An Alberta school starts trades training in Grade 7 as Canada seeks more skilled workers

As Canada looks to train more skilled tradespeople for infrastructure and housing plans, Grande Prairie Technical Institute, or GP Tech, is putting hands-on training at the centre of its curriculum, starting as early as Grade 7. The publicly funded charter school opened in September. Students can explore construction, automotive technology and culinary arts alongside traditional academic subjects.

Grade 10 student Landen Zacharias, 15, said he was surprised by how much hands-on work students do. After comparing some of it with what friends at other schools were doing, he said they were jealous. The opening has also brought challenges: some programs and facilities are still under development, and board chair Noshaba Harji says the school is finding its footing. Administrators had just 10 weeks to prepare the building before students arrived, she said, calling that a major hurdle. The school is in its early stages and aims to build an institution that meets community needs.

Grade 9 student Ryzdyn Shaw hopes to become a licensed automotive mechanic. He said his interest began when he was young and that he has worked with his father in their driveway and garage since he was about eight. He is studying construction at GP Tech and will start automotive training next semester.

**What is a charter school?**

Alberta is the only province in Canada with a public charter school system. Charter schools are publicly funded and independently operated by non-profit organizations rather than traditional school boards. They must follow Alberta’s curriculum but can use specialized approaches, including programs focused on science, technology, arts and alternative learning methods. Alberta has 36 charter school authorities, with dozens of school sites across the province. Most are in larger urban centres, particularly Calgary and Edmonton. Unlike private schools, public charter schools do not charge tuition.

Traditional public schools already offer trades-related courses, including construction, mechanics and culinary arts, prompting questions about the need for a separate charter school. Harji said GP Tech’s difference lies in how it weaves those skills into everyday learning, rather than simply pairing core subjects with trades options. Students spend about 70 per cent of their time in workshops, she said, developing foundational skills alongside academic studies.

**Building the future workforce**

Federal officials have warned that Canada needs to attract more people to the skilled trades. The federal government says the country will need more than 1.4 million new skilled trades workers by 2033, while an estimated 21 per cent of the existing workforce is expected to retire. Ottawa has announced an $8-billion investment through its Team Canada Strong initiative, aimed at recruiting, training and hiring 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal skilled trades workers by 2030–31.

Harji believes introducing students to the trades earlier could help meet future workforce needs, especially as experienced workers approach retirement. She said early exposure could help fill the gap and prepare for demand instead of waiting for it to emerge.

Economist Jim Stanford, director of the Centre for Future Work, cautioned that demand for trades workers can fluctuate significantly. Employers often complain about shortages, he said, but the career path has a real boom-and-bust aspect. He pointed to downturns in home construction and wider economic uncertainty, including U.S. tariffs, as factors affecting employment. At the same time, he said, if Canada’s plans for major investments in housing, mining and resources, and manufacturing come to fruition, the existing need for skilled trades training would intensify.

Education experts say introducing students to different trades at a younger age can help them explore career paths, regardless of how demand changes. Bonnie Watt, a professor in the University of Alberta’s faculty of education, said combining practical training with traditional subjects can make learning more meaningful. Working with a real object or three-dimensional piece gives teachers a way to connect physics, science, English and social studies to students’ tasks, helping them see how those subjects apply.

Watt said Grade 7 gives students a chance to discover what interests them and what does not before making decisions about their futures. If a student finds they do not like a particular skill set, she said, they can move on to another one rather than waiting until they are 20 to try it and decide against that path.

GP Tech has partnerships with Northwestern Polytechnic in Grande Prairie and SAIT in Calgary, offering potential pathways to further training.

**A community hub**

The school’s ambitions extend beyond the classroom. Harji said the vision is to make it a community hub built through partnerships. Longer-term plans include a student-run café and free automotive services for community members, such as oil changes and tire changes. The school also plans to expand its programming. Harji said it will offer aviation in the near future.

Zacharias hopes to own a construction business one day and said introducing young people to trades could help meet Canada’s future workforce needs. He said demand will keep growing, so schools like GP Tech can encourage young people to take part and stay engaged. He recalled his father’s reminder that even a lawyer or doctor needs a roof over their head.