Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Alberta's Investment into the Future of the Skilled Trades

How is the province preparing for the shortage of skilled trades workers?

Throughout 2019, we heard the same message over and over again—there is going to be a massive shortage of skilled tradespeople in the next five to ten years.

In Alberta alone, we know that 45,000 workers will be retiring over the next decade. We know that new registrations into the Alberta apprenticeship system have dropped by 50 percent over the past few years. But what we don’t always know is what our province is doing about it. How are we reaching various groups to encourage people to consider a career in the skilled trades?

Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT) has committed to providing more funding for apprenticeship-based scholarship programs to increase access to trades education. Students across the province are supported in pursuing a trades education by improvements made to the previously existing scholarship program. In the 2019-2020 school year, more than 1,400 scholarships worth a total of nearly $1.5 million will be awarded to high school students in either/both the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) or Career and Technology Studies (CTS) apprenticeship programs.

"The High School Apprenticeship Scholarship is an important tool that recognizes that an apprenticeship is a valuable post-secondary education option and a career pathway that allows our young Albertans to achieve their own future career success as well as to become contributors to Alberta's long-term economic prosperity,” says j’Amey Bevan on behalf of AIT.

Furthermore, the province has put forward a significant investment into CLAC’s partner, Women Building Futures (WBF), to create more opportunities for women to explore the skilled trades and achieve the training required to earn a well-respected and high-paying career. Boasting a 90 percent or better employment rate, WBF has earned the substantial investment of $10 million over four years. This investment will allow the non-profit organization to create more opportunities for women to enter the skilled trades by expanding their programming across the province.

Our current minister of advanced education, Demetrios Nicolaides, has stated that, “We are delivering on our promise to invest in the skilled trades. By supporting Women Building Futures, we will be able to achieve three key goals. First, we will address the growing shortage of skilled tradespeople in Alberta. Second, we are empowering women to purse rewarding careers in industries where women are traditionally under-represented. Third, this investment recognizes that apprenticeship learning and the skilled trades have every bit as much value, merit, and worth as a university degree.”

These initiatives and more come together to create a framework for a different discussion surrounding the skilled trades. Beyond attempting to reduce the upcoming labour market gap, Alberta has demonstrated a commitment to encouraging people to consider a career in the skilled trades and to celebrating the trades as rewarding and well-respected careers.

To learn more about starting a career in the skilled trades, visit clac.ca/apprentice today!

Sources: Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, Edmonton Journal, Education News Canada, Lacombe Online

Alberta's Investment into the Future of the Skilled Trades

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