The Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program is a federal initiative that supports Indigenous organizations and communities to design and deliver culturally grounded employment and skills services.

From May 22-23, 2025, the Future Skills Centre, in partnership with Jelly Academy Inc. co-hosted an in-person, two-day Innovative Indigenous Career and Future Skills Symposium.

In this episode of The Finance Cafe Podcast, host Shannon Pestun welcomes Laura McDonough, Associate Director of Insights & Knowledge Mobilization at the Future Skills Centre. Laura leads national research and knowledge-sharing efforts that help shape evidence-informed policy and practice across Canada’s skills ecosystem. With a background in research and evaluation at United Way Greater Toronto and a deep commitment to making data accessible and actionable, Laura brings a unique lens that bridges research, lived experience, and real-world workforce development.

Investing properly in the tools and training that workers need, while also embracing AI, could give the country a major productivity boost, experts say.

When Fredericton High School student Matthew Jeon wanted to start saving money for university, he started applying for summer jobs. But his search was unsuccessful for two summers in a row. Along the way, he noticed many applications were more geared toward college or university students.

International lessons show that localized skills training, community-led planning and tailored supports can help workers adapt without leaving the communities they call home.

Strategic place-based industrial planning that attracts new investment and aligns workforce development with regional economic diversification can help spur community renewal.

Noel Baldwin has been the Executive Director of the Future Skills Centre (FSC) since June, 2024. He brings nearly two decades of experience in leading strategic initiatives and policy development in postsecondary education, adult learning and skills development. Since joining FSC in 2019 as Director of Government and Public Affairs, Noel has provided leadership in navigating the complex skills ecosystem and working with diverse stakeholders to foster innovation in skills development that addresses the evolving needs of the workforce and promotes inclusive economic growth. FSC has successfully forged strong relationships with federal departments, provinces, territories, municipalities, and international organizations like the OECD. His efforts drove FSC’s early strategic initiatives, including targeted investments addressing critical gaps across regions and sectors.

There is no stopping the oncoming train of artificial intelligence, with all that that means for the workplace. At the very least, it will mean training workers with new AI skills but it also means continuously retraining them to keep up with changes in technology. It will be a mammoth task. In this episode of Work and the Future, economist and keynote speaker Linda Nazareth talks to Tricia Williams, Director of research, evaluation and knowledge mobilization at the Future Skills Centre about training and AI.