Construction Labour Relations Alberta (CLRA) continued its Industry Insights breakfast series on March 17th, welcoming Infrastructure Minister Martin Long for a discussion on Alberta’s capital plan and the workforce challenges facing the construction sector.
Launched in January of this year, the Industry Insights series was created to give CLRA board members, industry partners and stakeholders visibility into upcoming project priorities, policy developments and trends shaping Alberta’s construction sector.
Minister Long provided an overview of the government’s three-year, $28.3 billion Capital Plan and spoke to the pressures that Alberta’s rapid population growth is placing on infrastructure and the skilled trades workforce. For CLRA members, this level of sustained investment translates directly into increased project flow, stronger workforce demand and a growing pipeline of work for the skilled contractors our members represent.
This year’s provincial budget also includes significant workforce investments relevant to our members, including a nearly 25% increase in apprenticeship funding, $96 million through the Apprenticeship Learning Grant, $384 million for NAIT’s Advanced Skills Centre and $115 million for broader workforce strategies. For a full breakdown of what the budget means for Alberta’s construction sector, read our detailed analysis here.
Minister Long and Deputy Minister Mark Kleefeld took questions from those in attendance on workforce attraction and retention, trades optimization, mandatory apprenticeship ratios, project sequencing, costs associated with risk and project delivery models. Both expressed a genuine interest in hearing more from industry about what is and isn’t working when it comes to policy and the bid process for government-funded capital projects.
These topics align closely with what CLRA has been advancing in its conversations with government. As the province grows and major projects move forward, delivering the infrastructure Albertans rely on will depend on a skilled, stable and well-supported workforce. This is why initiatives like CLRA’s Build Your Future in Alberta campaign and our support of the NAIT Advanced Skills Centre are so important.
CLRA will continue the Industry Insights series throughout the year, bringing in industry leaders to discuss topics critical to Alberta’s construction sector and workforce development.
