By Liam Verster

growth in labour

Labour assessment report shows growth in the Grande Prairie area expected, more skills training needed

Apr 8, 2021 | 10:41 AM

The Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce has finished compiling the Regional Labour Market Needs Assessment, which shows promising growth for the region in the coming years.

Between March 2020 and March 2021, over 700 partners, including business owners, employees and employers were surveyed for the report. Through this process, the Chamber was able to gather perspectives and experiences, which helped shape the report that was released Wednesday.

Larry Gibson, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Grande Prairie Chamber of Commerce, says the report forecasts a growth in the region of eight per cent over the next five years.

“We know this area is an economic driver, not just for our region but for the province. We see that growth coming and eight per cent is fairly significant, and with some of the projects that have been identified [in the region], that could even grow from the eight per cent.”

The findings from the report show the fastest growing business sectors in the region is finance and insurance, which saw the number of businesses in that field rise by 35 per cent between 2014 and 2019.

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Health care and social assistance made the second-biggest gains with 24 per cent, followed by information and cultural services (15 per cent); arts, entertainment and recreation (14 per cent); and real estate and leasing (13 per cent).

Over the past five years, the industries that saw the biggest losses were wholesale trade (27 per cent); manufacturing (16 per cent); and mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction (10 per cent)

The report shows the top qualifications in demand for the region include licensed practical nurses, engineers, and certified financial planners. The top skills in demand are communication, management and operations, and customer service.

Along with trying to find ways to meet those needs, Gibson says workers in the area are looking for more skills training opportunities.

“They’re wanting to learn, they’re wanting to stay current with our ever-changing world we live in with technologies, process and new advancements in robotics and those kinds of things. People want to learn those things and they want to use those skills to help themselves but also help the businesses they work for.”

Nearly 85 per cent of respondents highlighted the importance of accessible and affordable education options to build those new skills. Gibson says finding ways to provide people with training opportunities can help guide the growth of select industries and sectors in the region in the future.

The report also finds the region has higher levels of self-employed entrepreneurs, as well as high levels of income when compared to the province.

The report will be reviewed by a panel consisting of representatives from the Chamber and from partner organizations, including those involved in education; industry; and local government. Through that, the panel will come up with ideas and projects to meet the needs identified in the report.

The Regional Labour Market Needs Assessment was led by the Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the City and County of Grande Prairie, the Municipal District of Greenview, and Alberta Labour and Immigration.