The Association of Maintenance Contractors of Canada brought together industry leaders, government representatives and educators at its 2026 Annual General Meeting to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing Canada's industrial economy: workforce readiness.

Hosted at NAIT, this year's AGM focused on the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead as Alberta prepares for significant growth across the energy, industrial, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors. Throughout the day, one message was reinforced repeatedly: meeting future labour demand will require stronger collaboration between government, industry, owners, contractors and post-secondary institutions.

Government Recognizes the Need for Greater Workforce Collaboration

A highlight of the AGM was an address by Chris McPherson, Alberta’s Deputy Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration.

Speaking directly to AMCC members, Deputy Minister McPherson outlined the workforce pressures Alberta is expected to face as major industrial, energy, infrastructure and defence projects move forward across the province. Labour availability, he noted, is becoming one of the defining economic issues affecting Alberta's future growth and competitiveness.

Importantly, the Deputy Minister referenced AMCC's One Industry. One Workforce. One Future. discussion paper, recognizing that stronger workforce planning, improved labour market information and greater collaboration between employers, workers and training providers will be essential to meeting future demand. He also emphasized that government values organizations like AMCC as important partners in helping identify practical workforce solutions.

For AMCC, this acknowledgement demonstrates that the challenges and recommendations identified by members are contributing to broader conversations about Alberta's workforce future.

Shaping the Conversation Before It Becomes a Crisis

The workforce discussion echoed a central theme from Board Chair Ken Sandmoen's Report from the Chair.

Maintenance contractors cannot afford to wait until workforce challenges become workforce crises. The industry must help shape the conversation today if it hopes to influence the decisions that will affect future projects, businesses and the skilled workforce required to support them.

That philosophy continues to guide AMCC's advocacy efforts as the association works with government, industry and labour partners to advance practical solutions that strengthen Canada's industrial maintenance workforce.

A Shared Responsibility

The AGM featured a workforce readiness panel moderated by AMCC Board Member Mitch Soetaert. The discussion brought together Shannon Marchand, Deputy Minister of Advanced Education; Peter Leclaire, Vice President Academic at NAIT; Graham Polischuk, Senior Turnaround Event Manager at Shell; and Heather Sazdov, Vice President, Canadian Refining at Cenovus.

Together, they explored how Alberta can prepare the skilled workforce needed to support future economic growth.

Panelists discussed labour market pressures, apprenticeship capacity, workforce mobility, changing workforce expectations and the importance of aligning education with industry demand.

While each participant brought a different perspective, there was broad agreement that workforce development is no longer simply a labour issue. It has become a matter of economic competitiveness, productivity and Alberta's ability to successfully deliver major projects.
A full recap of the panel discussion is available on the AMCC website. READ MORE

Looking Ahead

The AGM also marked the launch of the new AMCC Member Portal, providing members with access to advocacy resources, labour relations information, publications and industry updates. The portal reflects AMCC's ongoing commitment to delivering practical value and keeping members connected to the issues shaping the industry.

Planning is also underway for the third annual AMCC Symposium, taking place on November 30, 2026, in Calgary.

This year's theme, The End of Stability as We Know It, will explore how labour, investment, supply chains, demographics and industrial growth are converging in ways that are reshaping Canada's industrial economy.

AMCC is pleased to welcome Gary Mar, President and CEO of the Canada West Foundation, as keynote speaker. Additional speakers and a panel of industry experts will examine what these changes mean for maintenance contractors and the industries they support.

As the conversations at this year's AGM demonstrated, the maintenance industry has an important role to play in shaping Canada's workforce future. AMCC remains committed to bringing together government, industry, labour and education to advance practical solutions that strengthen workforce readiness, improve collaboration and support the long-term competitiveness of Canada's industrial maintenance sector.