Alberta’s rapid expansion of AI data centres could strain the province’s construction workforce and leave it facing a serious shortage of skilled trades workers, a new report suggests.
Alberta accounts for roughly 78 to 92 percent of Canada’s planned data centre projects, with proposals totalling more than 12,000 to 20,000 megawatts—rivalling or exceeding the province’s entire peak electricity grid demand, according to a recent report by the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), a not-for-profit organization that offers digital policy advice.
If the province were to build 80 percent of its planned data centre capacity over the next five years, it could face a shortfall of more than 17,000 construction and skilled trades workers, the report said.
Stretching construction out over a decade would bring the worker shortage down to approximately 5,200 workers during peak building, while leaving an operating shortfall of 2,227 full-time technical staff once the project is online.
ICTC Chief Research and Communications Officer Anne Patterson said skilled workers like electricians, pipefitters, HVAC technicians, engineers, and construction managers needed by data centres will also be required for other building projects in the province such as housing and major infrastructure.
“The pace of development will have a major influence on whether Alberta can meet this demand,” she said in the report. “There is no large reserve of experienced workers waiting to be hired if several major projects begin at once.”
The study estimates that a single 400-megawatt hyper-scale facility may employ roughly 1,800 workers during peak construction, including 1,000 to 1,100 electricians and 350 to 400 mechanical workers.
Once competing commercial demand from the province’s existing infrastructure pipeline is taken into account, only 6,905 construction-phase workers would remain available across the province, the study found.
Construction industry leaders consulted by ICTC for the report identified critical infrastructure projects—including hospitals, public transit lines, and oil and gas facilities—as major competitors for skilled labour.
One expert said the environment could create a “talent tug-of-war” between data centre developers and the established oil and gas sector.
Stiff competition for specialized talent could also put upward pressure on wages, the report said.
“To secure the substantial workforce required for concurrent data centre developments, builders will likely rely on increased wage rates, aggressive signing bonuses, and guaranteed overtime to incentivize localized talent,” the report said. “In this scenario, compensation packages could rapidly outpace core inflation.”
It said the demand could also take a toll on local Alberta businesses that would be forced to raise their baseline salaries to prevent their employees from leaving for more lucrative data centre construction projects.
The report also highlights a shortage of specialized expertise. An analysis of more than 4,800 Canadian data centre job postings found that 81 percent of positions specifying experience required at least two years, while 39 percent called for six or more years of experience.
Patterson said meeting that demand will require a closer relationship between industry and Alberta’s education and training system.
“The findings present Alberta with a credible economic opportunity and a clear workforce challenge,” she said. “Developing specialized experience, improving access to current labour market information, strengthening employer-education partnerships, and expanding practical training pathways will help more Albertans participate as demand emerges.”
The report suggests expanding work-integrated learning and apprenticeship opportunities and speeding up industry-aligned credentialing at polytechnics. It also recommends creating an Alberta AI data centre workforce observatory to monitor occupational demand.
The Epoch Times contacted Alberta’s Ministry of Jobs for comment on whether the province has plans for hiring or training, but did receive a response by deadline.
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