As the demand for skilled labour surges in Alberta, Building Trades of Alberta (BTA)-affiliated unions are rising to the challenge of training the next generation of trades workers. Several BTA affiliates own and operate AIT-accredited apprenticeship-training facilities, such as the Plumbers & Pipefitters, Electricians, Ironworkers and Carpenters. These centres offer the top-quality, industry-informed training that our rapidly changing construction field demands.
As the Government of Alberta recognizes the value of Building Trades apprenticeship-training programs, more trade unions are on their way to becoming major training providers.
Alberta Bricklayers Union to Open Canada’s Largest IMI Training Centre
The Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 1 will soon open the doors of its new training facility for apprentices from every corner of Alberta.
Last Summer, Local 1 acquired a new space in Edmonton, Alberta, to serve as its union hall for members and to begin training new bricklayers. Local 1’s Business Manager Ken Coghill and his team wasted no time. After setting up shop, they began running apprenticeship-readiness programs for aspiring bricklayers across Alberta.
Local 1 has run numerous highly successful training and early-career development courses in partnership with various organizations, including The Educational Partnership Foundation. These programs have connected groups of ambitious students from Indigenous communities around the Edmonton Area with the skills they need to excel in their apprenticeships.
But it’s not just the future Journeyperson bricklayers who have already benefited from this facility. Local 1 hosted engineers and instructors from the Canada Masonry Design Centre for a hands-on workshop that allowed them to lay brick and block. This program allowed engineers to experience the job of the bricklayers they work with in the field, creating a greater appreciation for the skills of the trade.
Local 1’s International Masonry Institute currently sits as the largest centre of its kind in Canada. With its vision of becoming the central hub for masonry learning, training, and industry advancement in Western Canada, we have only seen the beginning of what this space has to offer. No one trains like the Building Trades Unions, and Local 1 is building the next generation of Alberta’s Bricklayer workforce one brick at a time.
Click here to read more about the future of bricklayer training in Alberta.
Alberta Millwrights Union Receives Accreditation for Training Centre
On April 11, 2025, the Millwrights Local 1460 received Apprenticeship Industry Training (AIT) accreditation to deliver Industrial Mechanic (Millwright) training directly out of their Provincial Training Center.
Local 1460 operates its own world-class training centre, offering an exceptional array of equipment, tools and a controlled environment that allows participants to hone their skills under the tutelage
Training is set to begin with the First Period Industrial Mechanic program and will be available to both union and non-union apprentices. With new equipment on its way, this space will increase Alberta’s capacity to train new industrial mechanics taught by the best in the field.
Read more about this centre here.
Support from the Government of Alberta
The BTA was thrilled to hear the Government of Alberta announce an investment of $5 million to support the growth of union apprenticeship training. This announcement came with the unveiling of its 2025 Provincial Budget on February 27.
Our affiliates provide innovative training that is informed and accountable to industry. This important investment will increase our province’s apprenticeship training capacity and ensure that the next generation of Albertan skilled trades workers are ready to meet the demands of new projects.
We thank Premier Danielle Smith and Minister Sawhney for their support of this crucial training. With more union training on its way, we look forward to working with the government to continue supporting the growth of apprenticeship training.