In partnership with the City of Grande Prairie, County of Grande Prairie, MD of Greenview and Province of Alberta, the Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce announced the launch of a Labour Market Needs Assessment.

Larry Gibson, Chamber of Commerce Board Chair commented, “For a strong and diverse local economy, we need to ensure that employers have the talent they need. The Chamber is proud to partner with the Province and our municipal partners to engage business, industry and local communities in a cooperative effort to gain a more in-depth understanding of local labour force needs and opportunities.”

It will assess the local labour market in all three municipalities, and identify labour gaps and opportunities, as well as future job needs. The study aims to strike a balance between the priorities of individual municipalities and those of the region.

Leaders in all three municipalities are very supportive of the study.

Mayor Bill Given said, “The study will help us better understand our local labour force today and into the future. This information will support regional economic development by enabling us to provide potential investors with robust context on our local labour market and it will allow industry, governments and educators to better plan for the region’s future labour needs.”

“Conducting the labour market study will help us better understand our local labour force. By understanding the current needs and future labour demands, we are in a better position to attract the qualified processionals who will help increase our economic growth and stability for both the County and the region. We encourage participation from the local business community to ensure that the study is capturing the necessary information to ensure that we can compete in the national and global economies,” said Reeve Leanne Beaupre of the County of Grande Prairie

Reeve Dale Smith of the Municipal District of Greenview commented, “As part of Greenview’s goal to build a stronger more diverse economy, it is imperative that we understand the needs of our industry and local business. By participating in this regional Labour Market Needs Assessment with our regional partner communities, we can begin to develop a deeper understanding of how we can best support industry in attracting skilled workers to this growing region of Alberta.”