Education & Skills

Succeeding in the post-pandemic labour market will require Canadian employers and employees to embrace a paradigm shift when it comes to seeking and filling jobs. Labour markets in this country were rocked in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. Employment in Canada fell by more than 15 per cent in just two months. Certain sectors were hit harder than others, and both workers and employers have struggled to find their footing again. In many cases, workers are finding that there is no job to return to.

Op-ed  |  3-min read
March 17, 2021

Workers considering a career change need to better understand how to capitalize on their current skills, education, abilities, experience, and knowledge. Similarly, human resource professionals, educational institutions, and labour market policy-makers need a better sense of what skills, education, abilities, experience, and knowledge characteristics make someone more employable, today and in the future.

Impact paper  |  25-min read
March 16, 2021
Client—Future Skills Centre

Employment in Canada is going to look different in the future. The types of education, abilities, skills, and experiences that employers seek are evolving amid a confluence of forces reshaping the nature of work around the world. Disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics, unmanned vehicles, and the Internet of Things, the growing share of knowledge-based services, and the rise of technology-enabled platforms will reshape careers.

Primer  |  20-min read
March 16, 2021
Client—Future Skills Centre

Despite significant disruption by the COVID-19 pandemic, strong demand for skilled tradespeople persists across Canada. Ongoing demand means the talent development pipeline is more important than ever and Canada’s apprenticeship systems will need to adapt to labour market changes. The two top priorities are reducing barriers to digital learning for apprentices and integrating a stronger focus on social and emotional skills development throughout the apprenticeship pathway.

Op-ed  |  3-min read
February 5, 2021

When we asked people across Canada to identify the most important skills for career success, they overwhelmingly identified social and emotional skills (SES), like communication, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills, along with leadership and adaptability.

Summary for executives  |  4-min read
January 25, 2021
Client—Future Skills Centre

Beyond what institutions are saying, we also wanted to understand what they are doing to develop student SES. Post-secondary activities that promote SES development fall into two categories: extra-curricular or embedded within programs and curricula. We scanned PSI program and departmental websites to find examples from across Canada.

Issue briefing  |  15-min read
January 21, 2021
Client—Future Skills Centre

To stay competitive in the wake of COVID-19, Canadian businesses will need talent with practical experience and future-relevant skills. One of the most promising ways to do this is by expanding access to work-integrated learning (WIL).

Online experience  |  8-min read
January 13, 2021
Client—Future Skills Centre