The City of Kamloops is now looking to hire two building officials at city hall.

Building and engineering development manager Jason Dixon says one of those postings is for a position approved in this year’s budget, and the other is to replace someone who moved to the TNRD.

Dixon says finding building officials is challenge all over the province, and says many municipalities are now playing “catch up.”

“I think the easiest way to put it is, the creation of the Building Act by the province a few years ago. Part of that Building Act requires that any people working in that capacity as a building official has to be registered and certified under the Building Officials Associations of B.C.,” Dixon says, referring to the Building Act brought in in February of 2017.

“We see lots of younger people, I know we hired a building official here last fall, he’s a younger guy fresh out of school, worked out really really well for us. And we see more younger people kind of getting involved in the industry, so hopefully over time that shortfall will kind of correct itself as people see opportunities in the industry.”