NAIT, Wikimedia Commons, CC License
EDMONTON — Alberta’s government says it will invest $384 million over three years to expand apprenticeship training at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology through construction of a new Advanced Skills Centre in Edmonton.
The province says the project, announced as part of Budget 2026, is expected to create space for an additional 5,500 apprentices annually in skilled trades programs tied to construction, transportation, manufacturing and energy.
Government officials say the facility will add approximately 625,000 square feet to NAIT’s main campus and is expected to open in fall 2030.
Early site work is scheduled to begin this spring, with major construction expected to start in 2027.
Premier Danielle Smith says the investment is intended to help address growing demand for skilled trades workers as Alberta’s population and economy continue expanding.
“Skilled trades offer Albertans the chance to build a good life, create something lasting and help shape the future of this province,” Smith said in a statement.
Advanced Education Minister Myles McDougall described the project as one of the largest investments in trades training infrastructure in Alberta’s history.
The province says the new centre will consolidate 29 programs into job-site-inspired training environments designed to provide more hands-on learning opportunities for students entering the workforce.
NAIT president and chief executive Laura Jo Gunter says the expansion will help train more workers for industries facing growing labour demands.
“NAIT applauds the Government of Alberta for this historic investment in the skilled trades,” Gunter said.
The total project cost is estimated at $560 million, with NAIT contributing funding alongside the provincial government.
NAIT says approximately 40,000 students attend the institution annually, with more than 30 per cent enrolled in apprenticeship and skilled trades programs.
The province says apprenticeship enrolment has continued increasing as Alberta’s economy grows and more workers retire from key industries.
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