Key takeaways: 

• ‘A lot of thinking has to go into what you’re doing; you’ve always got to think outside the box.’
• Justin Clark, the owner of the Steamatic franchise in P.E.I., has eight full-time workers.

When your basement gets flooded, they’re the individuals you call, but they can do much more than that. And there are not sufficient of them.

Restoration repairpersons specialize in restoring buildings that have been damaged by water, fire, and other types of catastrophes.

While some repair services firms in P.E.I. say there’s always work out for their technicians, the sector is having a problem finding recruits.

Justin Clark, the owner of the Steamatic franchise in P.E.I., has eight full-time workers.

“We have ads out. We’re getting a few, but no one that’s a total fit.”

“We’re employing, and we’re training. And … we’re getting some promising candidates in the door now that we’re expecting to remain with us for years to come.”

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There are only a handful of repair services firms in P.E.I. Clark said most of them are also having the same problems.

A significant area of the issue, he said, is that there is “just so much work” in the building sector right now. 

Most workers and tradespeople aren’t looking for gigs, even during the off-season.

But what makes a suitable candidate isn’t always the skills they already have. While a background in construction and carpentry is a plus, Clark stated most of the training to be a repair technician happens at work.

“Usually, workers will come in … work underneath a repair technician and then follow along with the restoration technician for a year or more,” he stated. 

“It’s like a tiered system where … you don’t have to have many skills. You have to have the appropriate mindset and work ethic.”

Source – cbc.ca