Introduction

The JobStart/Future Skills Sector Partnerships Program of Saskatchewan Learning enabled a sector study of the heavy equipment industry in Saskatchewan. This industry profile is based on that study, published in 2000.

The heavy equipment industry established a partnership of industry members and key stakeholders through funding and support from the Sector Partnerships Program. These partners worked together to carry out a study that identified current and future hiring needs and training requirements.

Strategic planning enables industry and training providers to work together to provide training opportunities that match the skills the industry requires.

For more information about the Sector Partnership Report and this industry visit the Executive Summary. You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file.

Saskatchewan Overview

Heavy equipment is a term that covers a broad range of equipment: large (bulldozers, scrapers, loaders), medium (drillers, backhoes, excavators) and small (skid steer, forklifts).
Heavy equipment operators operate heavy equipment used to:

• construct and maintain roads, bridges, airports, gas and oil pipelines, tunnels, buildings and other structures
• conduct surface mining and quarrying activities
• landscape
• handle material
• clear land

• In the past decade or so, the heavy equipment industry in Saskatchewan has undergone major changes. Shifts in population, fluctuating workloads, a shrinking labour pool, emerging technology and competition from other provinces for skilled labour have created a shifting landscape for the industry.
  
• There is a lack of skilled heavy equipment operators and mechanics in Saskatchewan. This is a particular problem in rural municipalities.
  
• Resource (e.g. forestry and mining) and infrastructure (e.g. highway) developments are increasing the demand within the various industries that employ heavy equipment operators and mechanics.
  
• The nature of work for heavy equipment operators is highly seasonal, with unstructured, often long, hours of work. The vast majority of income is earned between April and October. Travel away from home for extended periods is common.
  
• In Saskatchewan, less than 40% of all heavy equipment operators were employed on a full-time basis in 1995.
  
• In 1995, over 65% of heavy equipment mechanics held full-time positions.

Kinds of employers

• Heavy equipment operators are employed by construction companies, heavy equipment contractors, public works departments, road builders, heavy construction (sewer and water), pipeline, logging, mining, cargo handling and other companies.

Who works in the industry?

• The vast majority of all heavy equipment mechanics in Saskatchewan are male. Women made up only 1% of heavy equipment mechanics in 1996.
  
• Women represented less than 1% of heavy equipment operators in 1996.
  
• A 2000 survey found that almost half of employers in this industry employ between one and five people of Aboriginal ancestry. Approximately 10% employ Aboriginal senior managers and 12% of the companies involved some degree of Aboriginal ownership.
  
• Only 25% of the employers employ workers who are visible minorities.
  
• It appeared from the survey that as little as 14% of employers employ workers with disabilities.
  
• Over half of heavy equipment operators were in the 25 to 44 age group in 1996. Workers under the age of 24 made up only 14% of heavy equipment operators. Twenty-seven percent of workers in this occupation are older than 45 years of age.
  

Saskatchewan Trends

• Opportunities for experienced heavy equipment operators have been fairly numerous in Saskatchewan as a whole and the Saskatoon area in particular. These positions have been largely related to road building and earth moving.
  
• Over the next several years, job prospects for qualified heavy equipment operators will increase. This is due to:
  
  • the increase in road construction projects in northern Saskatchewan and a provincial highway revitalization program.
  • forestry becoming an important economic activity within the province. Pulp and sawmill expansion, increasing pulp and paper production, added-value processing mills and the harvesting of burned timber all contribute to this growth.
  • community infrastructure development and improvement in many First Nations communities, leading to increasing demand in the area of sewer and water work.
    
• The commercial and industrial construction area saw an increase of investment and a corresponding increase in the number of workers from 1996 to 1998.
  
• Safety is becoming an increasingly important part of the work life of operators and mechanics.
  

Related Jobs

Typical jobs within the heavy equipment operator occupation (NOC number 742) are:

You’ll find an occupational description for heavy equipment operator in Saskatchewan Job Futures with more information about the occupation, including education and training requirements, work duties, wage information and employment trends.

You can also consult the National Occupational Classification description for more information.

Typical jobs within the heavy equipment mechanic occupation (NOC number 7312) are:

You’ll find an occupational description for heavy equipment mechanic in Saskatchewan Job Futures with more information about the occupation, including education and training requirements, work duties, wage information and employment trends.

You can also consult the National Occupational Classification description for more information.

Where the Jobs Are

Work requiring heavy equipment takes place throughout the province in centres and regions as diverse as Estevan, Moose Jaw, Regina, Swift Current, Yorkton, Weyburn, La Ronge, Melfort, Saskatoon, North Battleford and Prince Albert.

In 1996, employment for heavy equipment mechanics was distributed throughout the province. Regina and Saskatoon accounted for only 27% of Saskatchewan employment in this field.

Earnings

Heavy equipment operators are generally well paid in Saskatchewan. Income levels vary across the province. Higher earnings occur in the south of the province, reflecting the year-round nature of employment in the oil patch.

In 1995, the average full-time income for this group was $31,700 per year. Many heavy equipment operators earn considerably more than the average income. Full-time operators earned as much as $59,900 in 1995.

Heavy equipment mechanics’ average full-time income in 1995 was $34,700 per year. Full-time mechanics in this field earned as much as $65,000 in 1995. Those working in Regina and Saskatoon typically earn more than their counterparts in other areas.

Skills and Training

• Training for heavy equipment operators is generally in the form of on-the-job training provided by the employer.
  
  
• Heavy equipment mechanic is a designated trade with an apprenticeship training program.
  
• Want to find out what kind of heavy equipment education and training programs are offered in Saskatchewan? Check into What to Study? to find out what’s available and where.
  
• Skills and knowledge that workers in the industry need include:

Employers look for workers who are physically fit and able to adapt to rugged working conditions. Mechanical dexterity and comfort with computerized equipment is necessary. Operators must be able to tolerate high noise levels. An aptitude for mechanical repairs and maintenance is helpful. Employers look for people who can work without supervision and good communication skills are important.

The Future

• Predictions for the Saskatchewan heavy equipment industry indicate continued growth over the next decade and into the future.
  
• Projections to the year 2005 estimate that employment growth will be about average. Sixty percent of opportunities will be replacement jobs as current workers reach retirement age.
  
• There will be significant numbers of workers retiring from the heavy equipment operator occupation after 2007.
  
• There is growing optimism within some industries that employ heavy equipment operators about demand for trained equipment operators and mechanics.
  
• Continued activity in forestry, mining and tourism, coupled with highway revitalization in northern Saskatchewan and the province as a whole, will contribute to growing job prospects.

Related Information

Visit the following Web sites for more information on the heavy equipment industry:

Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Construction Association
Heavy Construction Safety Association of Saskatchewan

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