Roland Bruce shares workforce insight at Calgary Valve World Expo & Conference

NES Fircroft’s Managing Director, Americas, Roland Bruce was requested to speak at the first Valve World Expo & Conference Americas in Calgary, where he shared expert insight into the evolving workforce challenges shaping engineering projects across the energy sector. 

The event brought together operators, manufacturers and service providers from across the valve supply chain to explore key priorities, including project delivery, operational reliability and access to specialist skills. 

During his session, Roland highlighted the increasingly positive outlook for the global energy market, noting that “the market is becoming more attractive globally, project momentum is building, and the organizations that line up talent and execution capacity early will be best placed to benefit.” 

He emphasised that a combination of global demand, geopolitical drivers and supportive federal incentives is strengthening the overall investment case. He noted that the critical challenge now lies in execution. “The real opportunity now is conversion: how industry and government work together to move projects from policy support and headlines into actual approvals, final investment decisions, construction and supply-chain activity.”  

A key theme of the discussion was the continued difficulty in securing experienced engineering and technical talent. With demand remaining high across both traditional energy markets and emerging sectors, organisations are adopting a range of strategies, including accessing international talent pools, redeploying resources across regions and rethinking team structures to maintain project momentum. 

Roland also highlighted the growing significance of LNG within the global energy mix, noting that it has evolved beyond a niche segment into a large-scale, multi-regional growth story. This expansion is driving demand not only for operators but also for critical support functions such as engineering, project controls, procurement, construction planning and commissioning capability. 

Focusing on Canada’s position within the global LNG market, Roland observed that demand is both real and increasing, with buyers in Asia and Europe actively seeking supply. “The Ksi deal with Germany is another indicator that we are moving in the right direction,” he commented, adding that opportunities now extend across multiple LNG and pipeline developments within the region. 

From a market perspective, Roland noted that midstream continues to represent the largest segment across both the United States and Canada, while Canada is showing increasing momentum despite the U.S. remaining the larger and more mature market. “The fundamentals are aligning demand is strengthening, North America is benefiting from energy security considerations, and structural competitiveness remains intact,” he said. 

This strengthening outlook is translating into clear areas of workforce demand, particularly across project services, engineering, electrical, construction and commissioning, skilled trades, digital and automation roles, and environmental and HSE disciplines. Within the valve sector specifically, Bruce highlighted the growing importance of both technical and commercial expertise as projects transition from planning into execution. 

He also pointed to ongoing wage growth as a further indicator of market strength. Across NES Fircroft’s Americas workforce of more than 5,000 professionals, indicators suggest wage inflation is tracking around 3–4% are currently receiving monthly pay increases of between 6–8% each month, reflecting sustained demand for skilled talent. 

The event provided a valuable platform for industry collaboration, enabling organisations to share perspectives and best practices in addressing workforce challenges and delivering projects effectively. NES Fircroft contributed its global expertise in talent solutions, drawing on insights from across international project delivery. 

Roland concluded by encouraging continued engagement across the sector: “The market outlook, specific projects, talent pressures, or where we see the strongest commercial opportunities across North America—We welcome continuing the conversation and how we can support your upcoming projects.