yyctimes

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    With economy on the rise, Alberta leads in interprovincial migration

    March 23, 2023

    Spruce Grove fundraising hockey game honours fallen Edmonton police officers

    March 23, 2023

    Calgary Transit set to receive up to $32M for revenue shortfall

    March 23, 2023
    • Home
    • Contact Us
    Facebook Twitter
    yyctimes
    yyctimes
    Home » Chamber urges greater post-secondary presence in downtown Calgary
    yyctimes

    Chamber urges greater post-secondary presence in downtown Calgary

    yyctimesBy yyctimesNovember 15, 2022No Comments6 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Pinterest Tumblr Reddit Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Breadcrumb Trail Links

    1. News
    2. Local news
    3. Local Business
    4. Business

    The Calgary Chamber of Commerce has released a report focused on developing infrastructure to meet the talent demands in the city

    Publication date:

    15 Nov 2022 • 41 minutes ago • 3 minutes reading • Join the conversation

    The Calgary Tower is framed by office towers along 9th Avenue SW
    The Calgary Tower is framed by office towers along 9th Avenue SW Photo by Gavin Young /Postmedia file

    Article content

    The Calgary Chamber of Commerce is calling for more investment in the city center to better attract and retain skilled workers.

    Advertisement 2

    This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

    Article content

    The Chamber has released its third report in a four-part series to address the workforce shortage in Calgary called Unlocking our Talent Potential. This issue focused on developing infrastructure to meet the talent requirements in the city.

    Calgary Herald Headline News Banner

    Sign up to receive daily news from the Calgary Herald, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.

    By clicking the sign up button, you agree to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

    Thanks for subscribing!

    A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.

    The next issue of Calgary Herald Headline News will be in your inbox soon.

    We encountered a problem signing you in. Please try again

    Article content

    Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO of the chamber, said it comes down to people and physical infrastructure.

    Article content

    At its heart is the downtown, either as a place for more post-secondary to be located for training and access, or for a restored vitality and to attract more workers to the city.

    That would cost more provincial dollars, she said.

    “That $5 million that the previous government gave to both downtown Edmonton and Calgary, that was just a slap in the face,” Yedlin said. “You have a city where corporate decisions are made that not only have an impact on the province, but on a national economic point of view. But you don’t necessarily have a city center that reflects that.”

    Advertisement 3

    This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

    Article content

    She said it is critical that more post-secondary is moved downtown. The issue was highlighted in the province’s Calgary Office Revitalization Expansion report this summer. However, with a new prime minister, Yedlin said these policy discussions are just starting again.

    While there are some post-secondary assets downtown, including an office for the Energy Transition Center with the University of Calgary that opened last week, Yedlin said entire faculties should be moved to the core. She singled out the faculty of law, the faculty of architecture, planning and landscape and the faculty of social work. She also proposed bringing the Alberta University for the Arts downtown to maximize investments already made in the arts and entertainment district.

    Advertisement 4

    This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

    Article content

    “It makes all the sense in the world, but we need provincial funding — supporting that would be a huge undertaking,” she said. “It would signal such a shift to downtown Calgary. . . . There’s actually an argument here that makes sense.”

    Yedlin said the post-secondary investment should continue with additional funds for the Alberta Jobs Now program for training and retraining, and to further assess what skills are needed for the current work climate and the role micro-credentials can play.

    Article content

    One issue that has come up in recent months is the struggle many new grads face to find work in Calgary’s tech sector despite low unemployment rates and thousands of job postings. Many places are looking for experience that new grads don’t have.

    Advertisement 5

    This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

    Article content

    Yedlin said businesses should be used as talent developers.

    She said the province could create a tax incentive or credit for local companies to support apprenticeship and work experience programs, and something similar for students to encourage them to stay in Calgary and work locally.

    The physical infrastructure includes continued investment in public transportation, such as the Green Line or the development of a CTrain leg to Calgary International Airport, and the push for a rail link to Banff.

    CTrain riders wait at Stadsaal Station on 23 March 2022.
    CTrain riders wait at Stadsaal Station on 23 March 2022. Photo by Gavin Young/Postmedia

    The report calls for affordable housing connected to transit, and increasing the density of some neighborhoods.

    “It’s a bit of a tough conversation in some parts of the city,” Yedlin said.

    The report said 18 percent of the city’s population is between the ages of 15 and 29, making it an important workforce demographic. It’s also the slowest growing demographic in the city, which makes it even more important.

    Advertisement 6

    This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

    Article content

    The report says improving the city’s vibrancy and diversity in arts, entertainment and cultural experiences for those in their early 20s is key.

    To do that, Yedlin said there needs to be a priority for developing entertainment options, such as the proposed event center, and bringing more events to the city.

    She said the city should work with local business improvement areas and community organizations to make the events Calgary does find easier, including building an easy-to-use open database or calendar of all events.

    Yedlin also said the city should look at making public transportation free for major sporting events, festivals and the Calgary Stampede to improve accessibility.

    The report also recommended the establishment of an intergovernmental working group to coordinate and support an Olympic bid in Calgary.

    jaldrich@postmedia.com

    Twitter: @JoshAldrich03

    Share this article in your social network

    Advertisement 1

    This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

    Commentary

    Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their opinions on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. We ask that you keep your comments relevant and respectful. We’ve enabled email notifications—you’ll now receive an email when you receive a reply to your comment, there’s an update to a comment thread you follow, or when a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

    Source link

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    yyctimes
    • Website

    Related Posts

    With economy on the rise, Alberta leads in interprovincial migration

    March 23, 2023

    Calgary Transit set to receive up to $32M for revenue shortfall

    March 23, 2023

    Braid: The Leader’s Dinner brings wads of cash to the UCP

    March 23, 2023

    Symend, one of Calgary’s top tech firms, cuts workforce by 25%

    March 23, 2023

    Smith addresses Calgary UCP supporters at Leader’s Dinner

    March 23, 2023

    Varcoe: Alberta trying to get energy companies to resolve unpaid taxes

    March 23, 2023

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Don't Miss
    yyctimes

    With economy on the rise, Alberta leads in interprovincial migration

    By yyctimesMarch 23, 2023

    Article content material Alberta had the best web interprovincial migration of any Canadian province on…

    Spruce Grove fundraising hockey game honours fallen Edmonton police officers

    March 23, 2023

    Calgary Transit set to receive up to $32M for revenue shortfall

    March 23, 2023

    Privacy commissioner investigating Alberta Energy Regulator over Kearl oilsands site leak

    March 23, 2023
    Our Picks

    With economy on the rise, Alberta leads in interprovincial migration

    March 23, 2023

    Spruce Grove fundraising hockey game honours fallen Edmonton police officers

    March 23, 2023

    Calgary Transit set to receive up to $32M for revenue shortfall

    March 23, 2023

    Privacy commissioner investigating Alberta Energy Regulator over Kearl oilsands site leak

    March 23, 2023

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from SmartMag about art & design.

    Our Picks

    With economy on the rise, Alberta leads in interprovincial migration

    March 23, 2023

    Spruce Grove fundraising hockey game honours fallen Edmonton police officers

    March 23, 2023

    Calgary Transit set to receive up to $32M for revenue shortfall

    March 23, 2023
    New Comments

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.