Trades touted as solid rural paths to rewarding Alberta careers
By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Opportunity knocks — right now — for rural Albertans willing to embark on trades and technology careers, Advanced Education Minister Rajan Sawhney said recently.
And the kicker is that those who choose apprenticeship, certificate or diploma programs won’t necessarily be forced to leave behind their home communities for the bright lights of Calgary or Edmonton, Sawhney emphasized in an interview earlier this year with The Macleod Gazette.
The average starting salary of a qualified electrician is a good example of what’s out there, said Sawhney, the UCP member for Calgary North-West. Combining $80,000 a year with minimal debt-load is a great career start for a young person, she said.
And when students choose them, schools beyond the two major centres help keep rural Alberta populated and vibrant. Albertans who head to the city for school often don’t return, she noted.
“I’m really trying to elevate the profile of some of these rural institutions, because they do great work,” Sawhney said in late May as the spring sitting wound down. “It’s a very important message to share with our rural elected members and communities: that we’re working on creating those seats in their communities as much as possible.”
The province earlier announced funding worth $24 million per year over the next three years to create 3,200 apprenticeship seats at 11 post-secondary schools. This brought total yearly spending on apprenticeships to $78 million.
Apprenticeships are considered earn-as-you learn opportunities, because students’ positions are kept open when they go to school. Their employers also provide on-the-job training.
Sawhney said curriculum updates are a big post-secondary need, too, and so far her department is investing $10 million a year in them.
“There are other things that can be done, too, like speeding up Red Seal harmonization across the different provinces and speeding up credentialing for newcomers from other jurisdictions who have trade certificates.” (A Red Seal shows that a tradesperson has met their trade’s national standard in Canada.)
Sawhney continued: “That’s the low hanging fruit, so we’re going to look at all of that. And who knows what else will come up.”
The province’s efforts cross ministries to capitalize on a growing population and a recovering petroleum industry, she said.
“There’s incredible opportunity in the trades. All those pipelines that get built, all the work that happens in the energy industry, in petrochemicals, in housing, every industry that you can think of — they all require tradespeople.”
Workforce development is her department’s overlying theme. “And what that means is that we have to come up with strategy, tactics and investments to make sure that we’re tackling this problem from every angle.”
Mixed Economic Signals
Despite high employment demand and shortages in some sectors and occupations, combined with a recovering oil industry, economic indicators are mixed across the Alberta economy. Statistics Canada estimates the province’s unemployment rate as of June 30 at 7.1 per cent, compared with the national figure of 6.4 per cent.
Gross domestic product is struggling, too. The consensus was that GDP would go up by more than two per cent in 2023. But TD Economics pegged the actual growth at 1.5 per cent, classifying Alberta as “middle of the pack” and short of expectations.
Still, Alberta notched Canada’s fastest population growth in the first three months of the year. Statistics Canada estimated that the population reached about 4.85 million, up by nearly 50,000 people.
StatsCan also estimated the increase of migration from other parts of the country at a net 12,482 — by far the highest rate of just three provinces and territories registering any net gain at all.
Alberta had Canada’s fourth highest inflation rate in June 2024, using the Consumer Price Index as a measure. The CPI went up to 3.0 per cent from 2.7 per cent the following June, but the province did have lower inflation than Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Ontario.
The housing gap, an estimate of the number of unbuilt dwelling units between supply and demand, persists into 2024. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation projects the gap in Alberta from 2023 to 2030 at between 130,000 and 170,000 units.
Filling the housing gap and meeting other needs of a growing population are factors pointing the job market at trades, Sawhney said. Colleges offer rewarding careers with lower debt loads than degree and post-grad programs. Time in the classroom is minimized, and often you can keep your existing job, she said.
The trades’ popularity is reflected in registration numbers, which were recently pegged at up almost 28 per cent over last year to about 61,000 apprentices.
Unions Have ‘Tremendous Facilities’
The province also seeks partnerships with less obvious organizations to train and educate Albertans, said Sawhney.
The government recently announced a partnership with the Union of Operating Engineers Local 955 to provide $350,000 towards a pilot project to train crane operators at a site north of Edmonton in Thorhild County.
“I’ve had a chance to work with some of the trade unions and get to know them better. And they have tremendous facilities, they’re unbelievable,” said Sawhney.
“I’m asking them, how can you help government solve this problem? And they are happy to come to the table.”
Meanwhile, at Red Deer Polytechnic, $12.9 million in provincial spending is earmarked to expand a tech hub called CIM-TAC. The new funding will increase opportunities for students to gain hands-on work experience while helping industry meet technological challenges.
Paths to the trades often start in grade school. Sawhney pointed to an Alberta system of specialized programming called collegiate schools, within a government colleague’s portfolio.
Collegiate schools offer specialized programming in a subject or field and provide a “clear pathway” to post-secondary education and careers, says the province’s website. They can operate within any category of public school – regular public, separate, francophone or public charter – or as accredited private schools.
Twelve collegiate schools had been approved by earlier this year, five of them having opened in 2023-24. Seven are scheduled to open in 2024-25.
Collegiate schools may be eligible for startup funding, sometimes including a one-time grant of $50,000 to support the completion of applications. Each school must have a formal agreement in place with at least one post-secondary institution.
Hands-on learning like work experience is a requirement, along with bridging or dual-credit programming into a post-secondary future.
Youth Ambassadors Part of ‘Magical Ingredient’ Search
Sawhney also points to her government’s introduction of youth ambassadors in skilled trades as a positive initiative originating in the spring sitting. Established in May under the Government Organization Act, the ambassadors are billed as a conduit between the government and young adult apprentices.
Myths persist that trades and college educations are less rewarding and valuable to society than university degrees and post-graduate studies. Having ambassadors sharing the news about trades is partially about dispelling those myths, said Sawhney.
“I am looking for that magical secret ingredient that will help me connect with parents and young people. And to bridge that gap, that gap of knowledge and understanding,” the minister said. “So we’re doing everything we can.”
The ambassadors in skilled trades — 11 young people in all — represent a range of careers, including heavy equipment technician, cooking, welding and cabinet making.
Ambassadors share their stories with Albertans while serving on a council that advises government.
“They are going to come up with ideas. I mean, bureaucrats have very bureaucratic ideas. Politicians have very political ideas. I need something that is really going to resonate.”
Sawhney added: “There’s more work that needs to be done. And it’s not always about money. About half the time, it’s about communication.”