ST. PAUL – Many businesses and organizations are facing staffing challenges in the St. Paul region, which prompted the St. Paul and District Chamber of Commerce to host a regional job fair at the Recreation Centre on Oct. 17.
Heath Bear, with the RCMP K Division’s proactive recruiting unit, spoke to job seekers about opportunities available with the RCMP.
“There’s over 150 different types of jobs within the RCMP,” according to Bear, from being a police officer to civilian employee careers. There are also post-secondary programs, offering students pathways to join the RCMP.
Requirements vary, but for the most part, the basic requirements when applying for job opportunities at the RCMP is to have a valid driver’s license, a Grade 12 diploma, be a Canadian citizen, or be a permanent resident for three years straight.
Bear said being involved with the RCMP is a rewarding career. The pay and the benefits are good.
“I have 19 years of service [and] I can retire in five [years] with a pension,” he said. “I never thought I would be saying that. I still feel young.”
More importantly, Bear said the RCMP is a good option for those wanting adventure, a challenge, and those who want to help others.
“That’s why I joined . . . to assist my community,” he said.
The St. Paul Abilities Network (SPAN) is also hiring people who want to help the community. The organization is looking for disability support workers.
SPAN is a non-profit agency supporting people who live with limitations or challenging conditions, created back in 1964.
“We have really good on-the-job training for people that may not have experience but would like to join SPAN as a career,” said Allison Yopyk, director of career inclusion and support services with St. Paul Abilities Network.
Curis Isley, SPAN’s Alberta Brain Injury Initiative (ABII) coordinator, said there are also many opportunities for growth within the organization.
“There’s lots of great experience you can get in managing teams or working as a team,” he said, and other learning opportunities that could help individuals, even outside of SPAN.
St. Paul Education is also looking to fill support staff positions such as bus drivers, custodians, and educational assistant positions on a casual basis.
Steven Schaar, associate superintendent of human resources, said there are also two full-time educational assistant positions in Ashmont and Glen Avon.
Yvonne Weinmeier, executive director of the St. Paul & District Chamber of Commerce, said she hears daily that businesses are struggling to find staff. To help address the issue, the St. Paul Chamber partnered with the Alberta Chamber of Commerce to host the job fair.
“There’s even businesses that I know that don’t have the capacity to leave their business to come here,” she stated. So, volunteers gathered resumes and provided information to job seekers for those businesses too.
Weinmeier said the Chamber is hoping to host another regional job fair in March 2025.
Rising unemployment in Alberta
In Alberta, the unemployment rate appears to be increasing.
According to Statistics Canada, Alberta’s labour force was 2.6 million people in September 2023. The number represents people who were employed and people who were actively looking for a job.
Of the 2.6 million, 2.4 million were employed, leaving about 144,000 people unemployed in September 2023.
In September 2024, the province’s labour force grew by 135,400 people, up to 2.74 million. But the number of employed people grew at a slower pace, growing by about 73,000 from last year – leading to the number of unemployed individuals growing from about 144,000 in September 2023 to 206,500 in 2024.
This means the unemployment rate increased from 5.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent.
Notably, according to the data, Alberta’s labour force dropped by 12,000 people between August 2024 and September 2024, despite the province’s population growing by 18,200 in the same timeframe.
Compared to the rest of country, Alberta’s unemployment rate is higher than most provinces. Ontario's rate rose to 6.9 per cent, and British Columbia saw a slight decrease to 6 per cent. Saskatchewan is at 5.7 per cent.
Alberta’s rate does remain lower compared to Newfoundland and Labrador’s which is the highest in the country at 10 per cent.
Particular industries in Alberta are struggling more than others. The information, culture, and recreation sector have the highest unemployment rate at 8.9 per cent as of September 2024, followed by accommodation and food services at 7.5 per cent.