$30M to be spent on trades, technology programming in Alberta over next 3 years
More than $30 million will be spent over the next three years supporting apprenticeship and learning opportunities in skilled trades.
Minister of Skilled Trades and Professions Kaycee Madu announced the funding Friday at Edmonton's Harry Ainlay High School.
He said Alberta expects to see a high number of skilled trade workers retire in the next few years, and the province needs young people to "step forward and make the most of those opportunities."
Budget 2023 is allocating $23.5 million to Careers: The Next Generation, an apprenticeship agency, and $6.9 million to Skills Canada Alberta, which offers trades and technology programming for young people and leads the Skills Canada National Competition.
Stefan Rutkowski, director of operations for Careers, said more than 34,000 young people have been placed in internships by the agency since it started in 1997, and more than 80 per cent of those have stayed in their trade.
Last year, he said, was a record with almost 2,500 youths across the province being placed in a paid-internship.
"We're on track this year to increase this number even further, and this is exciting for Alberta youth for sure," Rutkowski added.
Ray Massey, board president of Skills Canada Alberta, said skills competitions help participants make connections and build their abilities outside of a traditional apprenticeship.
"It sets our youth up to experience success, to earn friends," Massey said. "The self-esteem and self-worth that is built in participating in [skills competitions] is second-to-none."
The Alberta government said Budget 2023 is also providing $10.7 million over three years to Women Building Futures.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
developing Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
Biden OKs US$60M in aid after Baltimore bridge collapse as governor warns of 'very long road ahead'
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned Thursday of a 'very long road ahead' to recover from the loss of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved US$60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse.