Elevator Mechanics have became Canada’s hottest job in Toronto
With Toronto's construction boom showing now signs of slowing, there has been a tremendous growth in the need for elevator technicians.
Last year Meagan Campbell reported that Elevator mechanics shot up the Canadian Business ranking of Canada’s Best Jobs in 2017, rising to No. 10 from No. 74 in 2016. That’s partly because wage growth started growing again after several lacklustre years. But the bigger factor is the overall growth in the number of jobs: over the last five years, the number of elevator mechanic jobs have grown 94% in Canada, one of the fastest growth rates observed. Boom times for the field can spell opportunity—but it has also put tremendous strain on employees.
Elevator mechanics inspect and repair the electronic, mechanical and safety components of the elevators we use every day.
This year Provincial Politicians have authored new legislation. Ontario introduced the Maintenance Control Program for Elevating Devices in 2014, telling mechanics exactly which tasks to perform each month, down to vacuuming the pit. Toronto Member of Parliament Han Dong has also introduced the Reliable Elevators Act, which mandates maintenance timelines and data collection on elevator traffic. The action comes after the Canadian Press reported that firefighters in Ontario received more than a dozen calls per day for elevator entrapments in 2015, almost double the number of incidents in 2001.
Shane Dingman of The Globe and Mail published an article last week about a condominium building that for the past 10 months had "been torturing its residents". The pun filled article brings to light the ongoing struggle of living in the vertical landscape. Entitled 'Elevators a let-down for Toronto condo dwellers', Dingman goes on to a TSSA report published in December, 2017, which concluded there simply aren’t enough technicians for the ever-growing forest of tall buildings: “The number of Class A elevating device mechanics has not kept pace with growth in the number of elevating devices and elevating device trainees.".
An elevator mechanic can expect a median salary of $86,500. However, apprentices may see a significantly lower paycheque until they receive certification, and veteran mechanics may see higher pay. Overall, though, the industry sees strong wage growth of 16.44% over the past years.
Mr. Dong hopes the enhanced regulations will someday forestall elevator problems that last for months on end. “We spend billions of dollars to build public transit infrastructure, but when it comes to elevator part of the commuting home there had never been legislation brought forward to regulate elevator availability in our buildings,” he says.
Whatever the decision moving forward by the province, one thing for sure is that people love living in cities, and there will always be a need for elevator mechanics.
For Further Reading check out the full articles linked below:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/real-estate/article-elevators-a-let-down-for-toronto-condo-dwellers/
https://www.macleans.ca/work/jobs/elevator-mechanic-canadas-hottest-job-2017/
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/lists-and-rankings/best-jobs/elevator-mechanic/