German workers Thomas Mueller, left, and Dominik Lehmann check plans with Pye Construction Ltd. boss Wayne Pye

European workers flock to 'Canadian miracle'

Better paycheques
and steady work
attract immigrants

By Carla Wilson
Times Colonist staff

German Thomas Mueller is one more than 50 immigrant tradesmen recently lured to work on B.C. construction projects. Another 100 will soon follow.

“In Germany, there is not much work at the moment,” Mueller, 32, said, adding that pay rates are higher in B.C.

Regina Brodersen, human resources director for the B.C. Construction Association, is building international networks to fill vacancies in this province’s booming building industry.

Half the workers lured to B.C. are in Victoria, with the remainder in Vancouver, she said yesterday. February job fairs in Berlin and Essen staged by German and Canadian organizations attracted 2,700 workers, and are expected to fill 100 B.C. construction job openings.

European media paid a huge amount of attention to the events, referring to the “Canadian miracle” that is our economy, she said.

Many of those interested in coming to Canada already have jobs. But pay is lower and competition stiff from Eastern European workers who will work for less money, she said.

“Their wages are not that great,” said Brodersen, who moved here from Germany last year. “If they had the feeling that things would be getting better then they would probably stick it out.” Wages here start at $25 an hour.

Brodersen also found workers from Finland through an international job website. She’s considering trying to recruit Eastern European workers and also staging a job fair in Mexico, where many skilled tradespersons have had experience in the U.S.

Workers typically arrive here on a temporary work permit and may apply under the provincial nominee program, which offers accelerated immigration for qualified skilled workers. Others may come in under a special program targeting youth.

Mueller, 32, and fellow German Dominik Lehmann, 30, are carpenters for Pye Construction Ltd. at the Parkside Victoria Resort and Spa project on Humboldt Street.

They hope to make Canada their permanent home.

Lehmann said that wage rates are a factor. He came here, “just for a personal challenge, to learn the language, and to have new experiences, and because I’m young.”

Why B.C.? “It’s the nicest place,” said Mueller, who along with Lehmann, loves the outdoors. Mueller enjoys skiing, and Lehmann was in Tofino two weeks ago.

A trio of Finns in their mid-20s, working at Parkside, are construction engineers travelling the world to work. Jari Uggelberg said this is a “working holiday” and they may go to Australia next.

Wayne Pye said the Germans and Finns are all working as carpenters. Along with another German who moved to Canada earlier and is part of the crew, Pye said, “They have a very good positive attitude. They are here to work, they are here to learn.”

He’s hoping last month’s job fair will bring him five more workers. “It’s a good program for the industry.”

The Germans started at $25.24 an hour but their high quality of work moved them to the top rate of $28.04, Pye said. “They are not here as cheap labour.”

Another fledgling initiative, the Immigrant Skilled Trades Employment Program, is focused on encouraging landed immigrants to work in B.C.’s construction industry. That program is funded by the federal government and industry.

Since it began in November, 125 workers have been placed, and of those about 30 are on Vancouver Island, Paul Mitchell, project manager, said yesterday.

While they work in construction, they are not necessarily all in trades, he said. Job coaches around the province assess workers’ employment potential, help line up jobs, and then provide continuing support for both the employer and worker.