Job planning and training programs

Programs, tools and resources to help out-of-work Albertans get trained and return to the job market.

Helpful resources

Find a job

With Alberta’s economy on the road to recovery, there are more job opportunities and a near record number of Albertans working. There’s never been a better time to get to work.

Resources are available to help Albertans brush up on their job search techniques and connect with potential employers.

• Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) is a resource for job seekers. Get help writing your resume or cover letter, learn how to network and prepare for your interview and check out job search resources and labour market information.

• Alberta Works and Alberta Support Centres provide employment services and career resources. They also host job fairs, workshops, information sessions and region-specific labour market information. Call, click or come in to one of 50 locations across the province.

• Alberta Indigenous Construction Career Centres connect employers with qualified Indigenous job seekers registered with the centres. Centres provide a range of services, including career coaching and skills assessments.

• MyWorkQuest is a youth employment portal that connects young people to helpful services and information for careers and employment planning.

Improve your skills

Workplace skills and training programs help unemployed, marginally-employed, newcomers, Indigenous people and women secure and maintain employment. Training for Work programs are available in 61 communities and First Nations reserves across Alberta.

• Immigrant Bridging trains skilled immigrants with prior education or experience in a specific occupation so they can bridge skills or knowledge gaps to gain employment.

• Integrated Training provides unemployed or marginally-employed people with a unique blend of occupation-related skills, work experience placements, applied academics and English as a Second Language.

• Transition to Employment Services provides unemployed people one-on-one services to enter the labour market, including job matching, short-term training courses and equipment required for the job.

• Workplace Training supports employer-driven work-site training and paid-work experience opportunities to those who are unemployed and experiencing barriers to employment.

View the Employment and Training Services Directory to find a program in your area.

Work in the trades

Skilled trades play a vital role in our economy. We're committed to supporting apprentices as they progress toward certification and helping journeypersons find new opportunities.

• Apprentice Training Award provides $1,000 financial support to apprentices who have completed their first period of technical training and are not currently working in their trade.

• TradeSecrets Alberta has options for apprentices still affected by the downturn including financial assistance for technical training and preparatory programs for people who wish to become an apprentice but are unable to find an employer.

• Trade Winds to Success is a 16-week pre-apprenticeship program to help Indigenous people pursue careers in the construction trades.

• Women Building Futures prepares women for careers in the trades and other industries where women are historically under-represented. In 2016, 94% of grads were hired in their trade or career of choice.

• Bridge-to-teacher certification is a one-year program that prepares certified tradespeople and industry professionals to teach high-demand career and technology programs.

Go back to school

• Post-secondary tuition freeze was extended to the end of the 2018-19 academic year to help keep tuition and fees affordable for university, college and apprenticeship students. Undergraduate tuition in Alberta is now lower than the national average.

• Student loans and grants are available to help students reach their post-secondary education goals. Eligible students may receive up to $7,500 per semester for full-time studies and $10,000 for part-time studies.

• Indigenous Careers Award encourages First Nations, Métis and Inuit Albertans to pursue high-demand post-secondary career programs. Eligible students may receive up to $4,000.

• Indigenous Graduate Award provides up to $15,000 to eligible First Nations, Métis and Inuit students attending a master’s or doctoral degree program.

Grow your business

• Self-employment training program provides up to 26 weeks of formal instruction on all aspects of business operation, including business plan development, business counselling, coaching and guidance.

• Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) provides a wage subsidy to employers who hire high school and post-secondary students between May and August. The program helps nearly 3,000 students gain the skills and experience they need to get good jobs and connect with employers. Employers can apply for the 2018 program in the new year.

• Canada-Alberta Job Grant (CAJG) is an employer-driven training program where employers and government share the cost of training new and existing employees to increase their knowledge and skills. Employers choose who they want to train and the type of training offered.

Find more small business supports

Supports for workers with disabilities

• Alberta Employment First Strategy calls on governments, employers, agencies and Albertans to work together to welcome more people with disabilities in our workplaces.

• Disability-related employment supports provides funding to help Albertans with disabilities overcome barriers to receiving an education or finding employment.

• Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) employment supports helps train, educate and support adult Albertans with developmental disabilities get and keep jobs.

• Internship Program for Persons with Disabilities provides interns with work experience, training and development and attracts more people with disabilities into the public service.