Building Natural Infrastructure Capacity Across Professions and Skilled Trades in the Canadian Prairies
As interest in natural infrastructure rises across the Canadian Prairies, there's a growing need to expand the expertise of professionals and skilled trades workers to support these projects. This report explores ways to enhance capacity by improving skills and knowledge across various professions.
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Grey infrastructure will remain the default unless we increase the development of skilled tradespeople and professionals in natural infrastructure.
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In 2022, the natural infrastructure sector directly employed over 33,000 people on the Canadian Prairies. If demand grows, there won't be enough professionals and skilled tradespeople to design, build, operate, and maintain it.
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It's vital that professional associations build the availability and capacity of skilled professionals and tradespeople to design and deliver natural infrastructure projects.
As the demand for natural infrastructure continues to grow across the Canadian Prairies, it's essential to build more professional capacity. Successful projects are supported by various professionals and skilled tradespeople, including not only those traditionally involved in grey infrastructure, like engineers and planners, but also experts who work closely with nature, such as landscape architects, biologists, agrologists, and horticulturalists.
This report shows that professional associations are key to the future of the natural infrastructure sector. Without targeted capacity building for related professions and skilled trades, grey infrastructure will remain the default option.
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