CLRA President Joe McFadyen’s recent op-ed explores the many ways CLRA is combatting against the ongoing skilled labour shortage. With $22 billion in energy projects planned and an estimated 20,000 workers needed over the next ten years, CLRA has been doing its part to fill in the workforce gap.
McFadyen began by spotlighting CLRA’s “Seed vs. Sod” strategy, which recognizes the value both in growing homegrown talent through education, training, and mentorship as well as short-term fixes like recruiting non-local workers from outside the province. He also shared how CLRA, in partnership with the Government of Alberta and our industry colleagues, is advocating for increased apprenticeships and mentorship programs targeting youth. This advocacy work is bearing fruit: Budget 2025, if passed, is allocating millions to trades career education programming and facilities. The recent $5 million investment in union training centres is another step in the right direction, and CLRA employers – who fund these centres – are committed to maximizing their impact.
Planning productive meetings and events with key stakeholders and policymakers are other means of impacting real change in the construction sphere. Our workforce development spring event moderated by panelists from NAIT and the Business Council of Alberta, as well as hosting the NCLRA conference in Calgary next fall are two such examples that we are eagerly awaiting.
To learn more of how CLRA is making a difference, read the full article here.
