Ask almost anyone on the BUILDEX Alberta floor what keeps them up at night, and the answer comes back fast. It is not the next bid or the next software rollout. It is people.
On Day 1, workforce came up in keynote Q&As, booth conversations, and at the Speed Networking tables. Contractors talked about the projects they could win if they had the crews. Owners talked about schedules that depend on labour they can't guarantee. And everyone talked about who will replace the experienced tradespeople heading toward retirement.
The concern is well founded. BuildForce Canada's 2026–2035 outlook projects Alberta's construction workforce will need to add 48,800 workers by 2035. Most of that demand comes from roughly 43,700 expected retirements, about 21% of the 2025 workforce. Even with record apprenticeship registrations, the province could be short as many as 5,300 workers by the end of the decade.
Some economists think that understates it. In an August analysis, ICBA's economists suggested the real shortfall could run three to four times BuildForce's estimate, partly because large proposed projects such as a major data centre aren't yet in the forecast.
It is not only about headcount. The mix of work is changing. BuildForce projects ICI building construction employment rising 31% over the next decade, while new housing employment falls 16% as residential demand eases from its 2026 peak. Light rail in Calgary and Edmonton, the Scotiabank Saddledome arena, hospital expansions, and school builds are all in the pipeline.
For contractors, that means retraining and redeploying crews, not just hiring more. A framer who spent the last five years on single-family homes may be on a school or hospital site within a few years. The firms that invest in that transition now will keep their people. Those that don't may lose them to competitors who did.
Across Day 1 conversations, a few approaches came up again and again:
The workforce conversation wasn't only happening on stage. Two exhibitors on the floor were focused squarely on the next generation of tradespeople.
The Educational Partnership Foundation (TEPF) brought its message to BUILDEX that every learner deserves equal access to education and the tools to grow. The charity works with government, industry and donors to run hands-on, industry-guided High School Trades Careers programs at off-campus facilities, an Indigenous Trades Careers program for high school students and young adults, and apprenticeship bursaries. For contractors worried about who will fill their crews in five years, TEPF is exactly the kind of partner that turns a teenager's interest into a trade.
The Government of Alberta's apprenticeship team was also on hand to highlight the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). RAP lets high school students aged 15 and older become registered apprentices while they finish school. They split their time between classes and an approved worksite, earn at least minimum wage, and collect up to 41 high school credits. Most importantly for employers, the on-the-job hours count towards their apprenticeship so that a RAP student can graduate with a head start on journeyperson certification.
For employers, the ask is straightforward: register a student, pair them with a qualified journeyperson and pay them for their time. In return, firms get a motivated young worker and a chance to build loyalty before that student ever enters the open job market.
For construction owners, the labour picture is no longer a contractor's problem to solve alone. Schedule risk, cost escalation, and quality all trace back to who is on site. Smart owners are starting to ask about workforce capacity during contractor selection, and to plan project timing around when skilled crews will realistically be available.
That is part of why BUILDEX's programming advisory committee includes the Calgary Construction Association’s workforce strategies lead, and why labour runs through so much of this year's agenda.
Alberta has the work. The question echoing through the BMO Centre on Wednesday was whether the industry can build the workforce fast enough to deliver it. The firms that treat recruiting and retention as a core business strategy, not an HR afterthought, will be the ones still growing in 2030.
Day 2 brings the ICI Construction & Trades Mixer and another round of Speed Networking, and we expect the workforce conversation to continue. Construction Owners will keep listening. Follow our live updates and interviews here.
