Alberta wants to build new schools, but industry says labour shortages have construction sector stretched thin
CBC
Alberta construction officials are warning that skilled labour shortages might make delivering on the provincial government's ambitious, $8.6-billion plan to build new schools challenging.
"You could see that labour availability becoming even more strained, as we do have other projects on the go as well," said Warren Singh, the executive director of the Alberta Construction Association (ACA).
"We do feel that this is necessary. We do want to step up, we stand ready to work with the province in doing so, it's really just about how."
The School Construction Accelerator Program, announced by Smith during a provincewide televised address on Tuesday evening, will add $6.5 billion to the previously announced $2.1 billion the province had earmarked for new school construction, totalling $8.6 billion over three years.
Its intention is to relieve the province's population boom pressure on the education system by creating 50,000 spaces for students over the next three years, then an additional 150,000 student spaces in the four years after the initial three-year push, for a total of 200,000 student spaces over seven years.
During her address, Smith said cabinet just approved funding for schools in Calgary, Edmonton, Barrhead, Breton, Mallaig, Redcliff, Taber and Wainwright. However, the address did not offer details about whether schools will be built under public-private partnerships.
Singh says he's looking forward to having a conversation with the province to explore the details of the projects, such as whether or not the province will be considering a public-private partnership model.
The ACA executive director is hopeful that the province will engage with industry professionals in order to gain insights and expertise on how to deliver on the commitment over the time period that was announced.
"It's a lot of schools and it's very ambitious, but I think that, at the same time, we'd be looking to them and they'd be hopefully looking to us to develop that 'how,'" he said.
WATCH | Alberta's premier announces the School Construction Accelerator Program:
A spokesperson for Alberta's Ministry of Education told CBC News via email the program anticipates 30 new schools and five to eight modernizations announced each year, for the next three years, beginning in the 2025 budget, although specific school announcements will occur when the annual capital plan is released.
"In addition, this program anticipates the creation of 15 new charter school projects, and 20,000 new student spaces in modular classrooms over the next four years," reads the email.
During a press conference in Calgary on Wednesday, Alberta's Minister of Infrastructure, Peter Guthrie, also announced that immediate changes are being made to the government's funding process, which intends to shorten construction approval timelines. As a result, Guthrie says previously approved schools which are currently in the planning or design phase can move forward to the next stage as soon as they're ready.
He also says he's looking forward to working with industry partners.
