EDMONTON (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta is committing $5.5 million to help employers and industry groups tackle workforce shortages and prepare workers for changing demands across the province.
The funding is being delivered through the Alberta Industry Skills Grant (AISG), a competitive program designed to support collaborative training projects led by industry.
Applications for the 2026-27 funding round opened on September 9 and will remain open until October 30. Projects selected for support are expected to get underway in early 2027.
Funding Targets Skills Shortages
The grant is open to businesses and organisations across Alberta’s industries. Its focus is on practical training initiatives that can address labour shortages while helping workers develop skills needed in evolving sectors.
Eligible applicants can include employers, industry associations, training organisations and other partners working together on workforce development projects.
Unlike programs aimed at individual employers, the AISG is intended to support initiatives that can deliver broader industry-wide benefits and respond to current as well as emerging labour-market requirements.
Government Links Skills Development to Economic Growth
Alberta Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Minister Joseph Schow said maintaining a skilled workforce is particularly important as the province navigates economic uncertainty and continues to attract investment.
According to Schow, expanding workers’ knowledge and skills can help keep employment opportunities within Alberta while strengthening the province’s business environment.
The government says the latest funding will help employers respond to workforce challenges while giving Albertans more opportunities to gain practical skills and advance their careers.
Industry Groups Point to Previous Results
Industry representatives say the program has already been used to develop targeted training pathways.
Thermal Insulation Association of Canada (TIAC) director of industry affairs Tristan Bertram said an earlier AISG-supported initiative helped address shortages in the mechanical insulation sector by creating a pathway into skilled-trades training.
The organisation described its partnership with the province as an effort to increase the industry’s long-term workforce capacity, particularly within Alberta’s construction sector.
Meanwhile, CWB Group chief operating officer Craig Martin highlighted another training initiative supported through the grant.
Workers received training for UT-PA certification, combining online theoretical instruction with a week of practical, in-person training. The structure allowed participants to continue working while completing their additional training.
Preparing Alberta’s Workforce for Future Demand
The provincial government says the latest AISG investment is intended to go beyond addressing immediate labour shortages.
By supporting projects designed and developed with industry, Alberta hopes to create a workforce that can adapt as economic conditions, technology and employer requirements change.
The province expects the initiative to help businesses find solutions to skills gaps, expand training opportunities for workers and contribute to longer-term economic growth.
With applications now open, employers and industry partners have until October 30 to submit proposals for the latest round of Alberta Industry Skills Grant funding.
