There are many ways to find employment in Alberta. The bigger challenge is finding a career that you want to stay in for long-term. 

Many newcomers work survival jobs while they work towards their careers. Working towards a career may require taking English classes, bridging programs or going to College or University. Luckily Alberta has many immigrant associations, resources and programs to help newcomers find meaningful employment. 

The Alberta Government does have an “Employment Support” page that helps Albertans looking for work or facing layoffs. In addition, the Alberta Learning and Information Service(ALIS) has many valuable resources for searching and applying for employment. Both pages are excellent ways to start your job search.  You can find many resources below to help you find employment in Alberta. 

General Working in Alberta Resources and Organizations

• Government of Alberta: Working in Alberta
• Government of Alberta: Employment Services

**This is an amazing list made by the government listing all bridging programs, employment services and English language classes. You can find it for the major cities in Alberta below: 

• For Calgary click here
• For Edmonton click here
• Working in Alberta: A guide for internationally trained and education immigrants
• **Momentum: A NGO that helps people with employment
• ** City of Calgary Youth Employment Centre
• Canada Visa: Alberta Economy and Employment
• Alberta Labour Market Information
• Alberta Labour Market Notes: Updated Monthly with current job market data.
• Getting your international credentials assessed with the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS).
• Visit an “ Alberta Supports Centre”, or apply online, to find supports and programs for your job search. You can click here to find an office near you.

Ways to find employment in Alberta

1. Upgrade your English: LINC/ESL Programs

The Government of Alberta: Improve your English Resources is a great resource for finding information on the multiple ways to improve your English. *Please note that to attend a LINC program you need to take a language assessment test and get a referral. Below are the assessment centres. 

• Edmonton: Language Assessment, Referral & Counselling Centre (LARCC)
• Calgary: Calgary Language Assessment and Referral Centre (CLARC)
• Lethbridge: Southern Alberta Language Assessment Services (SALAS)
• Medicine Hat: Karen Ziemann Consulting: 1657 31 Street SE 403-527-5062
• Red Deer: Central Alberta Refugee Effort
• For a list of all testing centres in Canada click here.

2. Bridging Programs/Training Programs

• Here is a list put together by the Alberta Government that lists all “Training for Work Programs” that help individuals get back to work.
• The Alberta Government has an Integrated Training program that provides hands-on learning experiences, specific skills and helps newcomers bridge over to employers. The Integrate Training program includes immigrant bridging programs that focus on helping skilled immigrants with prior education or experience, gain employment.
• The Alberta Government’s Employment and Training Services Directory can be used to lookup training opportunities in Alberta.

3. Immigrant Agencies with Employment Assistance

Many immigrant agencies offer free employment counseling as well as courses to build your skills for the Canadian workforce. See below for many organizations in Alberta that offer assistance and courses for immigrants. If you live outside the main cities in Alberta search “employment counselling” and your location. 

Calgary Organizations

*Click here for a complete list of services in Calgary *check back here for updated lists

• Centre for Newcomers: Career Development and Job Search ServicesCalgary Immigrant Women Association (CIWA): Employment Services (Women only)
• Calgary Catholic Immigrant Society(CCIS): Professionals and Job Seekers’ Services
• The Immigrant Education Society (TIES): Employment Services and Training
• Young Women Christian Association (YWCA): Employment Resources Centre (Women only)
• Making Changes (Women only)  

   Edmonton Organizations

    *Click here for a complete list of services in Edmonton * Check back here for updated lists.  

• Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers: Employment Services
• Accès Emploi: Centre D’emploi Francophone En Alberta ( Francophone Only)
• Bredin Centre for Learning
• Changing Together: A Centre for Immigrant Women (Women only)
• Somali Canadian Education and Rural Development Organization (SCERDO) Youth Employability Skills project

4. Post-Secondary Institutions

You may consider going to University or College in Alberta. Click here to find more information about post-secondary in Alberta. Click here for a detailed list of all the Colleges and Universities in Alberta, or look below for all the College and University websites. Check the list above to see who funds, public or private, the school as well as if they have any religious affiliation. 

Some immigrant organizations offer help in applying for post-secondary education. Check out their websites above. 

• Alberta Bible College (Calgary)
• Ambrose University College (Calgary)
• Bow Valley College (Calgary, Airdrie, Banff, Blairmore, Brooks, Canmore, Claresholm, Drumheller, Eden Valley, High River, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Morley, Pincher Creek, Red Deer, Stettler, Three Hills)
• Canadian University College (Lacombe)
• Concordia University of Edmonton (Edmonton)
• DeVry Institute of Technology (Calgary)
• Grande Prairie Regional College (Grande Prairie, Fairview)
• Keyano College (Fort McMurray)
• Lakeland College (Lloydminster, Strathcona County, Vermilion)
• Lethbridge College (Lethbridge)
• Medicine Hat College (Medicine Hat)
• NorQuest College (Edmonton, Stony Plain, Wetaskiwin, Edson, Westlock, Hinton, Whitecourt)
• Northern Alberta Insititute of Technology (NAIT)(Edmonton, Fairview, Grande Prairie, High Level, Peace River, St. Albert)
• Northern Lakes College (Slave Lake, Grouard)
• Olds College (Olds, Calgary)
• Portage College (Lac La Biche)
• Red Deer College (Red Deer)
• Southern Alberta Insititute of Technology (SAIT) (Calgary)
• Mary’s University (Calgary)
• Taylor College and Seminary (Edmonton)
• The King’s University College (Edmonton)
• Athabasca University (Athabasca)
• Grant MacEwan University (Edmonton)
• University of Alberta (Edmonton)
• University of Calgary (Calgary)
• Mount Royal University (Calgary)
• Alberta University of the Arts (Calgary)
• University of Lethbridge (Lethbridge)

5. Networking and Career Fairs

Networking can be a great way to find opportunities. The more people that you have in your network the more connected you are to potential opportunities and jobs. A person you met at an event may lead you to a great job in the future. 

• To learn more on “how to network” visit the ALIS website found here
• LinkedIn Build your professional portfolio online and start building your digital network. You can get notifications of job openings through LinkedIn based on your skills and previous jobs.
• Look up events on Eventbrite. Click here to search “Alberta Networking events.”
• Many organizations have virtual and in-person career fairs. To find a current list of upcoming fairs in Alberta you can search “job or career fairs Alberta”, or click here for a list updated by the Alberta government.
• You can also lookup career/job fairs on Eventbrite. Click here to search “Calgary job fairs or Edmonton job fairs.”
• Jobs Canada Virtual Career Fairs

These 5 ways are not the only ways to gain employment. You can upgrade your skills by taking online or in-person classes. Many immigrant organizations offer a variety of free classes. You can also use one of the many free online platforms such as Coursera or Edx. Both require payment only if you’d like a certificate to show you completed a course. Finally, another option is to start your own business. Click here to watch our video and find resources on “How to Start a Small Business in Alberta.”