CLRA President Joe McFadyen’s recent op-ed on the future of Alberta’s trades industry stressed the need for more tradespeople, given the province’s leading position as the nation’s fastest-growing province. To meet the demand – particularly in the energy sector – Alberta will require 20,000 new construction workers over the next decade, contributing to $22 billion in major projects. At CLRA, we’re committed to tackling this challenge through our “Seed VS. Sod” campaign. This initiative balances short-term solutions, such as attracting skilled immigrants, with long-term efforts to develop a local workforce from within junior and high schools. While immigration can provide immediate relief, the Business Council of Alberta’s recent report highlights the need for greater enrollment and completion rates in trade schools to secure a sustainable workforce for the future. It’s time to break the stigma that university is the only path to success. By investing in the trades, we can offer young Albertans rewarding careers that are both financially stable and fulfilling. As master plans for new communities are greenlit, it’s essential that we plant seeds today so that the skilled workforce of tomorrow is to build them. Read the full op-ed here.

CLRA is greatly impacted by the ongoing skilled trades shortage in Alberta. While the issue is not new, it continues to grow in urgency given the province’s rapid surge in population, leading to a spike in demand for housing, infrastructure, and other essential services. This demand increase is putting pressure on resources needed to maintain equipment, move goods, and support ongoing business and major project investments. Without a qualified workforce to execute these tasks, costs are rising, making businesses less competitive and everyday living pricier for Albertans. As we have written about previously, the Business Council of Alberta’s Skilled Trades Task Force is actively studying and reporting on the shortage – both its root causes and potential solutions. Their latest report primarily explores the former: investigating whether the shortage is driven by supply issues or increasing demand. The answer, unsurprisingly, is both. Report findings show how, in the short term, Alberta will need to bring in more workers from outside the province to fill the labour gap – what CLRA describes as the “sod”. In the longer term, enrollment and graduation rates in local trades programs (the “seed”) need to grow in order to sustain a pipeline of talent, an

ATB’s latest quarterly outlook report expressed cautious optimism is what ATB forecasts for the country’s economic landscape as we near 2025. To recap, Alberta’s economy is set for stronger growth, estimated at 2.5% this year and 2.8% next year, outpacing the national rate. The energy sector is revitalizing through improved market access and investments in hydrogen and petrochemicals. Rapid population increases are fueling new home construction, while tech and aviation industries are gaining ground. In terms of housing, the market is tight, driven by the province’s skyrocketing population with housing starts reaching levels not seen for nearly 20 years. The unemployment rate is expected to remain above 7% for the rest of the year, though it may gradually decline as job growth continues and migration slows, despite ongoing labour shortages in various sectors, including accommodation, food, and construction. Encouragingly for CLRA, Alberta’s economy is experiencing significant new growth in major projects in a variety of sectors – including decarbonization, where it stands as Canada’s leading hydrogen producer. Key ventures include Air Products’ $1.6 billion Net Zero Hydrogen Energy Complex in Edmonton, which will support Imperial Oil’s renewable diesel facility. Another is the Dow Path2Zero project in Fort Saskatchewan, valued at