B.C. faces labour shortage

British Columbia (B.C.) is facing a severe labour shortage for potential LNG projects, Reuters reported. LNG projects in the province may be thousands of workers short due to an ageing labour force, competition from rivals and tight timelines, the news agency said.

Consequently, companies are reluctant to commit to final investment decisions (FID) due to fears that a shortfall in workforce could lead to expensive projects overruns. President of Shell Oil Company Marvin Odum said that FIDs would not be made until there was more clarity over workforce issues, despite the fact that companies were looking to finalise investment decisions sooner rather than later.

B.C. has introduced measures to combat workforce shortages. One such plan is to boost training by investing in training for engineering and construction careers. The province aims to train approximately 27 000 workers for LNG jobs. Another plan is the contentious foreign worker program, which is currently under government review and could be cut off.

Developments in B.C. have been likened to Australia, where an LNG boom was slowed down due to rows over materials and workers, which led to projects delays and cost blowouts.

The NEB in Canada approved four export applications in 2013. There are six remaining applications filed to the NEB.

The BC government released the below video, which insists that the province is engaging with labour:

Edited from various sources by Ted Monroe

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