By admin (August 13, 2024)

Incentives offered by Alberta for skilled immigrants in trade professions

Canada’s trades sector faces a deep problem caused by the retirement wave of the baby boomer generation people born between 1955 and 1965. That has given way to downward pressure on the labour force, setting the national labour force participation rate at (65% in 2021, 2022, and 2023) the lowest it has been in two decades.

Alberta’s New Innovative Strategy to Bring in More Skilled Tradespeople

To help get at this crisis, the federal and provincial governments are now making strong efforts to put up the trades workforce. As IRCC tries to clear some of these gaps, Alberta tries to attract skilled tradespersons with a very handsome financial deal.

The Government of Alberta rolled out the Alberta is Calling initiative in April 2024. The province offers $5,000 as a one-time refundable tax credit to skilled tradespeople available for up to 2,000 of them. The program mandates for a candidate to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, be a minimum of 18 years old by the time of the application, and have entered Alberta on or between May 1 to December 31, 2024.

Further to this, one ought to have been a tax resident of Alberta by December 31, 2024, and must continuously live in Alberta for 12 consecutive months by the time one files an application.

Trade Programs in Alberta

Alberta’s trades have been under a crisis for ten years or more, with a critical shortage of skilled workers. The outcome is that these trade careers are now the top in demand across the province. At this time, the Government of Alberta identifies nine trade occupations as being in a high demand. These include the following:

• Construction Managers (NOC 70010)

• Automotive Service Technicians, Truck and Bus Mechanics and Mechanical Repairers (NOC 72410)

• Plumbers (NOC 72300) 

• Electric and electronics engineers (NOC 21310) 

• Civil engineers (NOC 21300) 

• Engineering managers (NOC 20010)

• Automotive and heavy truck and equipment part installers and servicers (NOC 74203) 

• Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians (NOC 22310)

•  Electrical mechanics (NOC 72422) 

These are considered key jobs in the Alberta economy, and due to this vacancy, there has been a host of opportunities made available to all persons duly qualified in these fields.

Useful Resources for New Tradespeople

If you’re looking to pursue a trade career in Alberta, then you definitely want to register with the trade website of the provincial government. The website has some good information about how tradespeople can be certified through Apprentice Services, which of the trades are designated within the province, and outlines which currently have job opportunities.

Alberta Job Opportunities

As it is with the latest available statistics from Statistics Canada, May 2024, Alberta ranks at position four in all of the job vacancy positions in the entire Canada, rating behind the heavyweight threesome constituted by Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta job openings:

• Ontario 204,108

• Quebec 130,735

• British Columbia 102,720 

• Alberta 76,500

Thus promising a great employment opportunity for the job seekers’ personnel. Giving one a clear path for a fresh start in working in the trades sector or elsewhere, it offers a great employment opportunity.