A shortage of staff at farm equipment dealerships across Western Canada and North America has many companies hanging “help wanted” signs in their windows.
Kelly Mathison, president of the Canada West Equipment Dealers Association, said overall there is a shortage of technical tradespeople, especially farm machinery mechanics.
“I think dealers across Western Canada are continuously struggling to attract them. If you run an ad for a heavy duty mechanic, you will not get a reply,” he said. “But there are some great opportunities for young people out there.”
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Years ago, dealerships were able to recruit kids coming off the farm who liked to tinker. But now, young people are being offered a wider variety of lucrative career paths. Also, the school system tends to ignore the trades, instead concentrating on churning out university graduates, he said.
“We decided about six years to do all of our recruiting out of high school and college and put people through two to four year programs. We’re growing our own.”
Mathison, who is a partner at a John Deere dealership in Brandon, said he recruited one of his current employees in high school, put him through two years of John Deere ag tech, then paid him a salary through all four years of his apprenticeship.
“He’s had a job since he stepped out of high school, and he’s got zero student loans to pay off. He’s going to make $45,000 this year,” he said.
“Meanwhile, there’s lots of people coming out of university with $60,000 in student loans.”
While dealerships are looking for office workers, accounting personnel, department managers, salespeople and general management, the shortage is particularly acute for tradespeople.
Jan Katerynych, human resources manager for Kramer Ltd., a Caterpillar dealer in Regina, with 330 employees, said qualified heavy equipment technicians are in high demand. Fully qualified A-rate heavy-duty journeyman mechanics make $27 an hour, she said.
“We’re always looking for more mechanics. But when we run an ad, we get responses from people who want to enter into the apprenticeship program. Which is fine. We do take a certain number of apprentices each year, but we need to have enough fully qualified journeypersons,” she said.
A recent survey conducted by the North American Equipment Dealers Association, or NAEDA, showed strong demand for employees both in the United States and Canada. More than 36 percent of dealers, with sales from $3 million and up, reported that they are looking to increase staff. Less than six percent in the same category were looking to lay off workers.
“We encourage young people to visit local dealerships and learn about the jobs available,” said Paul Kindinger, NAEDA president. “There is strong demand for employees in all categories, and the demand is especially high for skilled technicians who can master the latest computer-based communications, diagnostic and GPS technologies.”
Caterpillar is launching a major ad campaign in print and on the internet to encourage young people to consider a career with the company.
Roger Look, a training consultant for Caterpillar in Peoria, Illinois, said the staff shortage is particularly acute in Western Canada.
“With the tar sands, the diamond mines, all the stuff that’s going on in that whole area, there is a distinct shortage, probably more so than other places,” he said. “We have 57 dealers across North America and they are all facing shortages.”
Look said the recruiting campaign is aimed at established tradespeople who might be interested in joining the Caterpillar team, as well as young people choosing a career.
