Hello, Region Ten members. PPP is the acronym of the year. In the U.S., it has meant Paycheck Protection Program. For us in Canada, it has meant patience, persistence and perseverance. The rental industry in Canada is one of a divided nature. There is the equipment rental sector that is reporting record years, and there are those in the event rental sector who are seeing record losses with many closing their doors after a long battle to survive the pandemic. If we remember back to 2008 when the world seemingly fell apart, the tables were turned — no one was building, yet everyone still wanted to host that party or lavish wedding. Just like we did then, we need to keep reminding ourselves now: PPP.
While Canada is taking a different approach to reopening, many of us wish they would just open up already so we can get back to our lives as we knew it. With vaccines rolling out in droves these days, we are hopeful that we are on the right track and can enjoy the summer and be back to traveling by the fall.
As we see the economy coming back to life, many of us are in a position where we are struggling to find staff to fill the void in the workforce. The American Rental Association (ARA) has created a job board with this specifically in mind — and yes, there already are dozens of Canadian postings. It is part of ARA’s Workforce Development Initiative, including everything from rental career listings and the job board to position descriptions and videos hyping our industry. You can learn all about it at careers.ararentalworks.com. The first five job postings on the ARA Job Board are free to members who use the promo code ARA-5Free. This is a great way to advertise your open positions to job seekers. Pair this with the Human Resources Assistance Program, where you get two free 30-minute phone calls per year with an HR professional and much more, and you will be steps ahead in your recruitment efforts.
Did you know that ARA offers a Professional Driver Education Program that is geared to the equipment rental sector as well as a Box Truck Training program that is geared toward drivers in the event rental sector? These are both very affordable and get your drivers training that is very specific and relatable to our industry. Learn more about both here.
I am looking forward to connecting with members across Canada with our next ARA Region Ten online meeting and better yet, with fingers crossed, we can connect in Las Vegas at The ARA Show™ in October.
Angie Venekamp, ARA Region Ten director
Rental Network
Squamish, British Columbia
604-892-8200
angie@rentalnetwork.ca