The five-year plan focuses on 5 key issues in rural Alberta, including:
- economic development-enabling infrastructure,
- rural business supports and entrepreneurship,
- support for labour force and skills development,
- marketing and promoting rural tourism, and
- rural economic development capacity building.
So much of what CAEP does is in direct alignment with the direction of the EDRAP.
Minister of Jobs, Economy and Northern Development, Brian Jean said:
"With strengths in oil and gas, agriculture and forestry, tourism and emerging technologies, Alberta’s rural and northern communities are the backbone of our province’s economy. Actions identified in this plan will benefit rural and northern Albertans for years to come, including providing additional support to Alberta’s network of regional economic development alliances to fuel further economic growth and prosperity across our province.”
As one of the province's nine economic regions CAEP is excited to be receiving, $125,000 to support long-term economic prosperity in Central Alberta.