Investment in Capital and Workforce to Address Demands

Edmonton, AB, February 28, 2025 – The Alberta Construction Association (ACA) acknowledges the government’s 2025 Alberta Budget, highlighting both commendable investments and areas requiring further attention to support infrastructure development across the province.

Consistent and predictable capital funding is something ACA sees as essential to meeting the province’s rapid population growth and increasing infrastructure demands. The expansion of Highway 686 has been something we see as an important step in increasing our connections east and west in the northern corridor. We hope to see it eventually reach the Saskatchewan border.

Also, the increase over the next three years set aside for educational infrastructure, both in K-12 and post-secondary, are examples of how the government is continuing to build for current and future growth. We acknowledge that the current climate regarding tariffs make long term economic decisions difficult. The ACA is pleased to see the government is continuing to invest in infrastructure building despite this uncertainty.

“We commend the government for maintaining funding in its capital plan for key infrastructure projects such as the road expansion to support economic corridors and funding increases for educational infrastructure,” said Jason Portas, ACA Chair. “These investments are critical to ensuring Alberta remains competitive and well-positioned for future growth and economic expansion.”

We agree with the government that there is a long-standing need to speed up the auto credentialing process for skilled workers from provinces and countries that have similar standards to ours. This has long been an advocacy objective for ACA. 

ACA has advocated that the current Alberta Advantage Immigration Program currently does not do enough to bring skilled trade workers into the country to help fill our gaps. We have worked with the government on this issue and pleased to see they are in agreement on advocating for this expansion at the Federal level.

Despite these positive steps, the ACA remains concerned that challenges remain unaddressed. The absence of a long-term predictable funding model for capital projects creates uncertainty within the industry, impacting labour productivity and investment. Additionally, we remain concerned that the government is looking to reduce funding to capital maintenance and renewal, which can create long term problem with infrastructure repairs.

With persistent skilled workforce shortages across the construction industry, we note that there is little clarity in the way of support for skills adoption and industry-led training funding. We continue to encourage government partner with industry and the federal government to provide additional funding for a replacement to the Canada-Alberta Jobs Grant.

Additionally, the government should further support for job-connectivity programs for youth, such as work-integrated learning opportunities. This investment can equip Alberta’s workforce with essential skills and allow them to connect with the construction industry, which will require over 23,000 skilled works over the next 10 years.

The ACA see a lot of positive steps and funding in Budget 2025 to support a strong construction industry. ACA looks forward to collaborating with the government to refine these policies, ensuring that Alberta’s construction sector continues to drive economic resilience and job creation.

About the ACA:

The ACA, representing over 2,500 member organizations through an integrated partnership with local construction associations in Alberta’s industrial, commercial, and institutional construction sectors, appreciates the government’s commitment to infrastructure investment.

The construction industry in Alberta employs over 247,000 people (representing roughly 10% of total employment); almost $28 billion towards Alberta’s GDP (over 8% of total – 2023); and almost $48 billion in investment. The impact of the construction sector is expected to grow over the next year and beyond with investment in non-residential construction increasing to almost 13% over the next decade.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Warren Singh
Executive Director
Alberta Construction Association
policy@albertaconstruction.net