In an attempt to help address workforce challenges in the manufacturing sector in Southern Alberta, Economic Development Lethbridge (EDL), alongside Lethbridge Polytechnic, Alberta SouthWest Regional Alliance and SouthGrow Regional Initiative have partnered with the Government of Alberta: Jobs, Economy, Trade, and Immigration (JETI) to deliver workforce tools and resources to Southern Alberta manufacturers.
Strengthening the Resiliency & Adaptability of the Manufacturing Workforce in Southern Alberta is a 2 year Labour Market Partnership. The project will be administered by EDL with support from the above mentioned partners.
“Manufacturing is the bedrock of the private sector economy in Southern Alberta, accounting for more than 70% of exports and approximately one quarter of employment when direct and indirect effects are taken into
consideration,” says Ben Young, Interim CEO, Economic Development Lethbridge. “This partnership with the Government of Alberta will allow our organization and our partners to identify workforce gaps and outline a strategy that will retain, attract and train quality employees in the manufacturing sector for the jobs of today and the future.”
Some of the key goals of the project include:
- Investigate labour shortages in occupations central to manufacturing.
- Document instances where the shortages are most acute and disruptive, and provide estimates of numbers required to fill these gaps.
- Address both demand and viability of local training opportunities for occupations where local supply shortages can be validated.
- Develop an automation & robotics workforce strategy which incorporates clear targets and proposes solutions to meet these targets.
- Investigate the use of A.I. by local manufacturers and develop a benchmark to gauge whether local firms are leveraging these tools.
- Develop and create an online tool which provides information and potential funding sources highlighting workforce training funding presently available.
- Build a strategy focused on expanding both interprovincial and international exports for manufacturing companies looking to tap into new markets.
- Develop promotional materials that can be used for workforce attraction and engaging students (elementary, secondary, and post-secondary) to highlight local manufacturing employment opportunities.
- Develop a workforce strategy focused on identifying labour force gaps and requirements, expertise, and supportive infrastructure required to develop the defence manufacturing industry in Southern Alberta.
“Lethbridge Polytechnic is proud to be a contributing partner in this initiative and remains committed to educating tomorrow’s workforce while helping Lethbridge and area manufacturers develop, attract and retain work ready talent,” says Brad Donaldson, President, Lethbridge Polytechnic. “As technology continues to evolve identifying and implementing new technologies, including AI solutions, will help ensure the manufacturing sector in our region remains competitive and resilient. This partnership refl ects the collaborative approach that drives success in Southern Alberta, and I look forward to seeing the impact we can achieve together over the next several years.”
Funding for this program is provided in part by the Government of Canada through the Canada-Alberta Workforce Tariff Response Agreement and is $580,000 over 2 years. These funds will be used to host and execute manufacturing workforce themed conferences, complete industry reports and workforce assessments, develop promotional and marketing materials, local and provincial manufacturing outreach projects, online workforce tools, numerous benchmarking reports, an automation and robotics workforce strategy and other related projects that fall within the scope of the partnership.
For more information, please contact:
Mark Neskar
Director, Marketing & Communications
Economic Development Lethbridge
mark@chooselethbridge.ca
403-393-6376
