Alberta providing $2.8M to attract women to trucking
To help address the driver shortage in Alberta, the provincial government allocated $2.8 million over the next two years to help Women Building Futures (WBF) program provide necessary training and connections to attract more women to the industry.
In 2022-2023, the province committed $40 million over four years to provide commercial driver training grants to unemployed and underemployed Albertans.
“Our province is stronger when more women are in the driver’s seat, and through funding like this, we can help women gain meaningful employment,” said Tanya Fir, minister of arts, culture and status of women, in a press release.
Of the $2.8-million grant to WBF, $1.3 will be allocated in 2023-2024, and the rest of the funds between 2024 and 2025.
Currently, women represent only 2.9% of commercial truckers in Alberta, which is below the national rate of 4%. There are approximately 4,260 transport truck driver job vacancies in the province.
This impacts the supply chain and creates inflationary pressures, said Devin Dreeshen, minister of transportation and economic corridors.
“By providing grants to support organizations like Women Building Futures, we can help people get good-paying jobs and alleviate critical shortages in trucking,” he added.
Last year, WBF reported 18 programs delivered in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and 188 program graduates with 87% of them finding employment in fields related to their training within six months of graduating.
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I am happy to see there is a hope in women in the trucking industry.i have driven since 1995 .I am a woman I have driven state side and Canada, I have done pretty much every different trailer other than heavy haul.Clean abstract no accidents.i guess you can say I’m committed lol.but my problem is they say yes we have lots of work then nothing I’m always looking you never know for you might find what you’re looking for in driver
Hello Trucknews,
I have started an organization called “Canadian Skilled Trucker Alliance”, or CSTA2024. I still cannot believe that women have such a hard time in trucking.
I began in January 1976 and began seeing women behind the wheel, as few as they were, around the mid-80s. I know there are a lot of very capable women drivers, and I hope this grant will help to get them started.
The problem I have found out, is veterans like myself are left out of the equation. From the experience I have, companies don’t want to pay. So even I these days, have issues and why I have started CSTA2024.
Governments and Trucking Associations all work together and have placed a hardship on the trucking industry. It also does not help when some schools are not up to par on training. M.E.L.T or Mandatory Elementary-Level Training is not long enough and does not help those who can get a grip on the training.
I am glad that WBF is getting help, and I look forward to seeing and hearing good news from the trucking Industry, and that women overall, have broken the 3% barrier.
Respectfully
Stephen D James