Polytechnic mobilizes to support Alberta’s continued growth
Every summer, NAIT campuses host a variety of skilled tradespeople, most of them contractors working on construction and renovation projects dedicated to the growth and evolution of the polytechnic.
Unlike previous years, however, this season NAIT is also hosting a large contingent in its classrooms and shops – as apprentices in Electrician, Crane and Hoist Equipment Operator, Millwright and pipe trades, a common first period for Steamfitter/Pipefitter, Gasfitter and Plumber.
Running June through August, the summer sessions are a pilot project in response to the rising demand for skilled workers.
“The overall labour market shortage is driving this,” says Josh Boyd, director of NAIT’s Office of Apprenticeship. “A lot of retirements are coming.”
According to Alberta’s Short-term Employment Forecast (2024-2026), technical trades, helpers and labourers are among the 45 of 62 occupations expected to see an imminent shortfall. Stretched Thin, a report released in October 2024, makes more dire projections.
“In fact, 700,000 retirements are expected in skilled trades occupations by 2028,” says the Business Council of Alberta. “In the construction industry alone, a full 22% of workers will retire by 2030.”
Boyd recognizes the urgency of those timelines. “That older population [is] exiting faster than we're able to get young individuals into the trades,” he says, considering rising provincial metrics such as population, housing starts and GDP.
“In the construction industry alone, a full 22% of workers will retire by 2030.”
A shortage of teaching space has also made keeping pace difficult. There currently aren’t enough classrooms and labs at NAIT to accommodate more apprentices in traditional winter and fall sessions, Boyd points out.
That’s particularly true for those seeking careers in pipe trades, or as electricians or millwrights – programs that regularly see lengthy waitlists. The three-year forecast for each is considered “hot” by ALIS, a Government of Alberta career development resource.
The new intakes will help meet the need, accommodating as many as 140 apprentices across all the summer sessions, each one roughly two months long.
“Most are already full,” says Boyd.
Wherever the recent expansion leads in coming years – to more intakes, swaps for trades, or additions – Boyd expects it “to start changing that culture around meeting the demand.”
That is, education in a growing number of apprenticeship programs could prove to be a year-round endeavour at the polytechnic.
“NAIT’s obligation within the apprenticeship ecosystem is to … support the Alberta economy,” says Boyd. “So, [we’ll do] whatever we need to do so we can be agile and future focused, and meet the demand in new and unique ways.”
As NAIT looks to continue to support the ongoing growth and evolution of the province, “We're just finding ways to release those pressure valves,” he adds.