Skills Next Series

Canadians’ needs for skills training and education are changing quickly.

In response, the Public Policy Forum, the Diversity Institute, and the Future Skills Centre have joined together to publish Skills Next, a series that explores what is working in workplaces, universities, and the labour market – and where workers are falling through the gaps in our skills training system.

Our first set of Skills Next papers was released in January and February of 2020. Each report focuses on one issue — such as the impact of technology in the workplace, gig work, digital skills, and barriers to employment that some marginalized groups experience — and reviews the existing state of knowledge on this topic and identifies areas in need of additional research.

Skills Next

Mapping the Landscape: Indigenous Skills Training and Jobs in Canada by Max Skudra, Andy Avgerinos and Karen E. McCallum
Understanding the Nature and Experience of Gig Work in Canada by Elle Ziegler, Karen E. McCallum, Katherine Porter, Reyhaneh Noshiravani
Economic Equality in a Changing World: Removing Barriers to Employment for Women by Julie Cafley, Katie Davey, Tania Saba, Simon Blanchette, Ruby Latif and Valentina Sitnik
Small and Medium-Sized Employers (SMEs): Skills Gaps and Future Skills by Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ), Tania Saba, and Simon Blanchette
Technology-Enabled Innovations in the Skills and Employment Ecosystem by Stephen Harrington, Wendy Cukier, Mark Patterson, Karen E. McCallum
Competency Frameworks and Canada’s Essential Skills by David Gyarmati, Janet Lane, Scott Murray

Skills Next—Winter 2020

Understanding the Future of Skills: Trends and Global Policy Responses by Sunil Johal and Michael Crawford Urban
Solving the Skills Puzzle: The Missing Piece is Good Information by Emna Braham and Steven Tobin
Thinking Twice About Technology and the Future of Work by Jim Stanford
Bridging the Digital Skills Gap: Alternative Pathways by Denise Shortt, Brian Robson and Magdalena Sabat
Employment Gaps and Underemployment for Racialized Groups and Immigrants in Canada: Current Findings and Future Directions by Eddy Ng and Suzanne Gagnon
Skills Gaps, Underemployment, and Equity of Labour-Market Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in Canada by Emile Tompa, Dan Samosh and Normand Boucher
Return on Investment: Industry Leadership on Upskilling and Reskilling their Workforce by Wendy Cukier
Leveraging the Skills of Social Sciences and Humanities Graduates by Sandra Lapointe and Jonathan Turner

On the Skills Next authors

The series is authored by an expansive and diverse network of researchers and subject matter experts carefully selected to provide a broad-range of perspectives within a Canadian context. Their varied backgrounds, experiences, and expertise have shaped their individual perspectives, their analyses of the current skills ecosystem, and the reports they have authored.

Skills Next is funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Centre.