Building Skills Connections Series: Perspectives of Alberta Employers

Alberta’s employers understand that a skilled workforce is critical to economic competitiveness. This report shares findings from a provincial survey of employers, shedding light on the sets of skills, credentials, and occupations that employers look for in Alberta’s evolving economy. It examines the extent to which employers engage in work-integrated learning activities and the strategies they deploy to fill in-demand occupations.

Document Highlights

In 2018, The Conference Board of Canada conducted a survey of 382 Alberta employers in key economic sectors to determine the skills, occupations, and credentials they need to thrive.

The majority of employers said they were transitioning to a more highly skilled workforce or would be doing so in the next three to five years.

If unable to meet their skills needs, employers said they would face consequences such as reduced productivity, inconsistent or lower product/service quality, reduced profitability, and reduced sales or loss of new opportunities.

Employers identified a range of challenges related to human skills, including employability and management skills, innovation skills, and technical or occupation-specific skills.

Most employers said they were seeking recruits with post-secondary education (PSE) credentials, especially university degrees and professional designations, but there was also demand for polytechnic degrees, college and polytechnic diplomas, certificates, and trades.

Many employers indicated they were investing in their skills needs by participating in work-integrated learning (WIL) programs, with co-op being one of the most popular options.

While most said they had good or excellent opportunities to communicate skills and training needs to PSE institutions, nearly a third perceived the opportunities to be limited and 5.6 per cent believed they were non-existent.

When asked what more Alberta PSE institutions could do to address their skills and training needs, employers called for more engagement and collaboration between industry and PSE. Other desires included curricula that integrate industry content and balance theory and practice; and teaching the knowledge and skills (both soft and technical) that employers seek.

Respondents also stressed the importance of a PSE system that reflects Alberta’s economic realities and can respond quickly to evolving industry needs.