There will be 80 more apprenticeship seats added to existing apprenticeship programs at Northwestern Polytechnic.
In Grande Prairie, there will be 20 more seats in the industrial mechanic or millwright program and 24 additional seats in the electrician program. In Fairview, 24 more seats will be added to the heavy equipment technician program and 12 to the automotive service technician program.
Deputy Premier and Minister of Skilled Trades and Professionals Kaycee Madu says the added program spots are meant to help deal with the growing shortage of qualified and trained professionals in these industries.
“These 80 additional seats will allow more Albertans to fulfill their potential in a rewarding career and help meet the needs of Alberta’s booming economy,” Madu says.
The additional seats will be made available this school year. Minister of Jobs, Economy and Northern Development Brian Jean says expanding programming in the region is ensuring education opportunities are available across the province to build successful and rewarding careers.
“Northwestern Alberta is poised to be an economic driver of Alberta’s prosperity. Investing in more apprenticeship training spaces will ensure that we have the labour ready to handle opportunities that are coming in Grande Prairie and the area,” Jean says.
Before the additional 80 seats were announced, there were 783 committed apprenticeship seats throughout programs at Northwestern Polytechnic. $841,800 from the Apprenticeship Technical Training Grant will be used to fund the additional seats.