Calgary construction boom fuels concern over future skilled trades shortage

A surge of construction activity across Calgary is creating optimism about the future of the city but it is also raising concerns about whether there will be enough skilled workers to keep developments moving in the years ahead.

The city is entering one of the most significant construction cycles in decades, with an estimated $20 billion in major commercial projects expected to begin over the next three to five years.

Concurrently, the city is investing more in its capital budget than ever before, with $3.7 billion committed as part of a multi-year plan to build, repair and modernize the city’s infrastructure.

The result is a city-building boom that is stretching the construction workforce, although projects remain on schedule.

“It is tight. People are hiring constantly and looking constantly,” says Bill Black, president and chief executive officer of the Calgary Construction Association (CCA). “Nobody’s unable to perform a project yet. We haven’t got there yet, but it’s on everybody’s mind.”

For now, he says, the industry is managing to keep pace with the work already underway.

But with thousands of trades expected to retire in the coming years and a wave of major projects still in the pipeline, Alberta is facing a construction worker deficit projected to reach tens of thousands.

“I think what people are realizing is something I’ve been saying for a while; this is a 20-year issue. This isn’t going to go away,” says Black. “We’re going to see retirement cycles kicking in, so we’re likely to see retirements continue to be higher than intake. We can’t take our foot off the gas.”

While contractors are managing to keep pace with what is on the books, “nobody’s taking their eye off the ball,” he says.

High-profile developments include a new event centre and entertainment district near the Stampede grounds, the renovation and expansion of Arts Commons in the downtown core and construction of a new De Havilland aircraft manufacturing complex east of the city. Major infrastructure work is also underway or planned, including the Green Line LRT and construction of new schools and public facilities.

“These are significant, complex projects with long timelines,” Black says. “Many of them have durations of two to three years, which creates steady demand for skilled labour.”

Labour demand in Calgary’s construction sector is already high. Statistics Canada data shows in the third quarter of 2025, the Calgary economic region had roughly 5,300 job vacancies in trades, transport and equipment operator occupations. That represents nearly one quarter of all job vacancies in the region.

“When nearly one in four job vacancies are in trades and related occupations, it’s a clear signal that we need to keep investing in workforce development, training and pathways into the skilled trades,” says Black.

Contractors are carefully managing their workloads, choosing projects strategically to ensure they have the workforce capacity to complete them, he notes.

“Everybody is weighing what the potential labour demand will be when they look at bidding. They’re trying to keep themselves within a bandwidth they can handle.”

Another factor helping Calgary manage the current boom is the mobility of skilled workers. Tradespeople from other provinces often move to regions where construction demand is strongest.

However, even with the current influx of workers, the industry faces the longer-term challenge of an aging workforce.

The situation is partly the result of decades in which fewer young people pursued careers in the skilled trades, says Black.

“It’s not something that’s going to turn around overnight.”

Because of that, industry leaders say the solution lies in long-term investment in education and outreach to attract the next generation of workers.

The CCA has launched several initiatives aimed at introducing young people to careers in construction and expanding the talent pipeline.

One program, called Honour the Work, brings construction-related learning materials into elementary school classrooms. The program includes a curriculum supplement kit for Grades 1 to 6 teachers, and consists of books, lesson plans and activities about construction. The program is now being used in more than 950 classrooms across the Calgary region.

“We realized we had to start earlier,” says Black. “Showing up in high schools wasn’t enough. We needed to reach kids, their parents and their teachers sooner.”

The association has also launched an Adopt a Shop initiative to support school shop classes, which often face funding challenges.

Through the program, construction companies provide financial support, materials and expertise to help schools maintain hands-on training programs. Fifteen school shops are currently participating.

In addition, the association runs a Teachers and Trades Tour, where educators and career counsellors visit construction sites and training facilities to learn about the wide range of careers available in the industry.

“Most people know about welders, carpenters, electricians and plumbers,” says Black. “But there are more than 130 different careers connected to construction.”