Season 5 | Episode 5

Learning from One Another: Skills, Training, and Workforce Development in Northern Communities

Language

English

Runtime

26 minutes

Published

September 2025

In This Podcast

Jeremy Strachan

Jeremy Strachan

The Conference Board of Canada

Host

Amanda Thompson

Amanda Thompson

The Conference Board of Canada

Lead Research Associate

Kris Mullaly

Kris Mullaly

Qikiqtani Inuit Association

Program Manager

Xina Cowan

Xina Cowan

EntrepreNorth

Co-Director

In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, host Jeremy Strachan explores the complex and evolving landscape of skills development and workforce training in Northern and Indigenous communities. Amanda Thompson from The Conference Board of Canada shares insights from the Learning from One Another project, a multi-year initiative examining labour market trends and training strategies across Yukon, Nunavut, and Northern Ontario. We also hear from Kris Mullaly of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, who discusses the Q-STEP program and Tuttarvik—community-driven initiatives that are empowering Inuit youth through culturally grounded training and employment supports. Finally, Xina Cowan of EntrepreNorth highlights how entrepreneurship is creating new pathways for economic resilience and self-determination across the North.