Overview
Outlook
Data
Training
Description
Public works and maintenance labourers perform a variety of labouring activities to maintain sidewalks, streets, roads and similar areas. They are employed by public works departments in all levels of government or by private contractors under contract to governments.
Job Titles
- Garbage collector
- Garbage receptacle maintainer
- Garbage truck loader
- General labourer – public works
- Helper – garbage collection
- Highway line painter
- Labourer – sanitary service
- Labourer crew leader – public works
- Line-painting machine operator – highways and roads
- Maintenance labourer – public works
- Manual sewer pipe cleaner
- Manual sidewalk cleaner
- Manual street cleaner
- Municipal general labourer
- Municipal labourer
- Parking meter collector
- Public works labourer
- Road maintenance worker
- Road maintenance worker – public works
- Sanitation man/woman
- Sanitation worker
- Seasonal worker – public works
- Sewer system maintenance worker
- Sidewalk cleaner
- Sidewalk snowplow operator
- Sidewalk-cleaning equipment operator
Main Duties
- Clean and maintain sidewalks, streets, roads and public grounds of municipality and other areas, working as member of crew
- Sweep debris and remove snow from streets, sidewalks, building grounds and other areas, and load snow and debris into carts or trucks
- Shovel cement and other materials into cement mixers, spread concrete and asphalt on road surfaces using shovels, rakes and hand tampers, and perform other activities to assist in maintenance and repair of roads
- Spread sand or salt on sidewalks for snow and ice control
- Dig ditches and trenches using shovels and other hand tools
- Operate jackhammers and drills to break up pavement
- Load and unload trucks with supplies and equipment
- Collect money from coin boxes of parking meters along established route
- Collect and load refuse on garbage trucks
- Assist equipment operators to secure attachments to equipment or trucks
- Assist in routine maintenance and repair of equipment
- Assist skilled tradespersons such as carpenters, plumbers and mechanics
- May operate mobile sidewalk-cleaning equipment.
Workplaces
- Private contractors under contract to governments
- Public works departments in all levels of government
Skills
- Equipment and Tool Selection
- Management of Material Resources
- Operation and Control
- Operation Monitoring of Machinery and Equipment
- Preventative Maintenance
Abilities
- Dynamic Strength
- Stamina
- Static Strength
- Trunk Strength
- Auditory Attention
Personal Attributes
- Adaptability
- Collaboration
- Active Learning
- Attention to Detail
- Concern for Others
Similar Occupations
- Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers (74205)
Source: OaSIS
Employment Outlook
The employment outlook will be limited for Public works and maintenance labourers (75212) in Prince Edward Island for the 2022-2024 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
- Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
- A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
- There are several unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
- Due to the seasonal nature of this occupation, employment opportunities may vary depending on the time of the year.
Here are some key facts about Public works and maintenance labourers in Prince Edward Island:
- Approximately 200 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
- Public works and maintenance labourers mainly work in the following sectors:
- Construction (NAICS 23): 22%
- Local, municipal, regional, aboriginal and other public administration (NAICS 913-919): 17%
- Other transportation and warehousing (NAICS 482, 483, 486, 487, 493): 17%
- Management and administrative services (NAICS 55, 56): 16%
- Utilities (NAICS 22): 15%
- The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
- Full-time workers: 90% compared to 84% for all occupations
- Part-time workers: 10% compared to 16% for all occupations
- 32% of public works and maintenance labourers work all year, while 68% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 30 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
- The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
- Men: 80% compared to 51% for all occupations
- Women: 20% compared to 49% for all occupations
- The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
- no high school diploma: 31% compared to 11% for all occupations
- high school diploma or equivalent: 50% compared to 28% for all occupations
- apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
- college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: 6% compared to 25% for all occupations
- bachelor’s degree: n/a
- university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a
Source: Job Bank
Prevailing Wages
| AREA | LOW | MEDIAN | HIGH |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEI | $16.00 | $20.00 | $27.90 |
| Canada | $18.00 | $27.00 | $32.00 |
Training
There are no known training programs for this occupation in PEI. If you are aware of a local training program, please contact us.
More Info
View the full occupational profile with details on work characteristics, interests, employment requirements and more on the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS) website.