Alberta to open trades discovery centre for students

Alberta is launching a new skills centre in Calgary aimed at giving junior high and high school students hands-on exposure to careers in the skilled trades before they graduate.

The Alberta government announced March 27 it will provide $6 million over three years for the Alberta Trades Discovery Centre, an industry-led initiative expected to open in fall 2026.

According to the province, the centre will offer students a professional space to explore construction trades, learn from experienced tradespeople and gain a better sense of their interests and strengths as they consider high school courses, post-secondary options and future careers.

Advanced Education Minister Myles McDougall said Alberta’s prosperity depends on a strong skilled workforce and the new centre will help students see the opportunities available in the trades while complementing training already offered by post-secondary institutions.

The centre will be governed by a board made up of representatives from Alberta’s construction sector, including the Alberta Construction Association, Building Trades of Alberta, Construction Labour Relations Alberta and OpenCircle.

Board chair Warren Singh said the Calgary site will serve as a pilot for what organizers hope will become a sustainable model for other parts of the province.

The province said the centre will focus on career exploration rather than apprenticeship training. Students will be able to try different trades in work-like learning bays designed to simulate real job settings.

Alberta said its industrial, commercial and institutional construction sector employs more than 250,000 people and will need more than 59,000 additional workers over the next decade.