Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Building Skills, Growing Careers

Alberta and Saskatchewan Director's Report: CLAC remains focused on helping our members grow their careers through new initiatives and improved services.

Guide Magazine

By Dennis Perrin, Alberta and Saskatchewan Director

CLAC continues to work hard for our members by helping them build their skills, earn credentials, and access more opportunities at work. By expanding our training and workforce development programs, we are helping members grow in their careers, improve workplace satisfaction, and bring strong, up-to-date skills to every job site.

Workforce Development
CLAC recently received a grant from the Government of Alberta to launch a new two-year pilot program in the province that will help skilled trades members prepare more efficiently for certification and Red Seal exams.

The program uses an advanced, personalized learning platform that adapts to each worker’s current knowledge and focuses on the areas they still need to master. This allows members to progress faster while still covering the required material—all while continuing to work and earn an income.

The pilot will support at least 200 workers in high-demand trades, including welding, steamfitting-pipefitting, instrumentation, and ironworking. It will use Alberta’s existing Trades Qualifier Program and maintain current certification standards. This initiative is designed to reduce barriers that can slow a worker’s progress and help experienced tradespeople get certified sooner.

By working closely with government and industry partners, CLAC is helping strengthen Alberta’s skilled trades workforce while creating real opportunities for members to advance their careers. It also supports stronger job sites, signatory employers, and a more resilient workforce for the future.

Streamlined Health & Safety Training
CLAC is making it easier for members to access training across western Canada. Previously, training opportunities varied by province, with different course offerings and eligibility requirements in each province. We have now brought these resources together under one Training, Apprenticeship, and Jobs Team in the west serving Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.

This means members in these three provinces will have more consistent access to the same training courses and eligibility criteria, creating a better and more seamless experience—especially for members who work in more than one province.

Steward Education
In April, more than 200 stewards from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba gathered in Banff for the annual Prairie Stewards Conference. Stewards took part in sessions that strengthened their legal knowledge, equipped them to better support colleagues facing mental health and substance use challenges, and provided practical education on growing the union.

Feedback from the conference was very positive. Stewards gained more tools to advocate for their coworkers, stronger connections with one another, and the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Canadian Rockies.

Growing the Union
For nearly 75 years, CLAC has provided strong, practical representation to workplaces across Canada. We are always looking to connect with groups of employees who could benefit from having CLAC as their union. If you know workers who may be looking for a union with a proven track record, please direct them to clac.ca or encourage them to contact one of our member centres.

Building Skills, Growing Careers

You might be interested in