Alberta could face a province-wide shortage of approximately 5,200 construction and skilled trades workers if 80% of its planned AI data centre capacity is built over the next decade, according to new research from the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC).
Commissioned by the Province of Alberta, the study examines the workforce needed to deliver proposed projects over the next 10 to 15 years, identifying labour availability and training capacity as potential constraints on the province’s AI infrastructure ambitions.
The shortage depends heavily on how much development proceeds—and how quickly. Building 50% of planned capacity over 10 years would still leave an estimated shortfall of 666 workers. Extending construction to 15 years would ease pressure, but an 80% buildout would still produce a shortage of 2,227 workers.
Those scenarios reflect a substantial development pipeline. According to ICTC’s research summary, Alberta accounts for an estimated 78% of Canada’s planned data centre projects and 92% of planned capacity, with 12,618 megawatts proposed across the province.
As DataCentre.ca previously reported, RSM Canada has highlighted both the scale of that pipeline and uncertainty surrounding its delivery, cautioning that some proposals are speculative and may never materialize. ICTC’s findings illustrate the workforce pressures that could emerge if a substantial share proceeds.
Alberta already has a strong industrial construction workforce, including electricians, plumbers, sheet metal workers, construction engineers and project managers. However, data centre employers favour direct experience in critical AI data centre environments—experience that remains difficult to find in the province’s emerging industry.
Experts consulted by ICTC warned that currently stable labour conditions could tighten rapidly if several proposed facilities launch simultaneously and compete with other major construction projects.
That competition could draw workers away from hospitals, public transit projects and oil and gas installations, while pushing wages higher for employers across the province.
Training presents another challenge. ICTC identified a lack of clear, coordinated education and career pathways, compounded by too few existing data centres to provide the on-the-job experience future projects will require.
Delivering more than half of Alberta’s planned capacity within the next 10 to 15 years would therefore require attracting workers from other provinces, countries or industries, accelerating the training of new tradespeople, or combining those approaches.
The report concludes with seven recommendations informed by research participants. These include establishing a provincial labour market information program, increasing awareness of data centre careers, strengthening skilled-trades pipelines, expanding post-secondary training opportunities, and developing Indigenous-led workforce and procurement pathways.
The research combined labour and economic modelling with an analysis of Canadian data centre job postings, guidance from an 11-member advisory committee, two industry roundtables and 21 interviews with industry leaders and experts.