Community Futures Wild Rose approved for workforce development grant
By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Community Futures Wild Rose has announced the approval of a grant awarded for its “Advancing Workforce Development through Apprenticeship/Trades and Engagement” project.
The two-year initiative aims to address labour gaps and enhance business support in the Community Futures Wild Rose region.
Focus of the project will largely be on skilled trades, local healthcare, and in business engagement.
“This was a strategic initiative to address business support and workforce development challenges in our region. Our staff have been collaborating with different entrepreneurs and businesses in the area and have identified that … there are some critical labour gaps in some skilled trades, and so they were looking for a creative way to address that,” said Amber Link, board chair for Community Futures Wild Rose. “There was an application process through Alberta Jobs, Economy and Trade ministry for the Northern Regional Economic Development grant (NRED) and so it was a competitive process. They always receive significantly more applications than they have funds available to allocate.”
The project will consist of three key items which will be hosted throughout 2025 and 2026. These will include Try a Trade events in September 2025 and 2026, Healthcare Trade information days in June 2025 and 2026, and HR training sessions focused on effective recruitment strategies.
During the Try a Trade days, Community Futures Wild Rose will be showcasing trade schools and entrepreneurs in the trades, while offering hands-on demonstrations to participants.
The events will also feature interactive activities which will be designed to raise awareness for trade careers among high school students, as well as for adults exploring new career paths.
In total, the NRED announcement was for $9.8 million to be divided among 81 projects. Community Futures Wild Rose was recipient of $132,000 towards its project.
“That will be spread throughout the entire program. There are those other objectives with the trades and healthcare, so we are planning to hold those in May of this year and next year, where we are going to be showcasing high-demand healthcare trades and careers, and promoting the business growth in healthcare and looking at some of those labour gaps,” said Link. “There will be one in the Strathmore, Wheatland County, Chestermere, Rocky View County region, and the second one (will be) in that more northern part of the Community Futures Wild Rose region, encompassing that Three Hills, Trochu, Kneehill County area.”
At these events, the idea is to feature healthcare professionals as guest speakers, vendor-style booths, and a host of presentations.
Additionally, targeted resources will be made available in order to welcome diverse audiences in trades and healthcare industries.
These events will be open both to youth who may be coming out of high school looking to choose their career paths, or to adults already advancing through their careers.
“We are hoping that at least 30 new jobs will be created or filled in the trades and healthcare sector, and we are going to be tracking that through collaborating with the employers that attend those trade days and the Try a Trade days,” said Link. “We will also partner with the educational institutions to track participants that are transitioning directly from the trade schools into apprenticeships or job placements. We are also going to train and support 70 businesses through those HR sessions and the breakfast and share events.”
More information as well as exact event dates are made available through the Community Futures Wild Rose website.