Alberta is Calling, the government multimillion-dollar recruiting program geared to bring in skilled workers, has been lauded as a success but it isn’t landing much-needed skilled tradesmen into the construction sector, said Edmonton Construction Association president David Johnson.
Part of the problem, said Johnson, is the construction industry in Alberta does not market itself as a lucrative industry as compared to the dominate oil and gas sector.
“We have not done a good enough job convincing people that construction can be lucrative and a rewarding career,” he said, as shortages loom today in every skill in the construction sector.
Alberta is Calling has gone through three phases with earlier campaigns in 2022 and 2023 targeting provinces with high unemployment or cost of living and looking for skilled individuals in technology, health care and trades. Phase three, ending in July, drilled down to skilled tradespersons and offered, for the first time, a $5,000 tax credit as a moving bonus.
“Initially, we were against the campaign because it was more of a shot-gun approach,” Johnson said.
The early phases were seen to draw in more people to a province that was seeing an influx of 200,000 new arrivals (from abroad and other provinces) annually.
“Where are they going to live and they are putting strains on the infrastructure,” he said, voicing concerns.
“We were pleased to see the provincial government change its approach (in the third phase) and target skilled trades,” he said, adding the $5,000 tax credit offered is an example of the creative marketing that can be used to augment the trade shortages.
Over the next six years, Alberta will need 20,000 skilled tradespersons to support the $22 billion of planned investments in resource projects.
Johnson points to Statistics Canada’s comparative labour figures from July 2023 to July 2024 and there was a decline of 4,800 skilled workers in Alberta.
He attributes that decline to the major exodus of retirees but at the same time the breakdown by industry sector does show that key areas such as the oil and gas, mining and forestry have picked up skilled workers.
These are industries that use skills similar to construction.
“But, they are not landing in the construction industry,” he said, adding that leaves room for finding more creative solutions to attract skilled tradespersons.
“Maybe to get the $5,000 tax credit you need to work in the construction industry,” he proposed.
Alberta Minister of Jobs, Employment and Trade Matt Jones said the province is aware it needs to attract more skilled tradespersons, especially in the construction industry, as the province is facing a housing and infrastructure crunch because of mass immigration.
As well, it is looking at major projects such as the $10 billion Dow Path2Zero Fort Saskatchewan expansion project beginning this year. At peak, the plant will need 7,000 construction workers.
Having a strong construction sector is vital to the economic growth of the province, Jones said.
“If you don’t have enough skilled trades and professionals, you can’t attract further investment here,” he said.
Jones said the Alberta is Calling campaign is a bridging program that attempted to bring in skilled persons in critical areas, while Alberta invests heavily in training more individuals through apprenticeship programs and training facilities as well as reaching out to companies, unions and municipalities to help get recruiting efforts in place. But, training up new individuals takes time.
“We can’t wait three or four years,” he said as the demand is now.
The numeral success of the Alberta is Calling’s phase three will not be known until May 2025, when those who have lived in the province for a year claim the $5,000 tax credit when filing their income tax. The program is attempting to draw in 2,000 tradespersons under the last phase and has budgeted $10 million.
Jones is unsure whether there will be a fourth phase but as the program has progressed, it is being directed more towards targeted labour pools and it would depend upon identifying where labour shortages existed and what local supply is available to meet the demand.
But not all have been happy with the program.
“From our perspective, it was an ill-advised program,” said Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan, adding it brought more people into a province that was struggling with a lack of accommodation and infrastructure. “It exasperated the housing crisis and contributed to inflations and added to the unemployment rate. There was no effort to match the people coming to the province with the jobs that needed to be filled.”
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