Lethbridge employers hope enticements will attract skilled workers

The government of Alberta is offering a new incentive to bring skilled trades workers to the province.

With a $5,000 refundable tax credit, Alberta is aiming to aid employers with their search for good quality workers from out of province.

Chad Borne, owner of Borne Industries, says Lethbridge not only needs workers, but high-quality employees.

“Skilled labour is what gets a project completed. There’s a need for support and help and labour and apprentices, but with that, you need the people with the experiences,” said Borne. “Ten years or more in the industry and that is what we’re in need of.”

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Bridget Mearns, CEO of BILD Lethbridge, says the requirement for more workers stretches across the entire trades world, including housing.

“There is a vast need for skilled labour. Everything from finishing, carpenters, painters to HVAC workers,” said Mearns. “I haven’t heard of anyone in the industry who isn’t hiring and looking for good people.”

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She says there isn’t room for new workers if they don’t have a place to live, so hiring employees in the construction side of the industry is paramount to the success of the province’s new program.

Furthermore, Mearns says it is important for the incentives to attract new employees to Lethbridge, not just Calgary or Edmonton.

“It’s important that we bring them into the smaller (cities), like Lethbridge and having them stay in Lethbridge,” said Mearns.

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Borne says retaining the new workers is also important if this program is to be labelled a success.

“People are looking to build a stable career. They’re also looking to invest in where they’re moving their family, so it’s very important that we have the infrastructure to support those people,” said Borne. “Place to put them, that is what keeps them here — when the whole entire package is offered.”

He says there is no way of dictating whether a new worker remains in the province, or they simply take the tax credit and leave after a year or so.

“They’re going to make the decision for what’s best for them and our goal in industry, or as a company that’s hiring, is to provide the best opportunity to them and hope that it sticks around and that they see the value of the employment.”

Currently the government of Alberta is in phase three of its incentive plan. This phase is focusing on attracting college students, out-of-province workers and the total budget of the phase is $2.5 million.

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