'We need quality people': Alberta welding companies say need for employees is dire
Alberta welding companies say they’re having trouble bidding on projects because they can’t find enough workers.
“The way the industry has grown these days, everything is high tech you know, they want quality so there’s no shortcut anymore. To do that kind of quality work we need quality people,” Gary Manku of Altex Industries told CTV News Edmonton.
In July, Manku flew to Chile to recruit workers. He plans to do another recruiting trip in India in the new year.
He has two new workers starting on Monday from South Korea, and 11 more coming from Chile in January, but he says it’s not enough.
“Altogether I’m looking for 13 guys over the next couple of months,” he said.
Manku wants to see more students enrolling in welding programs in Alberta.
“I think our biggest problem is kids these days, they want white collar jobs.”
The province says it’s working toward filling that gap.
“We are committed to supporting industry to fill any labour gaps by working with the post secondary institutes to closely track enrollment levels and increasing seat numbers when necessary to meet regional demands,” said Kacy Madu, minister of skilled trades and professions in a written statement.
“We have recently seen an increased demand for welders, and are actively working with our post-secondary partners to train more apprentices in this field.”
Madu also said the government has invested more than $145 million in apprenticeship education in Alberta over the last three and a half years.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.