities within Ontario's unionized ICI construction sector. Episodes will feature leaders from across the industry to explore different subject matter. It is our hope that listeners find these short podcast episodes engaging, thought-provoking, and digestible.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Focuses on the challenges and opportunities within Ontario's ICI construction sector, addressing topics such as market forecasts, labor supply concerns, and infrastructure development, with episodes like The BuildForce Forecast discussing key drivers such as transit and healthcare, as well as issues like inflation and workforce demographic shifts.
Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS) CEO, Brian Barron, discusses all things related to Ontario’s unionized ICI construction sector with professionals from across the industry.
An educational industry podcast that addresses varying topics, challenges, and opportunities within Ontario’s unionized ICI construction sector. Episodes will feature leaders from across the industry to explore different subject matter. It is our hope that listeners find these short podcast episodes engaging, thought-provoking, and digestible.
The unionized Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ICI) construction sector in Ontario continues to see opportunity—but not without risks. In this episode of OCS Talks, Brian Barron is joined by BuildForce Canada’s Bill Ferreira and Bob Collins to explore their 2024–2034 forecast and its implications for contractors, unions, and the broader workforce.
The discussion dives deep into what’s driving growth—namely transit infrastructure, healthcare, and power generation—while also addressing looming concerns around inflation, trade tariffs with the U.S., material costs, labor supply, and project delays. Learn where future opportunities are emerging, how demographic shifts are straining the workforce, and what it will take to avoid a projected shortfall of 50,000 skilled workers in the coming decade.
This episode is a must-listen for contractors, project managers, union reps, and anyone tracking the pulse of Ontario’s construction landscape.
Chapters:
00:35 – Ontario’s construction market outlook
02:19 – Key drivers: transit, healthcare, and power
04:35 – The state of industrial and commercial sectors
08:30 – Risks on the horizon for ICI projects
10:12 – U.S. tariffs and their potential fallout
13:16 – Material costs and project contract concerns
15:51 – Transition opportunities amid economic shifts
20:34 – Skilled trades and labor supply
22:22 – Forecasting a 50,000-worker shortage
27:19 – Recruiting newcomers and reshaping industry perception
Key Quotes:
“Healthcare and transit systems will be key drivers going forward.” — Bob Collins
“We’re going to be around 50,000 workers short over the next 10 years.” — Bill Ferreira
“Our economies are just so integrated, we need cooler heads to prevail.” — Bill Ferreira
Resources & Links:
• Ontario Construction Secretariat
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