There are a lot of good problems in the shipbuilding and repair industry these days.

About 2,000 new jobs are expected to be created by 2020 in B.C., including 500 in Esquimalt at .

A further 850 retirements over the next seven years are expected to clear the path for a new generation of career shipbuilders, journeymen and labourers in the wake of SeaspanB次元官网网址檚 $8-billion construction and repair contract with the federal government.

Which begs the question: can the demand be met?

Alex Rueben and his colleagues have been working more than five years to answer that question.

B次元官网网址淥il and gas, mining, forestry and construction in particular, those were really the predominant focus of the training institutions,B次元官网网址� he said, tapping his ring on a coffee shop table to punctuate each industry.

B次元官网网址淲e thought, rather than building a new school that would compete with those, why not build a centre that would facilitate the training for our industry?B次元官网网址�

In just a few weeks, executive director Rueben will officially open the , a modest facility located on Songhees land near the Esquimalt Graving Dock.

The two classrooms and computer lab will house about 50 students at any given time.

TheyB次元官网网址檒l eventually offer a customized curriculum, ranging from marine estimation and planning to the cross-training of qualified journeymen from other industries.

In fall 2013, the University of British Columbia will also begin offering an undergraduate degree in naval architecture and marine engineering, in part due to work done by the B.C. shipbuilding and repair workforce table, which Rueben chairs.

B次元官网网址淲e have the advantage of being organized earlier than other (trades industries),B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲e need to stay ahead of them, because theyB次元官网网址檙e after the same folks we are. Once you develop a welder or an electrician or a metal fabricator or a pipefitter, they can go anywhere they want.B次元官网网址�

The demand and competition for skilled workers is a challenge facing industries across the province, said Abigail Fulton, vice-president of the B.C. Construction Association.

She estimates her industry will see a shortage of between 20,000 and 40,000 skilled workers over the next five years, mostly due to demand in northern B.C.

B次元官网网址淚f every kid in high school decides to go into apprenticeship and trades training, weB次元官网网址檙e still going to need 20,000 more,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got to find them from somewhere.B次元官网网址�

Fulton manages the foreign skilled workers B.C. program, which actively recruits international talent when employers have difficulty filling positions with domestic candidates.

B次元官网网址淭hese are individuals who are qualified carpenters, electricians. TheyB次元官网网址檙e not labourers,B次元官网网址� she said.

In September, Fulton attended a construction job fair in Dublin, Ireland, where 10,000 people showed up.

She said the Irish training standards are similar to those in Canada, making the skills easily transferable.

Construction companies in the Capital Region havenB次元官网网址檛 had to turn to foreign workers yet, but the critical mass brought about by the shipbuilding sector may come sooner than expected.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of the trades that weB次元官网网址檙e looking for, like ironworkers, metal fabricators and so forth, a lot of those people are getting good jobs in the shipbuilding industry, which opens up vacancies in the construction industry,B次元官网网址� she said.

While the provincial government champions its jobs plan by pointing to such opportunities, foreign skilled workers are still required to fill some of the gaps B次元官网网址� for managerial positions in particular B次元官网网址� created by baby boomers retiring in record numbers.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檒l see a significant influx of higher skilled, executive level people who are coming in from abroad,B次元官网网址� Rueben said, admitting a stigma still exists around international recruitment.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a real push to upskill the people weB次元官网网址檝e got and to bring in new generations of younger folks and underrepresented demographics into the work force.B次元官网网址�

For now, Rueben is focused on nurturing an industry that for decades was thought to be dying.

HeB次元官网网址檚 partnered with Helmets to Hardhats, an initiative that connects military veterans with skilled positions in the construction industry, and soon, shipbuilding.

HeB次元官网网址檚 making inroads with First Nations groups to recruit new talent and will spend the next six months building industry-specific courses from scratch.

B次元官网网址淥ur industry used to be boom-bust,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淧eople are actually talking about careers again.B次元官网网址�

Trades in demand

Expected job openings for trades in B.C., 2013 to 2020:

B次元官网网址� Welder (A/B level) - 451

B次元官网网址� Marine Fitter - 293

B次元官网网址� Electrician - 276

B次元官网网址� Pipefitters and sprinkler installers - 223

dpalmer@vicnews.com