Recommendation: Form the Canadian Masonry Human Resources Council (CMHRC)
It is proposed that a new group be created to implement the findings and recommendations reported here. The CMHRC will include representatives from labour (both organized and independent), contractors, manufacturers, distributors, designers and trainers. The key operating decisions for this group will be determined in the first meetings. Membership of the CMHRC will be determined in cooperation with industry, labour, Human Resources Development Canada, the CCQ and the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship. In the long run the CMHRC will need to find industry based funding for its work. The CMHRC will set goals and establish activities in eight areas.

Recommendation: Recapture Masonry Market Share
The first priority is a general initiative targeting a gain in market share with particular emphasis on the repair, restoration and renovation segments. This effort will include designers (architects, engineers, interior designers) who now receive too little training in masonry products.

Recommendation: Strengthen Management Skills (Business Acumen) of Contractors
Masonry contractors must find new skills and systems that will raise the quality and the image of their products. In particular, bidding, accounting, marketing and planning systems must improve and new standards are needed to prevent inexperienced entrants from undercutting realistic bids and weakening efforts by others to rebuild the industry's image.

Recommendation: Improve Health and Safety Practices within the Industry
Improving health and safety training is a priority for the new CMHRC. Particular focus is needed on new entrants — especially those entering outside of apprenticeship — as well as independent operators or Mason Tenders.

Recommendation: Improve and Expand Apprenticeship Training
Apprenticeship is the best system for certifying workers and improvements are essential. Many new apprentices will need to be recruited in the next decade. The Red Seal program must be expanded as too few masonry workers are now qualified. Enhancing national training standards is needed because of the widely varying apprenticeship programs among provinces. One potential solution here is a core curriculum for the masonry trades. The CMHRC will promote national initiatives and work with government to improve training standards.

Recommendation: Maintain Size of Workforce by Balancing Entry and Exit to and from the Trade, to Meet Projected Market Demands
More intense efforts are required to monitor the trades and attract new entrants. Both long-term trends and short-term cycles must be balanced in the plans for intakes. A target of increasing the number of certified masonry workers must guide the planning. Immigration should be viewed as an important tool for managing the labour market and encouraged by the CMHRC. Likewise, recruiting from non-traditional groups such as women and Aboriginal people should be included.

Recommendation: Improve Relations (Communication) with CCDA and PAC/TACs
The CMHRC must improve the industry's relationship with the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) and provincial PAC/TACs. In particular, the CMHRC should accumulate and maintain a complete inventory of masonry training opportunities in Canada to provide an accurate and comprehensive reference source for improving training in the trade.

Recommendation: Improve Work and Career Opportunities Available to the Workforce
Upgraded training will add depth and breadth to a worker's career. In particular, masonry journeymen are traditional candidates for promotion to supervisor and management positions. Demographics and changing technology are threatening these opportunities. Also, the CMHRC recognizes that there are special needs to upgrade the workforce in refractory, renovation and restoration work.

Recommendation: Improve Labour Market Planning
The need for trained masonry workers will fluctuate between dramatic peaks and troughs. Planning to sustain the quality and quantity of the workforce will be a major challenge. Continuous monitoring and regular projections are essential. Even the best planning will often fail to anticipate events. Flexibility in management plans and mobility among the workers are key features of an effective human resource planning strategy. It is further proposed that masonry contractors, working with general contractors, could find means to extend seasonal working periods. This would increase the effective utilization of the workforce.