Skill. Value. Safety.

Building Trades of Alberta

We coordinate and promote the interests of 18 Alberta local trade unions whose 60,000 members work in the residential, commercial and industrial construction, maintenance, and fabrication industries.

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Construction Trades Hub

Everything you need to start your career in the unionized skilled trades.

Start Planning Your Construction Career:

  • Explore the many skilled trades in Alberta.
  • Sign up for FREE trade-specific learning resources, videos, tutorials and more!
  • Use easy-to-access online study tools to help guide you through your apprenticeship.
  • Learn how joining a union can support you in your successful career.

Building Resiliency

Building Resiliency is an innovative program designed to support the Building Trades of Alberta’s membership in raising awareness about mental health, wellness, and resiliency in the workplace.

Supporting Mental Health and Wellness:

  • Develop skills for managing your mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing.
  • Become a certified Peer Support through the Workplace Mental Health Leadership Certificate program.
  • Learn about the benefits of a Recovery-Informed-Workplace.
  • Sign up for Headversity, a free interactive digital service that offers confidential mental health support.
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Apprentices and Training

The BTA affiliated unions provide the best safety training and skills training in the industry. Working with our industry partners, the BTA and its locals promote careers in the building trades through visits to high schools, trade fairs, scholarships, and much more.

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Build Together

Build Together is committed to highlighting rewarding careers in the unionized skilled trades to underrepresented groups, including women, Indigenous, youth, and new Canadians.

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Path Forward

BTA’s Path Forward initiative seeks to foster hope and belonging in Alberta’s Indigenous youth, countering high rates of addiction, incarceration, mental health issues, and suicides in their communities.

Supporting Working Parents

Supporting Working Parents

We are committed to removing roadblocks to success, and barriers to progress, that are sometimes overlooked in the skilled trades because of the unique needs skilled-trades workers and their families face.

The Skilled Trades Advantage

The BTA coordinates and promotes the interests of 18 Alberta local skilled trades unions, whose more than 60,000 members work in the residential, commercial and industrial construction, maintenance, and fabrication industries.

The BTA:

  • Promotes a safe industry.
  • Works to influence legislation, regulation, and government sentiment toward organized labor.
  • Creates and participates in alliances and partnerships with owners and contractors.
  • Participates in boards, associations, committees and other industry groups.
  • Develops programs that support under-represented groups in the trades.
  • Develops programs that highlight the value of unionized labour to create more work opportunities for our members.
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BTA News

Stay in the know by browsing our recent posts below.

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Stay Connected

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Building Trades of Alberta

Building Trades of Alberta

The BTA proudly coordinates and promotes the interests of 18 Alberta local skilled trades unions

The BTA's Chair Ian Robb, presented the Building Resiliency program to the Millwrights Local 1460 Alberta at their membership meeting. The BTA’s Building Resiliency is a partnership with the YourAlberta (Government of Alberta) and experts in the field of mental health, wellness and recovery-informed workplaces. The programs and services offered through Building Resiliency are free to all affiliate members and their families. Life’s daily pressures can be hard to manage, and finding support isn’t always easy. BTA members have access to TELUS Health and headversity’s Skills and Resiliency Microlearning, which is available on any electronic device wherever you may be. You can build skills to help you handle daily stress, strengthen mental health, and support those you care about and work with. If you or your family members are struggling with substance use, Breaking Free is a self-guided, interactive digital service that is a confidential recovery support. Building Resiliency is also about developing Peer Supports who are on work sites to help build a culture and work environment where it is safe to speak up to ask for help, share ideas and reduce stigma around mental health. Thank you to the Millwright members, to Business Manager William McLeod, and Business Representatives Ross Gallant and David Maitland, for welcoming us to your halls. Shout out to Jason Gotwalt from headversity for taking time out of his schedule to present. It's time that skilled trades workers get access to the mental health support they deserve. We are looking forward to the next presentation to members of union affiliates across the BTA! Check out the website at: buildingresiliency.bta.ca/ #BuildingTradesofAlberta #BuildingTrades #MillwrightsLocal1460 #BuildingResiliency #MentalHealthWellness #MentalHealthAwareness #TELUSHEALTH #Headversity Dan Williams ... See MoreSee Less
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Our Executive Director Terry Parker connected with many figures across our industry at the 2024 Shutdown Turnarounds Superconference. The BTA looks forward to building new partnership opportunities as we prepare for a year of growth in 2025!Terry spoke with our friends Ken Sandmoen, AMCC Chair and VP, Major Projects Canada, BrandSafway and Lorna Jellow, Director of HR for BrandSafway. Terry also spoke with the company’s VP-Western Canada Sean Sylvestre.Terry Parker and Rob Calver connected with Brendan Dunne of Bartlett Group as well as George Matwychuk and Ryan Midgley from Taurus. With so many opportunities on the horizon for this highly-skilled group, the BTA is always happy to support them.Terry had a great conversation with Jordy East of Waiward Construction. Waiward is a strong Building Trades contractor and valued partner.Last but certainly not least, we said hi to our friends in the United Association Local 488, the UBC Millwrights and Millwrights Local 1460 Alberta. They are doing a great job of showcasing the value of union construction for workers, contractors and owners alike.We thank the Canadian Institute for hosting this year’s Shutdown Turnarounds Superconference. This event brings together voices, perspectives from across our industry.#buildingtradesofalberta #buildingtradesofalberta #shutdownturnarounds #skilledtrades #UnionStrong #unionmaintenance ... See MoreSee Less
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It was a pleasure to join our partners in the Association of Maintenance Contractors of Canada (AMCC) for their very first Industry Symposium! Our Chair Ian Robb spoke on the BTA’s Building Resiliency program and the value that a psychologically safe workplace can have for employers. We thank the AMCC for their continued support of Building Resiliency. We also thank Mayor Jyoti Gondek for recognizing of the importance of this initiative. Together with the Government of Alberta, we can build an industry that values mental health wellness for all!Contractors and Building Trades affiliates exchanged ideas on how we can cooperate to strengthen the maintenance industry. Our Executive Director Terry Parker spoke on the importance of creating opportunities for first-year apprentices.Congratulations to the AMCC on hosting a successful symposium! These opportunities for contractors, unions, owners and other partners to connect are what allow us to build a successful industry.#Maintenance #UnionizedMaintenance #AMCC #BuildingTradesofAlberta #BuildingTrades #SkilledTrades #BuildingResiliency #MentalHealthWellness ... See MoreSee Less
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