Define the Decade

What’s in a decade? Alberta is JUST getting started

In June 2012, the world was a different place.?

• Cryptocurrency had only existed for three years.
• Working from home was something retired people did between golf rounds.
• There were just a few accepted definitions of success.
• We had blind spots in our economy and society and didn’t always accept that.
• Life is more expensive (inflation was at 6.8 percent in April 2022).
• Opportunities are changing–from traditional oil and gas to renewables and the startup and technology world.?

In 10 short years, we’ve seen our economy and society almost completely transform. Things are different now, which means as organizations, we need to adjust and respond to new realities.

We’re already seeing the shifts that are likely to happen in the next decade, between now and 2032. We’re seeing unpredictable changes in our economies, our workforce, and our societies.

Instead of just responding to change, why not try to lead it?

At JA, we’re helping people prepare for the future, but we can’t do that without a clear picture of where our province is headed. Thanks to the work of the Business Council of Alberta and the Define the Decade Task Force, Alberta has an implementation plan on how to get there from now until 2032.

Our impact can be so much bigger if we work together.

To create a good life for all, a prosperity vision that will create a place of belonging, opportunities, and solutions for all Albertans. This means we will need to work together to reduce barriers in traditional and emerging industries.?

Through JA’s work to empower young people with financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship skills to students in-classroom, we are reducing these barriers.

To contribute to economic expansion and fulfill the prosperity missions of feeding everyone by developing sustainable and healthy food, providing energy solutions through low carbon energy, materials, and minerals, and healthy lives through medical and wellness advancements, our entire province will need to work together to capitalize on the opportunities before us. This means we will need to create connections between existing and future workers so young people can better understand the opportunities available to them and focus their studies and skills development around things that inspire them, but are also good for the economy.?

Through JA’s work to create connections between professionals and students, individuals that go through our programming learn about future opportunities before they need to decide what they want to be when they grow up.

Pillars of prosperity include those things that will provide long-term sustainability for Alberta’s economy such as quality of life and belonging, a skilled and prepared workforce, technology and innovation, physical and digital infrastructure, environmental sustainability, fiscal sustainability.?

Through JA’s work to develop technology and innovation skills for young people in our digital literacy programming (which is already oversubscribed for next year, despite generous support from the Government of Alberta and private donors), and creating a skilled and prepared workforce through work readiness training, we are pleased to already be contributing to this important principle.

At JA Southern Alberta, we see our role as bigger than just us; it’s about our communities that make up the great province of Alberta. Our impact–how what we’re doing is contributing to the greater good–is what drives us: the leaders we work with; the programming we deliver; the skills we help young people develop.

We tell young people all the time: don’t just dream it, plan for it.

Today, we’ve got a plan and a roadmap of how to get there thanks to the work of the Business Council of Alberta, now, it’s up to all of us to get to work.

Read the report here: Define the Decade: Building Alberta’s Future—Together. Business Council of Alberta Task Force Final Report. June 2022.