The head of the Lloydminster Construction Association is happy with the prospect of infrastructure spending contained in the recent Alberta budget, however is concerned about the shortage of skilled labour.
President Krystal Monteith who is now in her second year welcomes the budgetary allocations for infrastructure spending.
“The money that’s allocated towards the facilities – new buildings, roads and bridges and fixing those that are already there; I’m thinking that is a good sign for our construction industry. We’re going to be very busy, hopefully across the board.”
The Alberta budget has almost $23 billion set aside for planned capital spending over three years. Some 28 per cent of that will go to support municipal infrastructure.
Monteith is concerned about the need to secure more skilled labour.
“The thing that we are going to be looking for next though is training for the apprentices. We have a labour shortage already to fill and with the increased demand for all the construction that is coming out – we are going to have a lot of spaces to fill, more than we already do.”
Monteith added the construction sector workforce is ageing out, be it truck drivers, journeymen and trades overall.
She still welcomes the 15 per cent increase on last year’s capital spending which she sees as a bonus to the construction industry.
The LCA, which has over 100 members, will be pitching to students when the Try-A Trade Expo is held on April 26 at the Lloydminster Exhibition.