Alberta’s 2026–27 Budget: Capital Commitments and the Construction Opportunity Ahead

Last week’s provincial budget delivered a major commitment to Alberta’s construction sector.

With the theme of Focused on What Matters, Budget 2026’s three-year Capital Plan is forecast at $28.3 billion, which is a $2.2 billion increase from Budget 2025. For 2026-27, capital spending is forecast at $8.7 billion; $48 million more than estimated in Budget 2025.

This historic increase in capital investment is directed at public services infrastructure across the province including schools, hospitals, and critical community facilities to better meet Alberta’s growing population demands.

For construction employers, this budget represents a significant and sustained opportunity. The scale of capital spending being deployed means increased project flow, stronger workforce demand, and a growing need for the kind of skilled and experienced contractors that CLRA represents. We continue to work with the government to ensure our members are actively considered for these projects.

However, the increased spending does create fiscal challenges for the province. Last week’s provincial budget highlighted the challenges of declining resource revenues and rising cost pressures, with total spending rising to $83.9 billion, up from $4.5 billion last year, and a $9.4 billion deficit is projected for 2026-27. Detailed information on the budget can be found on the Government of Alberta website.

For our industry, the budget reflects continued emphasis on workforce development, labour market programs and economic participation. Key investments include:

• Apprenticeship funding increased by nearly 25%, from $40 million to $49 million, alongside $96 million through the Apprenticeship Learning Grant.
• $115 million over the plan horizon for broader workforce strategies including training initiatives and employment programming.
• $16 million for immigration initiatives geared toward filling labour shortages and facilitating newcomer integration.
• $4 million to support training opportunities for Indigenous Albertans under the Employment Partnerships Program.
• $81 million for labour relations, occupational health and safety and employment standards enforcement.
• $384 million committed toward NAIT’s Advanced Skills Centre, moving the project beyond planning toward design, construction and full implementation.

The demand for new projects must be met with increased efforts to create the workforce of the future. CLRA was particularly pleased to see the government’s investment in NAIT’s Advanced Skills Centre. The new centre will add capacity for more than 5,500 additional trades learners annually across 29 programs meeting a significant portion of the recruitment and retention pressures our members face.

Alberta’s labour force is growing, and unemployment has recently declined, but skills gaps, sector-specific recruitment challenges and wage dynamics remain. Ongoing investment in training, certification pathways and regional workforce solutions is essential to keeping pace. CLRA continues to be a strong advocate for strategic investment in building Alberta’s workforce, and the spaces created at the Advanced Skills Centre will complement the training capacity offered by union training halls.

CLRA will be meeting with Infrastructure Minister Martin Long later this month to discuss the budget and these initiatives in more detail. We will bring the perspective of all our members to that conversation and continue to advocate for a stable, skilled and well‑supported labour force to support Alberta’s long-term economic competitiveness. We are committed to ensuring our members have a seat at the table as Alberta’s infrastructure investments move forward.