September 9, 2026
NAIT has officially broken ground on its Advanced Skills Centre (ASC) in Edmonton, marking the start of construction on the largest capital project in the polytechnic’s history. The 625,000-square-foot facility will transform skilled trades and technology education while helping Alberta meet growing demand for qualified workers.
The Advanced Skills Centre will bring 29 programs together under one roof across construction, transportation, manufacturing and energy.
Designed to replicate real-world worksites, the facility will feature flexible learning environments where students can develop technical expertise alongside collaboration, communication and problem-solving skills.
The ASC will allow NAIT to train an additional 5,500 students, increasing its annual skilled trades training capacity to more than 15,000 students.
Located on NAIT’s Main Campus, the Advanced Skills Centre has a total project cost of $779 million.
The Government of Alberta is funding 75% of the project, with NAIT responsible for the remaining 25% through internal resources and support from donors and industry partners. Provincial capital funding was announced a year ahead of schedule, reflecting the project’s readiness and importance to expanding skilled trades training capacity.
The Advanced Skills Centre is being delivered with PCL Construction as construction manager and Dialog + GEC serving as project architect.
The project represents a major investment in the infrastructure needed to prepare apprentices and students for careers supporting Alberta’s construction, manufacturing, transportation and energy sectors.
Once completed, the ASC will provide hands-on access to modern technology and training environments designed to better reflect the conditions graduates will encounter in the workforce.
The NAIT Advanced Skills Centre is scheduled to welcome its first students in fall 2030.
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