Alberta's Construction Training Revolution

Alberta's Construction Training Revolution

In today’s job market, many people struggle to find employment, especially in sectors like construction. The challenge often lies in the lack of experience, creating a frustrating catch-22: you need experience to get a job, but you need a job to gain experience. Today on Bring Back The Porch, we’ll explore how Train Alberta is addressing this issue and providing essential training to help individuals secure jobs in the construction industry. You’ll learn about practical steps and resources available to you right here in Medicine Hat.

Train Alberta will be hosting an open house for those interested on Friday, May 1 from 11 am to 1 pm

Chapters

00:00 Introduction
01:10 Creating Ah-ha Learning Experiences at Train Alberta
02:03 Expansion of Medicine Hat Operations
02:41 The Inspiration Behind Alberta Programs
04:13 Breaking the Catch-22: Gaining Experience to Get a Job
04:58 Open Door Policy and Community Referrals
05:33 Other Programs in Alberta: Early Learning and Testing
06:49 Life Skills and Construction Training in 4 Weeks
08:02 On-Site Work Simulations and Skill Building
09:03 Partnering with Employers and Funding Sources
09:59 Intake Periods and Program Scheduling
11:48 Ideal Candidates and Support Systems
12:22 Ongoing Support and Re-evaluation
14:27 Other Programs: Early Childhood and Dispatch Training
15:48 True Colours and Workplace Dynamics
17:29 Additional Courses and Industry Certifications
18:02 Global Knowledge and Pearson Testing Centres
19:11 How to Connect with Train Alberta
19:30 Upcoming Open House Event

There are individuals in our community who face significant barriers when seeking employment in the construction sector. Social anxiety, a lack of transportation, or childcare issues can prevent qualified candidates from entering the workforce. Knowing this, Train Alberta has developed programs specifically designed to overcome these challenges and help individuals gain the skills they need to thrive.

Training programs like those offered by Train Alberta provide participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to enter the construction workforce. Simply walk into the Train Alberta office ,or visit their website, to find out about upcoming training sessions. You can also connect with community partners who may refer you to these programs. Saleema Khan, CEO of Train Alberta, emphasizes that they aim to provide individuals with valuable skills and experiences that lead to employment opportunities. 

Gain Hands-On Experience
Practical experience is vital for building confidence and familiarity with the work environment. After completing the life skills training, you will participate in a six-week work simulation program. This immersive experience allows you to work on various tasks and understand what to expect in a real construction job. As mentioned by Pam Kunz, the Regional Program Manager, this program provides participants with a comfortable introduction to the work site, helping to alleviate any anxiety they may have about entering the field.

Build Connections with Employers
Networking with industry professionals can open doors to job opportunities and mentorship. Engage with community partners and participate in events where you can meet employers looking for candidates. Train Alberta can help facilitate these connections. Saleema highlighted that they have developed relationships with local employers who are keen on hiring trained individuals.

Breaking into the construction industry in Alberta can seem daunting, but with the right training and support, it is entirely achievable. By enrolling in programs like those offered by T

Hey we need your support. Like and subscribe to Bring Back The Porch Podcast

Transcript

0:00

Hey, this is Brian again. And I'd like to ask you to do a favour. We can't do this work without people like you. So if you can, please, like, share, subscribe. Tell your friends about bring back the porch. there's a there's a skill set and a path that people like to take for the labor type work that can be done, and it can lead into so many avenues for people. And just knowing that we have a program that can now break down the barrier and challenge of getting into that industry by, solving that problem that people are having where I can't get a job because I don't have experience. I don't have experience because I can't get a job. While we're giving you the experience so that you can get a job, This episode of Bring Back the Porch, brought to you by Bernie Leahy, River Street Realty. Let's get you home. If you are looking at the show notes for this episode of Bring Back the Porch and you saw train Alberta, you were expecting to see a episode either about the C.P.R. or model trains. Sorry, you're in the wrong place, but if you're looking to be trained for a job in Alberta, you're in the right place. I'd like to welcome from Edmonton the chief executive officer of Train Alberta Incorporated, Saleema Khan, And in the studio, the regional program manager in Medicine Hat, Pam Kunz. Welcome. Hi. All. Now, when you go to your website for Train Alberta, you get a nice little splash on the welcome that says creating ah-ha learning experiences. How do we do that? So that's our tagline for Train Alberta. And it came about from my COO And she just happened to say we want to give people ah-ha moments. So in our training, we're trying to inspire people or to have them be like, I've learned something of value to them. So that's how the tagline came to be. medicine that. Now I think you were telling me that you have been in operation since last June, but you recently moved into, expanded quarters on third Street downtown. Yeah, we have a nice new building, and, it's not new. It's one of our classic Medicine Hat downtown buildings. But, we've taken it over on third Street, and, there's going to be 11 or 12 of us in the office, and we have a new program that launched soft launch April 1st. And, yeah, we'll be starting starting that programming very soon. And I'm very excited about that one. That's the one where I'm the regional program manager for so. So it Saleema you were telling us, when we were talking last week that, you were sort of the first person to start this idea. What made you think that this would work in Alberta? So I think my background comes from our sister company, MQ careers, and they've been in this employment and career advising sector for 30 years. So when we came to medicine had originally in June, we learned a lot about the community and what was working and what wasn't. So one of the things we learned is that, a certain demographic was having a bit of challenges, in the area, especially with things like social anxiety, things like that. So we wanted to pitch a program to the Alberta government that would want to help deal with maybe some of those challenges that people were having and to then train them to be employed. And so we launched this program in line with construction and construction adjacent industries in Medicine Hat. that's the program you were referencing, that you were very excited and. Very excited about it. Yeah. How come? Because it, fills a need that, I've seen grow and grow and grow and, I do have oil, gas construction in my background. And seeing that, you know, there's a there's a skill set and a path that people like to take for the labor type work that can be done, and it can lead into so many avenues for people. And just knowing that we have a program that can now break down the barrier and challenge of getting into that industry by, solving that problem that people are having where I can't get a job because I don't have experience. I don't have experience because I can't get a job. While we're giving you the experience so that you can get a job, you. Can get rid of the catch 22. Yeah. So someone that is watching or listening and they're going, oh, ha ha. How do they how do they get in? How do they get in? Right through the front doors. So yeah. So I mean our our office is ready for, for people to just walk in and see if it's a fit for them, if the program is what they're looking for. We have, community partners with all of our other resources around the community that we're, we're building relationships with so that they when they have somebody that they can see would fit the bill for this, for this program, they can reference them or, pardon me, refer them over to us as well. And there there really isn't an avenue that we wouldn't say, come on down and get into the program. So. Saleema, you have other offices in Alberta? Two I think you have one in Lethbridge. Yes, we do, focuses on a different sector, which is our early learning and childcare sector as well as we do some Pearson view testing. Okay. so our is the only program in medicine that right now, the one that you're referencing or you have more we have more. Okay. Because I was going to ask you about several of them, but when we were talking last week, the thing that caught me was the need to teach people how to be employed. That was like a really. You have to do it. Yeah, that was my moment. It's it's true. We have the first, the first part after after they, you know, traditional intakes and getting an assessment done of where people are at and how we can meet them and how we can take away challenges and barriers that they may have. And it's not the classic challenges and barriers that traditionally we would look at where, you know, maybe mental, physical disability or, you know, challenges that they have. In that way, it can be socio economical challenges. It can be I don't have a vehicle, I can't afford work where, you know, I need childcare. So I can I can go back to work. Those are barriers. We're also able to help, like there's there's a lot of things that, you know, you keep keep throwing us a barrier. And we're going to try to take that down for you so that we can get you employed. And after all of those things, can be, mitigated. Then then we get to put you in class for four weeks, and it's it is, it's life skills, four weeks of life skills from, you know, you walked in the door, you might not have had enough strength to go to the worksite. So we're going to build that up for you and give you skills from nutrition when you're working in a labor job. Right. Like, time understanding of time commitment when you're working in the labor job, financing when you're when you're getting a steady paycheck, how to get yourself ahead quickly. So all of those life skills plus employability, understanding. Right. Like expectations from from your employer and health and safety in the worksite. And you know, we're also going to give them the training that traditionally goes with construction. There are certain courses that you take through training entities that that are very valuable to you on, on the worksite. We also make sure that those are given as well. And, and, that's stage one, four weeks of class. For all that in four weeks. And then what's next after that? We actually, put you out on a work site. So for about six weeks, you will go to a work site, every day. And, it's a it's a work simulation. So there will be, multiple pieces of heavy equipment. There will be all different kinds of work simulations that you would find on a work site. And you will continuously do this over and over again and, hopefully find, a maybe a, a very specific labor type position that you like and enjoy and maybe excel at, maybe you see a direction you would like to go. In the construction world, maybe heavy equipment is your is your jam, and that's what you want to learn. But it takes away the the fear of walking onto a worksite and not knowing what's going to happen. And, and, worksite awareness is very important. So understanding what these pieces of equipment do and their, their roles and responsibilities and, the operators of those, those pieces of equipment and, just continuously getting that. So the, the comfort comes, from that simulation to, to have people not feel maybe as nervous walking just from, you know, instead of coming into our front doors, going into a construction office, front doors and, and saying, hey, I just want to work, you have some familiarity. So you learn by doing and repetition. So Lima, how did you find people to partner with for this program? Employers. So our other program that we kicked off in June, gave us that ability to start connecting with companies in Medicine Hat. That's also where we kind of heard from employers what their challenges were. So that's originally how we started to get to know the community, especially through the employers. And then we found a partner who really wanted to have people look at construction as a profession. So not just a safety job. So that's how we decided, to kind of put something together and, become a partner for this. And the cost houses funded. So this is funded 100% by the government of Alberta. So there is no cost to the clients or to the employers. Okay. So somebody is listening to this and says, yeah, that's, that's that's for me. Are there different intake periods Pam. Like, do they have to wait for 12 weeks or 14 weeks or whatever? Yeah, we have our first intake May 4th and then I believe June 20th something. Sorry. But yes, there were staggering them. Our goal is to, over the next two years, get, you know, 100 folks, working, in this industry. And one of the, the beautiful things about this is, is we have that give and take throughout their relationship with us. If they go out on this worksite and it's overwhelming but intriguing, then maybe we need to dial it back and do smaller equipment type jobs. Maybe, you know, we'll get them some forklift or skid steer or, you know, bucket truck, some sort of training that can that can give them the skills on, you know, professional landscaping, maybe, you know, warehouse work like the the adjacent is, is a big factor for us because we can we can meet people where they're at in their comfort level, and then maybe they can build into that. Okay. So May 1st is the first intake. And then I think if I do the last 6 or 4 weeks initially and then 12 weeks as well every 16 weeks. Yeah. About that. Yeah. Starting May 4th and then and then we'll consider each each one. That way we kind of have want to have 8 to 10 in each, each intake. We are going to take a little downtime in the January February ish because, you know, they're going all winter. And so that's kind of a nice catch up for anybody that you might need a little reset or break or, you know, reevaluation. But the beautiful thing is we're there for for these folks that are coming in, for a whole year after after they start, you know, if their first job placement they get doesn't work out, come right back to us and, and we'll, you know, we'll reevaluate and see if there's other ways we can help you. Who is your ideal candidate for this program? Anybody that wants to work and wants to feel some purpose, understands the value in committing some time into your future. This is definitely not a walk in the door, and we're going to put you to work the next day. There's, there's there's an understanding that there's growth that comes with this program and, and the, the hopes are that that keeps people employed longer because they've invested in the time themselves as well. So it sounds like there's going to be someone walking along with each person in the course of this, 16 weeks. Yes, definitely. So the way we design this is a collaborative process. So the participants definitely need to be engaged and willing to work with us. But we have a staff problem, and I think we're about 7 or 8 people who are there to support them and to help them to understand how to take one step after the other, how to get through the journey. We've got some rules, like the service navigator who is really going to look at what community supports are available, what supports do we have available to help people reduce any challenges they might have? Like Pam has talked about? Our current employment visor is going to work with them to do like one on one coaching, as well as to help them to assess and understand their own situations. How often are be evaluated? The evaluation is kind of a strong process that happens at the very beginning. And then because we are so engaged with them throughout their entire process, I wouldn't necessarily say a reevaluation because we are at continuous improvement mindset. Right? Like we want to make sure that they know that at any checkpoint they can they can come back and say, okay, this didn't work. And let's I guess we could call that a real evaluation, but it might not be. We reevaluate them, just all of the moving parts that are with their program. Any of your partners that you'd like to give a shout out to that are helping you with this? Well, Tara Train is is the construction site. And they're, you know, they're they're in it for the long haul too. And, and, I'm very, very proud to say that their, their time and investment into, building this program and participating in it will just it's the next steps in a pretty awesome, potentially awesome continuation of training for folks in this industry. Okay. Can we talk a little bit about some of the other programs that are there other than the one that you, have talked about before? I think, Saleema referenced the early childhood learning program. Is that only in Lethbridge, or can you take that here, too? Oh, let's talk about that one. Yeah. So our early learning and childcare is actually online. So anybody across Alberta can register and take it. We do offer two routes for it. So a certificate program and a diploma program. And after the level what we call it level two or certificate, they apply to the government of Alberta to get the early learning childcare, a level two certificate. And then to the diploma is the level three certificate, which allows them to do like a supervisory level and a in a daycare childcare setting. sounds like a program that would be good for someone who can't go to, college or secondary institution. This is something they can do at their own pace. Almost everything. I would say that we're trying to do is meeting people where they're at and filling a need, for them. Right. And if it's, you know, if it's just a day course or, that just that one more step they need to get done. That's the beauty of it. Walk through the doors and and help is there. We we don't always know what it's going to look like, but we will. We will make sure we can find it out for you. But that first step through the door is key. Another program that caught my eye was the dispatch training. That sounds interesting. Again, I'll slam it. That one's not something I'm seeing here yet. yeah. So again, our dispatcher training is, an online course, self-paced. A lot of times it's to help people get into, like, the transportation industry, even into, like, food, like not delivery, but, like, requests. So a lot of times it's very easy to take and it's a certificate that people can then use to apply to roles. And another one to our website is True Colors, which, a little interesting there. What, what what's that all about? It is a little interesting. So that that's on our other side where we actually help employers. Okay. So we are and we do that with all of the programs. If there's, if, there's if there's ways we can we can help employers improve their, their work culture or get over a rut or, you know, maybe help them understand working with each other, how that can be better and true. Colors is is one of those work dynamic? I believe it's a full day program, understanding, you know, personality traits and maybe why there's a little bit of discord with a group of people and, by by breaking it down and understanding each individual trait and the individuality of each person is how that makes them unique, but how they contribute to the team and how to make that better. And every job, there's always someone that's a little difficult. You need to know how to navigate those. Yeah. And it's sometimes it's just, you know, understanding from more behind the scenes of that individual and where their personality traits lie and, and what levels they're at. And it helps with communication for sure. Train Alberta plus what's the plus. That is a myriad of online courses, you know, geared towards things like health and safety, the construction industry accounting. So it's just an ability for people to come and take quick courses, like micro-credentials that they may want to take. Okay, the global knowledge it says here is Western Canada's partner for industry recognized it training. Anybody who's ever had to work with a computer needs it helps. So that would be an interesting career. How do I get into it? Yeah. So for global knowledge, we are a partner with them. So anybody who can look at global knowledge is catalog. If there's something that they're looking for, they would just, reach out to us. There should be links on our website and we would help place them in a course. For larger companies, they may want training for their whole company. And in that case, as a partner, we can arrange like on site training, for example. And a Pearson Vue testing centre. I guess this is in less, which I don't know, but you might be able to refer people. What? What's that all about? Saleema. Yeah. So we kind of do that in combination with global knowledge. So a lot of times people need to take exams after taking training. And not just for global knowledge. So like their real estate license, generally those people have to go to a Pearson test centre to write their license or to renew it every year. So it's just a place people go. They write their licenses, and then they hopefully pass, and And just cross it. Yeah. Well, it sounds like you have an awful lot to offer the people of southern Alberta, I guess, because your geographical area. And let's bridge Medicine Hat. You have a red deer to sister company. Okay. All right. Now the website. How do we find you? I don't know if you want Oh, our website is train alberta.com. That's pretty easy. And it's a nice website. Very friendly. Easily. Yeah, yeah. Is there anything else that we haven't touched on yet? Before we wrap up our visit. We are having a open house. An open house, next Friday, May 1st, from 11 to 1. Of course, snacks, coffee and all that kind of jazz, but, yeah, it's it's for literally everybody. Come in. Let us tell you about the program. Let us show you around the office. Our office, actually on the main floor is a resource centre as well. We have five computer stations set up. So if you don't have access to a computer and you want to take some courses, we set you up. And you can do that right there. Coffee, snacks ready to go and create a little workspace for you. Literally. Like if you were at work. And you can you can work on our computers, you can come in, you can job search. You can, you know, we can help build a resume, help you rebuild a resume. But all of that is right in our resource centre right off the main street. Well, as you referenced earlier, you're trying to get rid of any barriers between someone finding a job. And, it sounds like you've got all the bases covered trying. Well, Saleema Khan and Pam Kunz, thank you for your visit. Anytime. Thank you very. I'm.