ALBERTA

Grande Prairie could see up to 85,000 jobs in post-pandemic rebound, study suggests

CBC
Sun, December 24, 2023 

The report suggests it's easier to retain than attract workers to Grande Prairie, and other areas in northwestern Alberta. (David Bajer/CBC - image credit)

Post-pandemic job recovery is underway for Grande Prairie as the northwestern Alberta region is expected to see more than 85,000 jobs by 2028.

According to a new workforce study by Deloitte, factors such as family-friendliness, K-12 education, job opportunities, and higher wages are attracting people to work and stay in the region.

The report surveyed 465 employees and job seekers in the region, from April to May 2023, and 195 employers from February to March 2023.

A large majority of workers — about 400 — are satisfied with the quality of life in the region, the study says.

The report says job losses during the pandemic are expected to be fully reversed between 2022 and 2028. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by four per cent.

The majority of workers, 92 per cent, reported being satisfied with the region as a place to work. Reasonable commute times, job security, and access to benefits and sick pay all earned high scores among employees and job seekers.

The region's population is younger than Alberta's overall population, with 30 per cent of the northwestern region's residents between 25 and 44 years old. This bodes well for the region's economy, the study notes, as there will not be significant retirements in the near future, provided that young workers stay in the region long-term.

"A younger community can improve innovation, adaptability, diversity, inclusion, and long-term growth," the report states.

Northwestern Alberta looking to attract more workers

Jackie Clayton, mayor of Grande Prairie, said the city is prioritizing areas things like childcare and public transportation to enhance the convenience for workers and residents.

"When kids are happy, parents are happy," Clayton said. "Looking into all those little items that have an impact in people's overall quality of life has been a priority, while also being very strategic in where the opportunities for growth are in our region."

In the report, employers noted that it's easier to retain workers rather than attract workers to the region.

"Unless you've been here, it's really hard to understand what we have to offer," said Tanya Oliver, CEO of Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce.

"We have city amenities, we have small town amenities, we have rural life. We have a wide variety of opportunities here for different styles of life," she said.

"But it's hard to communicate that properly out to the masses."

The chamber of commerce is now working on developing tools employers will be able to use in their recruitment and talent attraction efforts using data in the report, Oliver said.

Northwestern Polytechnic looking at program offerings

The report found that access to appropriate work-related training is one of the top priorities for employees working in the region.

Institutions like Northwestern Polytechnic seek to meet that demand — by updating their course offerings using input from industry partners, said Vanessa Sheane, the Polytechnic's president & CEO.

The Polytechnic also looks at the labour market in the region when making program development decisions, she said.

If there's a sustained need, she said, the school may consider developing a for-credit program that would count toward a certificate, a diploma, or a degree.

"We really are open to and exploration of any type of programming that is needed in the region," Sheane said.