Current Priority Issues

SASKATCHEWAN HOME BUILDERS' ASSOCIATION

MANDATORY WARRANTY, LICENSING, TRAINING AND HOME REGISTRATION

SHBA POSITION STATEMENT:

  • All consumers who purchase a new home in the Province of Saskatchewan should receive independent warranty protection at a level set out by legislation of the Province.
  • Individuals and Companies that build new homes should register the home with a Commission so consumers can be protected and all those building homes can be informed of the details of the legislation.
  • Builders should be required to be licensed by the Commission and to obtain the license they must be a member of a third party warranty program approved by the Commission.
  • Builders would be required to take courses as set out by the Commission and to take upgrading course as required such as code courses when the code changes.


CURRENT STATUS:

  • The Housing Department and Justice Department have worked with SHBA to develop an outline document that can be used with focus groups.
  • The Housing Department has hired a facilitator to hold focus groups with builders and telephone surveys with consumers over the summer.
  • SHBA will present an overview of the issue at the focus groups but will not be present during the focus group discussions.
  • The focus groups will likely take place in Regina , Saskatoon , Meadow Lake and Humboldt although these locations have not been finalized.
  • The report on these sessions will be used as one of the pieces of information the Government will use to decide if they will proceed with legislation.
  • SHBA will carry out builder meetings in the fall and take a confidential builder vote of continued support based on the latest structure and cost. SHBA will only push ahead if support remains strong to do so by the builder members.

HUMAN RESOURCE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
SHBA ISSUE OUTLINE:

  • The fundamental challenge facing the residential construction industry in Saskatchewan is current and future capacity.
  • The current construction occupational descriptions do not break down the residential components of each occupation.
  • The existing apprenticeship program and provincial training programs for construction trades and workers are very comprehensive, with significant portions devoted to non-residential construction.
  • Based on the results of a survey of the residential construction industry in Saskatchewan last year, the major issues identified were:
    • shortage of skilled workers (particularly in the carpentry trades).
    • low wages
    • young people not entering the trades
    • poor image of the industry
    • underground economy

SHBA STRATEGY

  • In order to address these issues, a training strategy was developed to encourage individuals to pursue a career in residential construction and to promote a professional image of the industry. The strategy was for industry, in partnership with the Apprenticeship and Trade Certification Commission, to develop residential occupations, which would lead to training and certification within the provincial apprenticeship system. The goal is to ensure that all people entering the residential construction industry have the opportunity to work towards a designation within the provincial apprenticeship system.
  • As the first step towards achieving this goal, the following objectives were identified:
    • Develop a list of all the different job functions within the residential construction industry in Saskatchewan
    • Group job functions into residential occupations
    • Develop a validated description of each occupation in terms of the following:
      • Primary Tasks
      • Working Conditions
      • Abilities, Skills & Knowledge
      • Education & Training Requirements
      • Employment & Advancement
      • Salary
    • Review the existing Occupational Analyses to determine which ones can be used to develop training programs for residential occupations, and whether or not additional analyses need to be produced.

CURRENT STATUS/LATEST STUDY:

  • A list of job activities (both in the office and in the field) was compiled by interviewing construction managers and other individuals involved in, and knowledgeable about, the residential construction industry in Saskatchewan . With their assistance, the job activities were then grouped into residential construction occupations.
  • A Development Group and a Validation Group were compiled to help develop occupational profiles for each identified occupation. The groups consisted of people that have worked in residential construction for several years on a daily basis, and ranged from individuals working in large organizations to those working in small, owner-operated companies. The responses from the Development Group were used to develop draft Occupational Profiles.
  • The draft Occupational Profiles were sent to the Validation Group, which was asked to verify the information in the Occupational Profiles.
  • Because the Occupational Analyses do not distinguish between tasks for non-residential and residential construction, each Occupational Analysis was reviewed and analyzed. Tasks that were identified as being applicable to residential construction were identified and separated from the document.

FUTURE ACTIVITY/NEEDS:

  • Priority needs to be given to occupations where there are shortages of skilled workers.
  • Areas in which there are industry problems should also be considered a priority.
  • Areas in which there is currently an interest in developing training should also be considered a priority.
  • Occupational Analyses need to be developed for occupations that are not included in the current series. Also, existing Occupational Analyses need to be expanded and/or modified to reflect residential construction.
  • Each residential occupation needs to be assessed to determine whether or not it should become a trade, a sub trade or proficiency.
  • A working relationship needs to be established with the relevant trade boards.
  • A certification process for those occupations that do not have trade boards and are not included in the Apprenticeship program needs to be developed.
  • It is imperative that the SHBA develop a communication strategy to inform the industry of our training strategy and how it will affect them.
  • The SHBA must make the training strategy a priority and continue its commitment to the goal of the residential construction industry.
  • Partnerships with other organizations must be formed, and additional funding must be obtained to initiate Phase 3

REFORMS OF BUILDING REGULATIONS

SHBA POSITION STATEMENT:

SHBA supports changes to Building Regulations and Liability reform where it brings about better consumer protection and a healthier building industry.

CURRENT STATUS :

SHBA is surveying all Associations in Canada to establish support for changes which will lead to a national strategy.


ISSUES :

Joint and several liabilities are currently in place versus proportionate liability.
Time caps on liabilities - currently unlimited in Saskatchewan .
Warranty coverage - should it become mandatory?
Warranty coverage - should it be expanded to renovations?
Building permit and inspection process - should it allow private delivery?
Owner-builders - should restrictions apply?


SHBA POSITION ON ISSUES :

Member meetings were held in Regina and Saskatoon in May and June 2001.
Members support the concept of proportionate liability.
Members support capping of time limit for liability claims. A 10-year time cap.
Mandatory warranties are supported. Members support a competitive market for warranty and insurance providers.
Mandatory major renovation warranty is supported.
Private delivery of permit and inspection services is supported because the Province of Saskatchewan allows this now.
Owner-builders are required by law now to meet the building code.
Members support the need for consumers to be protected when they buy a home from an owner-builder, similar to the mandatory warranty coverage.