Construction Association of Nova Scotia

This morning I was happy to attend the Construction Association of Nova Scotia for their 164th AGM, with a lot of the conversation connecting directly back to the Annapolis Valley.

Construction is about much more than what is being built today. It is about having the businesses, skilled workforce and training in place for what Nova Scotia will need next.

A big part of this morning’s discussion was the opportunity around military and defence infrastructure. As Canada invests in defence, that means construction and infrastructure projects, and opportunities for Nova Scotia contractors, suppliers and skilled tradespeople to be part of that work. It was valuable to hear directly from the sectors about what that could look like and how companies can position themselves to participate.

Just as important is making sure we are building the workforce to meet that demand. Programs like Building Futures for Youth give Grade 10 and 11 students an opportunity to explore construction careers through paid summer employment, earn co-op credits, receive industry safety training and begin accumulating apprenticeship hours.

It all connects: attracting investment, making sure local businesses can compete for the work, training the people we will need, and showing young Nova Scotians that there are good careers available to them here at home.

Thank you to CANS for bringing industry, training and future opportunities together in one conversation.