A local municipal partnership is focusing on attracting workers to the Grande Prairie region.
The City of Grande Prairie, County of Grande Prairie, Municipal District of Greenview, Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce and Northwestern Polytechnic (NWP) are partnering to create a multi-year marketing strategy called Work NW Alberta.
“The (county) team is working hard with our regional partners to support our local businesses, and the Work NW Alberta Partnership was developed specifically to provide our businesses with the support they need to attract and develop the workforce they need to succeed,” said Bob Marshall, County of Grande Prairie reeve.
The partnership is built around a website, WorkNWAlberta.ca, that promotes the region’s lifestyle benefits and job opportunities.
Job opportunities, affordable housing
The website says the region will have about 4,280 “fresh job opportunities within the next five years,” which is about a six percent growth trajectory. The website highlights the region as being affordable, noting that the median price of homes in northwestern Alberta is about $311,717, compared to $697,000 in Calgary.
“The Grande Prairie-Greenview region is rich with employment opportunities across various sectors, offering an unmatched combination of cost of living and quality of life,” said City of Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton.
“This website serves as a central hub for individuals and families considering moving to our area, where they can easily find information about our communities, search for jobs in their field and get a taste of what our region has to offer.”
In a media release, Work NW Alberta says its next steps include working with industry partners and NWP.
“This initiative not only highlights the economic potential of our region but also emphasizes our commitment to enhancing the quality of life for our residents,” said MD of Greenview Reeve Tyler Olsen.
Multi-pronged campaign
Beyond the website, the strategy will include social media outreach, job fairs, recruitment events, tailored employer recruitment packages, and educational and upskilling programs.
Work NW Alberta says its initiatives result from comprehensive research conducted over several years and involving over 900 businesses, government, and regional stakeholders.
The partnership, previously named the Regional Workforce Development Partnership, has been working collaboratively on workforce development initiatives since 2019.
In fall 2023, the five partners made a multi-year commitment of funding by the five partners.
The annual budget for the program between the five partners is about $714,700 for the research and strategy implementation.
By Jesse Boily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
