The missing work of co-ordination in Canada’s skills ecosystem |
In the current era of urgently accelerated self-reliance, Canada is intent on building things: more roads, pipelines, homes and large infrastructure projects. To do so requires co-ordinated government and private investments in critical drivers such as technology and materials, but also — critically — in people.
There are significant skill gaps and talent shortages across Canada, and we don’t currently have the workforce to meet our national ambitions. We know that part of the solution lies in skills development and training, but it’s also going to require the tricky work of co-ordinating the many moving parts in a complex skills development universe — pulling levers here, aligning actors there — and a focus on long-term achievement rather than short-term relief.
Since its launch seven years ago, the Future Skills Centre (FSC) — a pan-Canadian leader in the skills and workforce development space — has invested in more than 425 pilot and research projects. Its aim: a deeper understanding of the country’s shifting skills requirements and how to achieve closer alignment between labour supply and demand.
Recently, FSC partnered with the global research and innovation consultancy Behavioural Insights Team to analyze nearly 900 project proposals received in response to multiple funding calls in 2024. Collectively, these proposals offer a snapshot of how the sector defines problems, what solutions it gravitates toward, and where system change runs into roadblocks.
Skills gaps reflect a system problem, not just a training problem
Two patterns stand out.
First, organizations want to address skills gaps focusing on equity, technology and sector-specific issues, particularly in areas like AI adoption, the green economy, health care and the skilled trades. These priorities often reflect Canada’s most pressing needs, however many proposals tended to view technology — especially AI — as a magic wand for transforming Canada’s pool of skills.
What was not proposed? Few sought to tackle issues that affect their own........