Alberta taking ‘full-court press’ approach to trades industry shortage

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As Calgary immigration companies report lengthy wait lists for trades coaching packages, Premier Danielle Smith says her authorities is taking a “full-court press” strategy to addressing the Alberta labour scarcity.

Regardless of posting report inhabitants development over the previous two years, Alberta remains to be dealing with important labour shortages within the trades as child boomers depart the trade and it regains recognition after the COVID-19 pandemic wrought job instability for employees.

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That has contributed to a “abilities mismatch throughout the Alberta financial system,” leading to labour shortages in a handful of industries, stated Mike Holden, chief economist with the Enterprise Council of Alberta.

“Alberta has particular labour shortages and unmet demand in areas just like the trades, in addition to well being care — particularly in nursing and another zones,” Holden stated in an interview.

When he tabled the federal government’s 2024-25 funds final week, Finance Minister Nate Horner stated initiatives corresponding to Dow Inc.’s $9-billion petrochemicals mission in Fort Saskatchewan “have the potential to fully drain the province of sure kinds of expert labour.”

Job postings in Alberta for the trades — up 13 per cent on a compounded annual common from 2018 to 2023 — considerably outpaced inhabitants development for a similar interval, in accordance with a Wednesday report from the Enterprise Council of Alberta. The trades have been second behind job postings in well being care, which grew 16 per cent over the identical interval.

There are much more stark shortages in particular occupation classes corresponding to helpers and labourers, technical development trades and transport drivers, which noticed greater than 150 per cent will increase in job postings over the previous 5 years.

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Monika Bhandari, packages operations supervisor of YYCTrades coaching for the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS), stated the confluence of child boomers retiring from the sector and COVID-19, which upended trades employees’ job stability for a number of years, have left a gap within the sector that will take a number of years to shore up.

“That hole is widening,” she stated, including CCIS is seeing extra apprentices being skilled for full-time work — however the outcomes is probably not seen for an additional three to 4 years.

“We’re making an attempt to fill that hole. We don’t see that occuring proper now.”

CCIS presently affords one class respectively annually for electrical, pipe trades and carpentry. Bahndari stated that if CCIS’ funding elevated, the wait listing for its packages might help double to triple the variety of courses.

Alberta is Calling marketing campaign renewed

The provincial authorities is making an attempt to handle the difficulty by a renewed Alberta is Calling marketing campaign, which is able to supply a $5,000 attraction bonus to 2,000 expert employees by a refundable tax credit score. Alberta has launched few particulars on this system and hasn’t stated which sectors it would goal. Extra particulars are anticipated within the coming months.

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Smith, talking Wednesday on the Calgary Petroleum Membership, stated Alberta shall be “doing slightly narrower of a name” for this iteration of the marketing campaign. That effort will run alongside an promoting marketing campaign throughout Canada and align with its immigration nomination program, she stated.

“We’re doing a full-court press, and also you’ll see much more of that over the approaching months.”

Alberta’s 2024-25 funds additionally allocates $100 million for apprenticeship packages that may add 3,200 seats. “There’s far more we’re ,” Smith stated, including she’s requested Schooling Minister Demetrios Nicolaides to analyze whether or not the province can provide highschool college students superior entry into trades packages, which she stated would enable them to enter the workforce instantly after commencement.

Whereas labour shortages make it troublesome for sure industries corresponding to homebuilding, Smith stated labour shortages are “an excellent downside to have.”

“It means we’ve a robust financial system, and it means that there’s nearly limitless alternative for Albertans and other people seeking to transfer right here,” she stated. “A labour scarcity is, as I say, rather a lot higher than the choice — nonetheless, it’s a problem.”

mscace@postmedia.com
X: @mattscace67

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