On June 8th, the Alberta Construction Association (ACA) had the opportunity to meet with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Infrastructure Martin Long, as well as other provincial government officials in Calgary for a productive conversation on the issues that impact Alberta’s construction industry.
Discussions ranged from market capacity and procurement practices to skilled workforce development. Across all these areas, success will depend on maintaining open dialogue and collaboration to develop practical solutions that support Alberta’s continued growth and prosperity.
Industry members brought up several key points regarding capital plan spending and investment predictability, workforce development, and further collaboration between members of the government and construction industry. Collectively, these core issues affect every corner of the construction industry along with each member in it.
Capital planning and consistent investment remains as one of ACA’s top priorities, mostly due to Alberta’s growth creating an unprecedented demand for infrastructure to be built. The ACA remains steadfast on advancing greater predictability through a funding formula which seeks to create and establish a long-term model for capital investment, as well as increasing spending on Capital Maintenance and Renewal (CMR). The overall aim is to secure a long-term plan for schools, health facilities, and other assets across the province.
Part of the importance of capital investment lies in the recognition of Alberta as a leader in Canada’s construction industry. Alberta is well-positioned to become Canada’s most construction-ready jurisdiction and the preferred destination for investment and project development. Alberta being the destination of more projects creates a need for a consistent and predictable flow of investment to ensure projects run smoothly. Constraints in the flow of investment have the potential to affect project timelines, investment decisions, and Alberta’s ability to capitalize on economic opportunities. The ACA also emphasizes the importance of the Alberta government to collaborate with the industry on market sounding to ensure the needs of the industry are heard and considered prior to vital decisions being made.
Skilled tradespeople are the backbone that enables the construction industry to operate effectively. Expanding this skilled workforce is of the upmost importance to ACA, especially because over one-fifth of the workforce will be retiring in the next decade. This means that innovative pathways for Alberta’s future tradespeople must be created and maintained to ensure there is a steady stream of workers to complete the projects that keep Alberta functioning.
ACA has taken part in several key projects, in partnership with the Government of Alberta, that expand the accessibility of the skilled trades, to ensure that Albertans have options in how they start their lifelong trades journey.
- The Alberta Trades Discovery Center is expected to open before the end of the year, acting as a hub for young Albertans by exposing them to hands-on experience. Through “Try-A-Trade” bays, they can learn directly from skilled tradespeople on what each trade entails and what career opportunities they can provide.
- ACA’s Trade Pathways Program is designed to match young participants with employers, providing them with work experience opportunities while reducing barriers to employment with training, transportation, and tools. This program has served almost 500 participants over the past three years.
- The Digital Tradesperson Program allows tradespeople who are interested in supplementing their careers with experience in Virtual Design and Construction. This training can support individuals in gaining digital skills that are increasingly becoming present in the industry. ACA is also preparing a suite of digital skills programs that will be available for members to continue their understanding and potential adoption of digital tools, such as drones, AI, and BIM.
The ACA emphasizes the need for workforce expansion through attraction and retention of youth in the trades. As part of the “lifecycle” approach for the training of skilled tradespeople, ACA advocates for more government-industry collaboration to address this structural challenge. Advocacy is underway on developing a joint industry-government review of the workforce development system, from K-12 through post-certification, to identify gaps, improve outcomes, and align training with labour market needs.
Moving forward, the ACA will continue to advocate for ongoing collaboration to certify that the construction sector and the government reach a level of mutual understanding that aims to serve each member of the industry.
The ACA would like to thank Premier Smith, Minister Long, and their teams for their engagement and commitment to advancing collaborative initiatives that create greater certainty, opportunity, and long-term success for Alberta’s construction industry.