Alberta’s, and Edmonton’s, skilled trade problem is real and simple. The solution is a bit tricky. There is an urgent labour crunch! The demand for skilled trades far exceeds supply. What can be done about it, however, is somewhat complicated.
While there is not much value in hindsight, a key cause of the crunch is generation gapping and attrition. Statistics undisputedly show that the shortage is driven by a rapidly aging workforce. The alarm bells were ringing several years ago, warning that 700,000 workers would retire across Canada by 2028.
Today, Alberta is dealing with a significant shortage of skilled tradespeople, compared with relatively recent times of high unemployment rates and surpluses of unemployed workers.
“Our data shows that there are shortages in a number of trades in Alberta,” notes Emily Arrowsmith, director of Research and Programs at the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum. “We have a high demand for certified journeypersons in the labour market, but in certain trades not enough apprentices progress through the system, complete and become certified.
“There is a gap. We aren’t training enough apprentices to meet the demand for certified bakers, boilermakers, bricklayers, cooks, carpenters, glaziers, insulators, ironworkers, metal fabricators, painters, roofers, welders and more.”
The shortage is not just a labour issue, but also a legitimate threat to the Alberta economy.
“The greatest shortages are concentrated in trades that support Alberta’s core industries, particularly construction, manufacturing, energy and transportation,” explains Agatha Ojimelukwe, dean, NAIT’s School of Energy and Natural Resources. “This includes carpenters, roofers, welders, gas fitters, transport truck drivers, heavy equipment operators and more.
“Occupations are essential to maintaining housing supply, industrial operations, transportation networks and energy infrastructure, and their shortages closely reflect labour market pressures across the region and the province.”
She points out that both Edmonton and Alberta are already facing significant and growing skilled labour shortages, affecting the province’s ability to deliver housing, infrastructure and major capital projects.
“We cannot achieve the provincial and federal building goals without a massive influx of skilled talent. While the projects are being announced, the reality is that we need new skilled labour to turn these projects into reality.”
Ojimelukwe adds the caution that the challenge is not just the volume of work ahead, but the speed at which experienced workers are leaving the workforce compared to how quickly new ones can be trained, particularly as the province, and especially Edmonton, continues to see population growth, increased housing starts and economic expansion.
In construction, manufacturing and most sectors, thousands of jobs are unfilled. The construction industry alone has over 10,000 vacancies and, according to stats, Alberta could face a shortage of over 20,000 workers by the end of this decade.
How did crunch happen? Was it all of a sudden?
No doubt about it, combined with the tsunami of Boomer retirements, the generational perception about “blue collar jobs” was also a factor. While some misleading and inaccurate cliches and stereotypes still linger, attitudes are most definitely shifting. Apprentices and trades are no longer considered “grunt work.”
Of course, there will always be a need for up-to-date skilled carpenters, electricians, millwrights, masons, plumbers, HVAC technicians, machinists and heavy equipment operators.
The warp speed impact of technology in many sectors is adding to the need and demand for a growing list of specialized, skilled trades. This includes machinists qualified for rotary indexing drilling tapping and vertical turning lathes to construction trades working with contemporary basics like 5D building information modeling (BIM) and the limitless world of AR, VR and AI technology.
Whether it’s not enough available courses and training options or the lack of interest from potential students, the bottom line is that Alberta does not have enough apprentices to meet the demand for certified skilled workers.
“We must encourage employers to hire and train apprentices,” Arrowsmith suggests, “and ensure that projects are funded and procurement rewards companies that are training and investing in apprentices. There should be more financial supports so apprentices can go back to technical training, help develop their skills and prepare for the certification examination so they can complete their training.”
Apprenticeship training does have its speed bumps.
“When people leave the apprenticeship program and don’t complete, it means not having certified people in the labour market. Apprentices tell us they are attracted to trades work and want to be journeypersons, but they often end up not completing for a number of reasons. Sometimes the issue is financial, not being able to afford going back to school and being on EI, particularly when the cost of living is so high. Then there is test anxiety; nervousness around taking the final certification multiple-choice exams. It just doesn’t algin with the way that many apprentices like to learn, practically demonstrating what they can do.”
The labour crunch is why, in Edmonton, there is a strong focus on training and recruitment.
“Demand for skilled trades continues rising in 2026, due to a convergence of economic, demographic and technological factors,” Ojimelukwe says. “Significant provincial capital investments, along with federal nation building projects, are placing additional pressure on an already constrained labour pool. Large infrastructure projects, from housing and hospitals to highways and energy developments, depend entirely on skilled tradespeople. At the same time, retirements are reducing the availability of experienced workers, while technological change is expanding the scope and specialization of trades.”
From experience, she points out that perception and attitude about trades-as-a-good-career are changing.
“A skilled trades career is in demand, is future proof and offers strong earning potential, long-term stability and pathways to entrepreneurship. In many cases, graduates can earn competitive salaries immediately after completing their training, making the trades an increasingly attractive and practical career choice.”
In Edmonton, the focus on training and apprenticeship is dynamic. NAIT’s Advanced Skills Centre (ASC) is planning for a state-of-the-art facility located on NAIT’s main campus. The ASC is designed to significantly expand Alberta’s skilled trades and technology training capacity. It will bring together 29 programs across construction, transportation, manufacturing and energy.
The ASC is in its final year of planning and design and once fully operational, it will enable NAIT to train more than 5,500 additional students each year, increasing total annual skilled trades and technology enrolment to nearly 15,000 learners.
Arrowsmith emphasizes that, contrary to some business reluctance, training and apprenticeships are good business.
“There is a chronic lack of investment in apprenticeship training. Some employers choose not to hire apprentices due to the perceived cost. However, research illustrates the opposite. There is a positive financial return when employers train apprentices. Additional benefits of training apprentices include employees who are a better fit with the organization, a solution to skills shortages, highly skilled employees and safer and more productive workers.”
The gung-ho Edmonton approach to apprenticeships and training is having an impact and combating the trades crunch.
“The focus is on graduating job-ready professionals who are confident, highly skilled and connected to employers before they leave campus.