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Alberta is the fastest-growing province in Canada and its construction worksites need help to keep pace. Employers need to find more skilled trades workers faster. Those workers need homes and those communities need schools, hospitals and social and civil infrastructure to stay healthy and productive. In the coming decade, Alberta will need 20,000 new construction workers to build an estimated $22 billion in energy sector projects.

For the last year, ��������ion Labour Relations Alberta (CLRA) has been promoting our “Seed versus Sod” campaign, contrasting the role and value of enticing skilled workers to come to Alberta and educating and training local Albertans for careers in the trades.

The duality of this challenge is highlighted in the Business Council of Alberta’s recent Stretched Thin report, which finds immigration is a short-term solution to a chronic issue and that, in the long run, Alberta needs to increase enrolment levels and completion rates at trade schools.

CLRA is continuing to advocate for immediate “sod” solutions by urging the Government of Alberta to fine-tune its approach by prioritizing skilled trades workers in its provincial immigration program. Programs that recognize international credentials and facilitate the swift entry of skilled tradespeople can help Alberta attract and retain top global talent. We encourage our National ��������ion Labour Relations Alliance of Canada (NCLRA) to do the same in Ottawa. We expect an update on its efforts next year as the CLRA hosts the NCLRA national annual conference in Calgary.

This fall and in the new year, we will focus our commitment to long-term growth by “planting seeds” among Alberta’s youth, investing in mentorship development, and engaging with the Government of Alberta’s Skilled Trades Youth Ambassadors advisory council and the Business Council of Alberta’s Task Force on Labour Supply.

Engaging young people in trades education is critical to growing our skilled workforce. A quick look at other jurisdictions — such as Germany — where technical trades abound reminds us of Canada’s long-standing bias that places university education on a pedestal while undervaluing skilled trades careers. This is a disservice to young people who may thrive in hands-on work and industries that rely on their skills.

CLRA is committed to driving a cultural shift that begins in school, where students are introduced to the trades as a viable and respected career path, with clear information on earning potential, job stability, and the sense of accomplishment that comes with building something tangible. As construction employers, it is our members’ responsibility to help ensure that young Albertans see the trades as an attractive, sustainable career choice.

We must also empower young leaders within the trades to advocate for a career in this field and encourage more experienced tradespeople to support telling those stories. To that end, CLRA is exploring new opportunities for mentorship programs to ensure new workers aren’t just technically competent but also exposed to the nuanced, real-world problem-solving skills required on construction worksites.

Harnessing that kind of value demands calls on the wisdom of seasoned professionals across all major trade divisions. Their experience can offer young people and new Canadians valuable insight into the softer skills required in the modern workplace.

We know that employers and new workers are more attuned to this need, especially in the wake of the pandemic. Years of isolation and a rapidly changing work environment have left many people yearning for more opportunities to learn about the subtleties of communication, conflict resolution, teamwork and leadership.

Mentors can help apprentices see and value how these skills are applied in everyday work, which is critical for retaining young talent.

The CLRA is encouraging all Albertans – young people, families, educators, employers and policy-makers – to seize this opportunity to develop a more robust, more resilient skilled trades workforce that can convert financial investments in our economy into great careers for young workers and new Canadians.

Combining the experience of newly arrived talent with the might of young and emerging leaders in our industry is a recipe for long-term success. Pairing young people with mentors offers them new and unique chances to experience the high quality of life provided by rewarding careers in the trades.

Planting these seeds today grows a forest of skilled tradespeople tomorrow, ready to build Alberta’s future.

Joe McFadyen is president of ��������ion Labour Relations Alberta. Send Industry Perspectives Op-Ed comments and column ideas to editor@journalofcommerce.com.