6 in 10
Alberta employers report difficulty hiring tradespeople from other provinces.
See how a hire’s assessed knowledge and competencies align with the role and what gaps may need to be bridged before they start, so every project starts on solid ground.
REQUEST YOUR FREE ACCESSSkillsCheck is built by Shift iQ · Access for employers and tradespeople is funded by the Government of Alberta
In the spring of 2026, the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum surveyed 419 employers and 511 tradespeople across Alberta, alongside a consultation with the construction, heavy mechanical, and fabrication sectors. Here's what we found.
Alberta employers report difficulty hiring tradespeople from other provinces.
It's not being able to tell how an incoming worker's assessed knowledge and competencies align with the job.
Tariff-driven disruptions have displaced experienced tradespeople from manufacturing.
SkillsCheck is a competency assessment platform anchored to the Red Seal Occupational Standards, the national benchmark employers already know. Ask a current or prospective employee to complete a guided assessment, and SkillsCheck returns a clear, individual report on their assessed strengths and development needs.
SkillsCheck is powered by Shift iQ, an assessment and training platform that helps organizations create, deliver, and analyze skills assessments and certification programs.
See how each person's skills measure up to the applicable trade requirements, so you can put the right people on the job and keep projects safe and on track.
Each report flags exactly where a worker's gaps may be, so any training you invest in goes where it's needed, not where you guessed.
Spot skilled people from adjacent sectors whose assessed strengths may carry over, strong candidates you'd otherwise screen out for lacking the exact ticket.
Behind every SkillsCheck is the team at Shift iQ, with decades of experience developing assessment and certification solutions. Employers benefit from assessments designed to deliver consistent results, support confident hiring decisions, and provide a clearer picture of job readiness.
A single employer access can cover as many of your people as you need to assess. Your organization receives an allocated number of SkillsChecks that can be assigned across as many current or prospective employees as needed.
CAF-FCA will review your request and coordinate with SkillsCheck to set up your employer account and allocation.
Browse the SkillsCheck catalogue and select the assessments that match the trades and roles you need to evaluate.
Assign your selected SkillsChecks to current or prospective employees. Each assignment is drawn from your organization's allocated pool of SkillsChecks, with no set limit on the number of people who can receive them.
Get an individual report for each person, showing their assessed strengths, development needs, and alignment with the relevant trade requirements.
Your organization receives an allocated number of SkillsChecks.
Open to any trades-sector employer, with no limit on company size.
You can select SkillsChecks from the catalogue based on your organization's needs.
For your organization's own hiring and training, not for sharing with other employers.
SkillsChecks can be assigned across as many current or prospective employees as needed.
You agree to respect the intellectual property of SkillsCheck.
Access to SkillsCheck is funded by the Government of Alberta and open to trades-sector employers with an office in Alberta.
Tell us about your organization, the trades you hire for, and the number of SkillsChecks you require.
CAF-FCA will review your request and follow up regarding your employer account and allocation.