Choose Community Economic Development As A Career

Make an Impact

Economic development is a career dedicated to creating opportunities and improving quality of life. Economic development professionals help shape the future of communities, regions, and economies by supporting sustainable growth, addressing challenges, and helping communities adapt to change. Their work influences everything from business success and workforce development to investment attraction, community resilience, and long-term prosperity.

Why Choose Economic Development?

Few professions offer the same opportunity to combine strategy, leadership, collaboration, and community impact. Economic development allows you to work with businesses, governments, educational institutions, Indigenous communities, non-profit organizations, and community leaders to address complex issues and pursue meaningful opportunities.

The profession is dynamic and rewarding, offering a wide variety of projects and challenges. It is well suited to individuals who enjoy problem-solving, building relationships, thinking strategically, and creating positive change. Economic development also provides highly transferable skills and career opportunities across multiple sectors and industries.

Skills for Success

Economic development is a multidisciplinary profession that draws on a broad range of skills and abilities. Successful practitioners are strong communicators who can build relationships, facilitate collaboration, and engage diverse stakeholders. They are strategic thinkers who can analyze information, identify opportunities, and develop practical solutions to complex challenges.

Economic developers are often project managers, researchers, facilitators, and community builders. They understand economic and business trends, work effectively across sectors, and adapt to changing conditions. Curiosity, creativity, leadership, and a commitment to continuous learning are all valuable attributes in this profession.

What Do Economic Developers Do?

Economic developers help create the conditions that enable businesses, people, and communities to succeed. Their work may involve supporting local businesses, attracting investment, advancing entrepreneurship, conducting research, developing economic development strategies, facilitating partnerships, securing funding, and supporting workforce development initiatives.

Modern economic development extends beyond traditional business attraction and job creation. Practitioners recognize that factors such as housing, infrastructure, workforce availability, natural and cultural assets, community services, and quality of life all influence economic success. Economic developers help connect these factors to create stronger, more competitive, and more resilient communities.

Where Do Economic Development Professionals Work?

Economic development professionals work in a wide range of organizations and sectors. Career opportunities can be found in municipal governments, regional economic development organizations, Indigenous communities and organizations, Community Futures offices, Chambers of Commerce, tourism organizations, provincial and federal government agencies, utilities, industry associations, post-secondary institutions, non-profit organizations, consulting firms, and private-sector organizations.

This diversity allows practitioners to pursue careers that align with their interests while contributing to economic growth, investment attraction, workforce development, entrepreneurship, tourism, regional collaboration, and community prosperity.

Career Opportunities

Economic development offers a variety of career paths, reflecting the diverse nature of the profession. Practitioners may serve as Economic Development Officers, Managers, Directors, Executive Directors, or CEOs. Others specialize in areas such as investment attraction, business retention and expansion, workforce development, tourism development, regional economic development, or economic development consulting.

As communities and economies continue to evolve, new opportunities continue to emerge, allowing professionals to build rewarding careers in leadership, strategy, partnership development, research, and economic growth.

Education and Professional Development

Economic development professionals come from many educational and professional backgrounds, including business, planning, public administration, communications, tourism, geography, marketing, community development, and the social sciences.

Because the profession continues to evolve, ongoing learning is essential. The EDA Institute offers foundational and advanced training designed to equip practitioners with the knowledge, tools, and skills needed to support modern economic development practice. Courses contribute toward EDA's Community Economic Development Certificate and Professional Economic Developer (PEcD) designation.

Whether you are entering the profession, transitioning from another career, or seeking to advance your expertise, economic development offers the opportunity to build stronger economies, stronger communities, and a stronger Alberta.

Read more about Professional Certification here.