Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) has broken ground on a $779-million Advanced Skills Centre that will become the largest capital project in the polytechnic’s history.
The 625,000-sq. ft. structure is being built on a 12-acre former City of Edmonton transit garage site directly north of NAIT’s Main Campus.
The project moved into construction one year ahead of schedule following a $384-million capital commitment from the Alberta government in Budget 2026. The province is funding 75 per cent of the project, with NAIT covering the remaining 25 per cent through internal resources, donors and industry partners.
The centre will bring 29 trades and technology programs together under one roof, covering construction, transportation, manufacturing and energy.
The facility is designed around hands-on training environments that mirror real worksites, with related labs and shops located near one another to encourage collaboration between trades.
The programs will include training areas for trades such as electrical, carpentry, welding, millwright, automotive, pipefitting, insulating and plumbing.
The project is expected to increase NAIT’s annual training capacity by 5,500 students, allowing the polytechnic to train more than 15,000 trades and technology students each year.
The expansion comes as Alberta faces a growing demand for skilled workers. NAIT has cited BuildForce Canada estimates that the province will need to recruit and retain about 59,000 construction trades professionals over the next decade.
The project also comes as the skilled trades workforce ages, with NAIT citing estimates that nearly 700,000 skilled trades professionals across Canada are expected to retire by 2028.
The centre is being delivered by PCL Construction as construction manager, with DIALOG and GEC Architecture providing architectural and design services. PCL was selected following a competitive procurement process.
The project is being designed to accommodate changing technologies and training requirements while bringing students from different trades together in a setting intended to reflect modern construction and industrial worksites.
The Advanced Skills Centre is scheduled to welcome its first students in fall 2030.
