Starting point. Like many other industries, Canada’s construction industry is undergoing change. Stephen Callender, president of the newly formed Afro-Canadian Contractors Association (ACCA), said: “Workers are facing a shortage of people who are retiring in Canada, and expect that in a few years there will be dozens of jobs with no one to fill.” ). In addition to the labor shortage, Kallen pointed out, systemic racism and inequality permeated the industry, creating a shortage of black construction workers.
“We’re excited to have our team come together and find black contractors,” Callender said. “There were no organizations in Canada to identify black contractors.” ACCA was established to help black contractors identify and compete for jobs, as well as to find new people interested in the construction field.
While the ACCA Board officially established the association in September 2020, they chose to officially launch the organization in February 2021 to coincide with Black History Month.
Early work. Currently, the group is focused on education and service. “Our main goal is to teach contractors how to get into the system,” Callender said. “There are some barriers to entry into the system, especially for small contractors, so we have a lot of webinars to show contractors how to compete.”
Each month, ACCA hosts an educational webinar, and other events that allow partners and sponsors to “showcase member tools and training.”
Next steps. Due to Covid-19, the group’s meetings are virtual, so ACCA focuses on developing relationships and networking for members. “Our main goal is education and meet and greet, so we can improve our network,” Callender said.
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