Future of Work 2025 was hosted at Pitt Meadows Plumbing’s Shop XL in Maple Ridge, B.C. (Photo courtesy of Pitt Meadows and Houle Electric)
This year’s Future of Work construction conference, hosted at Pitt Meadows Plumbing’s Shop XL in Maple Ridge, B.C., in partnership with Houle Electric, brought more than 800 construction leaders, trades and innovators together for two days of conversation, learning and connection, all focused on how the industry must evolve to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.
Held during BC Construction Month, the April event included a Thursday evening industry mixer to facilitate networking among project owners, general contractors, trades and innovators, followed by a full conference day on Friday packed with panels, keynote presentations and sponsor activations.
Throughout the event, the message that real collaboration stems from culture, trust and early engagement resonated. As the sector faces unprecedented challenges, from skilled labour shortages and shifting delivery models to the pressures of technology and productivity, organizers say the Future of Work offered an honest, practical and forward-looking platform that centered on real builders and real solutions.
“We didn’t build this event to mirror other conferences,” said Matt Bewsey of Houle. “We built it because construction deserves a conversation that is grounded in experience, elevated by innovation, and led by the people doing the work.”
“Pitt Meadows Plumbing is doing quite a bit of thought leadership on the future of work and what it looks like for our trade contractors. Being here to support them and network with our members is important to us,” added Jeannine Martin, president of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association.
Speakers included Aaron Akehurst, Hammad Chaudhry and Javier Glatt. (Photo courtesy of Pitt Meadows and Houle Electric)
To help foster discussions about empowering people and aligning teams, five expert-led panels and two keynote presentations tackled such critical themes as collaborative project delivery models, technology integration, workforce development, and leadership, innovation and collaboration.
Perhaps one of the most powerful moments of the event came during the final session, as attendees were challenged to think beyond their own careers and companies. Procore’s Irish Horsey urged the industry to take collective responsibility for its future, encouraging every construction professional to mentor others, volunteer their time, and to help open doors for the next generation entering the trades.
“The Future of Work is such an incredible event…for us to be able to partner with them during construction and Skilled Trades Month is an absolute honour for us,” said Chris Atchison, president of the B.C. Construction Association. “It is bringing the right messages to the future workforce. It’s bringing the right messages to government. It’s shedding the right kind of light on our industry, that we’re an industry to be considered and an industry to be factored in. And it’s the message around, ‘Let’s not just accept the status quo. Let’s imagine something…that’s bigger and better for our industry.’”