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Chamber urges greater post-secondary presence in downtown Calgary

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce has released a report focused on developing infrastructure to meet the talent demands in the city

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The Calgary Chamber of Commerce is calling for more investment in the downtown to better attract and retain skilled workers.

The Chamber released its third report in a four-part series to address the workforce shortage in Calgary called Unlocking our Talent Potential. This edition focused on developing infrastructure to meet the talent demands in the city.

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Deborah Yedlin, president and CEO of the chamber, said it comes down to people and physical infrastructure.

At the heart of it is the downtown, either as a place for more post-secondary to be located for training and access, or for a restored vibrancy and to attract more workers to the city.

That will take more provincial dollars, she said.

“That $5 million that the previous government gave to both downtown Edmonton and Calgary, it was just a slap in the face,” said Yedlin. “You have a city where corporate decisions are made that have an impact not just on the province but on a national economic standpoint. But you don’t necessarily have a downtown that reflects that.”

She said it is critical for more post-secondary to be relocated downtown. The issue was highlighted in the province’s Calgary Office Revitalization Expansion report this summer. With a new premier, however, Yedlin said these policy discussions are just getting underway again.

While there are some post-secondary assets downtown, including an office for the Energy Transition Centre with the University of Calgary that opened last week, Yedlin said entire faculties should be relocated to the core. She singled out the faculty of law, the faculty of architecture, planning and landscape, and the faculty of social works. She also suggested bringing the Alberta University for the Arts downtown to maximize investments already made in the arts and entertainment district.

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“It makes all the sense in the world but we need provincial funding — to support that would be a huge undertaking,” she said. “It would signal such a shift to downtown Calgary. . . . There’s actually an argument here that makes some sense.”

Yedlin said the post-secondary investment needs to continue with additional funds for the Alberta Jobs Now program for training and re-skilling, and to further evaluate what skills are needed for the current job climate and the role micro-credentialing can play.

One issue that has come up in recent months is the struggle many new grads are having in finding work in Calgary’s tech sector despite low unemployment numbers and thousands of job postings. Many places are looking for experience that new grads do not have.

Yedlin said businesses should be leveraged as talent developers.

She said the province could create a tax incentive or credit for local companies to support apprenticeship and work experience programs, and something similar for students to encourage them to stay in Calgary and work locally.

The physical infrastructure includes continued investment in public transportation such as the Green Line or developing a CTrain leg to the Calgary International Airport, and pushing for a rail link to Banff.

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CTrain riders wait at the City Hall station on March 23, 2022.
CTrain riders wait at the City Hall station on March 23, 2022. Photo by Gavin Young/Postmedia

The report calls for affordable housing that is connected to transportation, and increasing the density of some neighbourhoods.

“That’s a bit of a tough conversation in some parts of the city,” said Yedlin.

The report said 18 per cent of the city’s population is aged 15 to 29, making it a key workforce demographic. It is also the slowest growing demographic in the city, making it even more important.

The report said improving the city’s vibrancy and diversity in arts, entertainment and cultural experiences for those in their early 20s is key.

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To do this, Yedlin said there needs to be a priority on developing entertainment options, such as the proposed event centre, and bringing more events to the city.

She said the city needs to work with local business improvement areas and community organizations to make the events Calgary does have easier to find, including building an easy-to-use open database or calendar of all events.

Yedlin also said the city should look at making public transportation free for major sporting events, festivals and the Calgary Stampede to improve accessibility.

The report also recommended the formation of an intergovernmental working group to co-ordinate and support a Calgary Olympic bid.

jaldrich@postmedia.com

Twitter: @JoshAldrich03

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