Alberta and Saskatchewan may soon join Eastern Canada in harnessing nuclear energy to meet the energy needs of the future. From one of the authors of ICTC’s latest research publication on Developing an SMR Workforce for Western Canada, ICTC Senior Research & Policy Analyst, Erik Henningsmoen, examines what Western Canada will need to create a skilled workforce for the new energy opportunity of small modular reactors (SMRs).
Nuclear energy is shaping up to be a critical solution to long-term energy demand in Western Canada’s growing economy. In Alberta, the recent boom in cloud and AI hyperscale data centre development is forecasted to require significant amounts of energy. While Canada is entering a nuclear energy development golden age, major nuclear power generation and renewal projects are mostly taking place in Eastern Canada—most notably in Ontario with the ongoing refurbishments of the Darlington and Bruce Nuclear Power Stations, as well as the Darlington New Nuclear Project.
The Canadian government’s recent nuclear energy strategy seeks to build 10 new nuclear reactors in Canada by 2040, including at least one reactor outside of Ontario by 2035. The federal strategy also seeks to double the size of Canada’s nuclear energy workforce.
These projects will add substantial capacity to the electricity grid in the coming years. Once operational in 2030, the Darlington New Nuclear Project will likely be the first SMR (small modular reactors) site in the G7, with the first phase producing enough electricity to power 300,000 homes. Meanwhile, Alberta and Saskatchewan do not currently have any nuclear generation facilities.
SMRs are small-scale nuclear reactors that are shipped as prefabricated modules for final assembly on-site. Their relative small size and modular design are intended to reduce construction timelines and costs when compared to larger traditional nuclear reactors, and Canadian policymakers are already exploring their potential as an energy solution to energy-hungry hyperscale facilities.
The potential of SMRs for Western Canada is inherently limited due to the lack of an existing commercial nuclear power generation workforce to draw on to operate future SMR facilities (though Saskatchewan is home to one of the world’s leading uranium mining industries). While Canada does have a nuclear energy workforce, it is heavily concentrated in Ontario and New Brunswick, where existing nuclear power stations are located. Due to the large-scale nuclear expansion and renewal efforts taking place in Ontario, it would be challenging to draw skilled nuclear workers away from that province. Thus, to unlock the efficient potential of SMRs for Western Canada’s energy needs, Western Canada will need to create a skilled nuclear energy workforce from the ground up.
Roles in the nuclear energy industry range from skilled trades roles to build and maintain nuclear facilities, such as Boilermakers, industrial electricians, and welders, as well as technician and operational roles, including nuclear operators, nuclear safety specialists, and chemistry technicians. These facilities will also require highly qualified personnel with advanced education credentials, including reactor physicists, nuclear engineers, and electrical engineers.
To develop a Western Canadian nuclear energy workforce, Alberta and Saskatchewan will need to create a specialized education and training pipeline for technical, engineering, and scientific experts at the provinces’ universities, polytechnics, and regional colleges. They may also need to expand the training pipelines for skilled trades and power engineering—which acts as a common training pathway to coveted nuclear operator roles.
Programs to attract technically minded high school students are also needed to stream aspiring nuclear energy workers into specialist post-secondary programs. Likewise, mid-career re-training programs are needed to bring skilled workers from adjacent industries, such as oil and gas, infrastructure, and mining, into the nuclear energy sector. For example, Ontario Tech University’s Nuclear Career Accelerator micro-credential program is an 11-week online career accelerator and job readiness program designed to help experienced engineers and technicians from related industries pivot their careers to nuclear energy.
Alberta and Saskatchewan will also need to invest in supporting nuclear energy facilities, such as research reactors, to support applied research and practical nuclear workforce training. Saskatchewan has already taken steps, with Saskatchewan Research Council set to invest in a demonstration and research micro-reactor, while an SMR testing center is being established near the University of Regina. Nuclear control room simulators will also need to be located in Western Canada for training and rehearsing complex reactor operations.
To meet their future nuclear energy workforce needs, Alberta and Saskatchewan will ultimately need to invest in specialized education and training pipelines for skilled trades, technical specialists, and nuclear engineers and scientists, ensuring Western Canada is prepared to support the development and operation of SMRs.
ICTC’s new report continues this examination of forecasting the demand and supply of this dedicated workforce in Western Canada, as well as potential education and training solutions and proposed policy interventions.
Erik Henningsmoen is a senior research and policy analyst with the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC). He is a co-author of ICTC’s July 2026 report “Building a Nuclear SMR Workforce for Western Canada: Forecasting Talent Demand, Labour Supply, and Workforce Development Pathways”.
