Next phase of ‘Alberta is Calling’ campaign targets skilled workers in Ontario, Maritimes | 24CA News
The subsequent section of the provincial authorities’s “Alberta is Calling” marketing campaign, which is able to attempt to appeal to staff from northern and southwestern Ontario and the Maritimes, was launched Monday.
The Alberta authorities is hoping to handle labour shortages in sectors like expert trades, well being care, meals service and hospitality, accounting, engineering and expertise.
“Almost every sector in Alberta needs people to fill the jobs,” mentioned Brian Jean, Alberta’s minister of jobs, financial system and northern growth.
He mentioned the $5-million push will embrace adverts throughout a number of mediums, embrace transit adverts and billboards.
Jean mentioned this section of the “Alberta is Calling” marketing campaign is specializing in locations the place expert staff want jobs, the place there’s excessive unemployment and underemployment.
Specifically, the provincial authorities mentioned it’s focusing on St. John’s, N.L.; Charlottetown, P.E.I.; Moncton and Saint John, N.B.; and Halifax, N.S.; and in Ontario: Hamilton, London, Windsor, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Chatham, Timmins and Cornwall.
“We targeted these because of the high unemployment but also because of the highly skilled trades,” Jean mentioned.
The first section of the federal government’s marketing campaign was targeted on attracting staff from Vancouver and Toronto.
“This campaign is expanding to a number of different markets,” Jean mentioned, “playing on the successes of the last campaign.”
Regarding the primary section, he mentioned “the return on investment was fantastic,” citing web migration to Alberta at document ranges. Jean mentioned 33,000 Canadians moved to Alberta within the third quarter of 2022.
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‘Alberta is calling’ marketing campaign to draw staff, promote wholesome competitors: economists
“Alberta is Calling” has touted the benefits of residing in Alberta, saying the province has “the highest weekly earnings and lowest taxes in Canada,” an “excellent quality of life and affordable lifestyle,” “access to world-famous mountains and parks for year-round hiking, skiing, biking, and more than 300 days of sunshine per year.”
The subsequent section of the marketing campaign will broaden internationally, Jean mentioned.
He defined the actual nations haven’t been recognized but however will probably goal these the place folks face the fewest quantity of obstacles — language, training — in shifting to Alberta.
Jennifer Henshaw with Restaurants Canada joined Jean for the announcement Monday in Canmore.
She highlighted the labour scarcity within the hospitality and repair industries particularly, saying many Alberta companies have needed to pivot, cut back hours and a few are even working at 80 per cent capability on account of “acute labour shortages” within the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Henshaw mentioned Alberta has about 18,000 vacancies in its service sector.
In August 2022, then-premier Jason Kenney kicked off the “Alberta is Calling” marketing campaign to lure expert staff from Toronto and Vancouver.
The UCP authorities spent $2.6 million on that first section, which included adverts on social media, radio and posters in high-traffic areas.
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