Alberta Government: Budget 2022-25
The Alberta Government has released its 2022-25 budget.
Key funding anticipated for the transportation and research and innovation industries includes:
$30 million over the next three years to support commercial driver training and address other training challenges
$73 million over 3 years to help make Alberta an internationally recognized technology and innovation hub.
Alberta’s Ministry of Transportation has a 2021-22 operating expense forecast of $450 million, an increase of $42 million from 2021.
“Budget 2022 includes increased funding for summer highway maintenance, repairs to park roads, water management infrastructure maintenance, and Commercial Driver Grants which supports Alberta at Work,” the document reads. “It is estimated that by 2023 there will be a shortage of approximately 3,600 commercial drivers in Alberta. The ministry is continuing to focus on truck drivers as a key area of labour market demand leveraging proven success with the new Driving Back to Work program.”
Encouraging employment across all Albertan sectors the budget covers a number of initiatives such as The Canada-Alberta Job Grant.
“Enabling employers and employees to fulfil emerging needs by supporting already employed individuals to gain these skills will help reduce current skill gaps and keep individuals employed,” it reads.
The budget notes “various internship programs” or other supports including 20 exposure courses aiding Albertans in becoming certified in WHMIS, Transportation of Dangerous Goods and more.
“Budget 2022 will invest $15 million over three years to create a new nonrepayable support to low-income students in qualified high-demand programs. This will enable more low-income learners to participate in the advanced education system and facilitate greater workforce participation in the future.”
The Alberta Government says Alberta’s real GDP in 2022 is expected to increase by 5.4 per cent, and the provinces economy is expected to recover to 2014 levels.
To read the 2022-25 budget in full, click here.