Brexit and Canada: Opportunities for construction and engineering workers

With the UK still fumbling on economic policy and dealing with a messy Brexit, there’s lots of reason to explore moving to Canada. An increasing number of construction and engineering workers in the UK are weighing up their options for working abroad. Canada is chief among the destinations where construction workers can not only continue their careers, but also watch them grow.

If you’re searching for an exit from Brexit, here are just a few of the benefits of choosing Canada.

  • A shortage of construction workers and engineers ✔
  • Increased activity in infrastructure and industrial projects ✔
  • Opportunities in Vancouver, Toronto and other locations across Canada ✔
  • Speedy immigration process, valuing your experience and language skills ✔
  • The opportunity to obtain permanent status in Canada, even citizenship ✔
  • Your family can join you, and won’t need to fork out for expensive private school for your kids ✔

If that all sounds too good to be true, let’s have a closer look at the market. Over-heating real estate markets in Vancouver and Toronto are likely to cool in 2023, but increased activity in infrastructure and industrial projects will drive recruitment needs as real estate cools off slightly.

That’s where Outpost Recruitment comes in. Since 2012, we have been helping British and Irish construction workers find roles in Canada, and our range of clients has grown. While the reality of Brexit may mean looking abroad when a couple of years ago this may not have been the case, focusing on a positive solution for you and your family, if applicable, will help you make the most of what may seem like a bad situation — a situation that is also an opportunity.

Outpost works with general contractors, subcontractors, developers and consultants who are hiring professionals across senior management, project management, operations, design, quality and commercial.

In Buildings & Infrastructure Contracting, we help our clients identify key Project Management, Design, Site & Commercial Management professionals.

In Engineering Consulting, we specialize in Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical design and Project Management.

As for Cost & Project Management Consulting, our clients come back to us time and time again looking for workers in Cost Management, Project Monitoring, Infrastructure advisory, and client-side Project Management.

Here are some of our current in-demand roles:

  • Rail infrastructure – with record levels of rail construction across urban areas, there’s a constant need for civil / structural / MEP candidates with exposure to bulk earthworks, tunnels, elevated guideway, LRT systems, etc
  • LNG infrastructure – Seeking candidates with experience in heavy civil, ports and marine and early works phase of major infrastructure projects.
  • Marine infrastructure
  • Water infrastructure
  • Geotechnical / Ground engineering / Foundations
  • Hospital infrastructure – Project Managers, Design Managers, Superintendents and commercial professionals
  • Tenant Improvement / “Fit Out”
  • Tunneling & Rail Infrastructure – Project Managers, Design Managers, Superintendents and commercial professionals
  • Pipeline construction

You can visit our Jobs Board for details of each role.

Brexit doesn’t have to be a bad news story for your career. Please get in touch if you want to excel your career in 2019 and beyond.

How to Move to Canada from the UK

Young British professionals with a desire to work and travel can move to Canada from the UK on a two-year International Experience Canada (IEC) work permit up until they are 30 years old (this age varies between 30 and 35 for the other participating countries). “The IEC UK program has been heavily oversubscribed in recent years, so we expect well over 15,000 applicants for the 5,000 spaces available to UK citizens.”

For those over 30 years old, gaining permanent residency is the most viable route to working in Canada, as employer sponsorship is often difficult to attain. “Employer sponsorship tends to be available only to Senior Project Managers, Design Managers and Estimators with tier-one contracting experience or construction professionals with niche rail experience,” states Spillane.

Outpost Recruitment works with Canadian employers across civil, infrastructure and ICI buildings. Clients include global infrastructure contractors, leading Canadian contractors and consultancies, developers and subcontractors serving the Canadian market.

Outpost offers a range of knowledge articles to help international candidates prepare to be successful in the Canadian labour market. With more than five years of experience, Outpost can coach newcomers through the entire relocation process.

Despite the labour shortage, Canadian companies can be conservative when it comes to hiring international talent. Outpost provide our candidates with crucial coaching to help them assimilate to the local construction market. “International candidates often underestimate how challenging it can be to find work in a new country,” Spillane added.

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