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State of Skills Report Series

The State of Skills report series explores key themes shaping skills development and the future of work in Canada. Drawing on insights and evidence from projects in our portfolio and external research, these reports provide a clearer understanding of what’s working in workforce development, for whom, and in what context.

Each report offers thematic insights, highlighting what approaches were tried, what was learned, and why those lessons matter. By sharing key takeaways and emerging perspectives, we help employers, labour groups, policymakers, and practitioners navigate the evolving skills landscape and focus on what works.

Our reports also address critical gaps in workforce policy and practice, identifying systemic barriers that hinder innovation and scalability across the country.

View our State of Skills Reports

Youth working on a technical project
State of Skills

Enhancing Career Prospects and Well-Being for Canadian Youth

To stem the recent downturn in labour market conditions of youth and to lay the groundwork for them to play a pivotal role in fostering growth and inclusion, it is imperative to address and dismantle the multiple and intersectional barriers they encounter.
Green environmental energy concept, Technician workers team installing solar photo voltaic panels to high steel platform of factory, Photovoltaic module idea for clean energy
State of Skills

Sustainable Jobs for Economic Growth

Green-related skills and knowledge are growing in significance and are becoming widespread across many sectors and occupations, requiring more workers to upskill by building upon their existing competencies. 
Shot of a businesswoman having a meeting with her colleague while using a digital tablet.
State of Skills

What Works for Newcomer Integration

Key Insights Industry-specific, employer-driven initiatives have been successful in accelerating and enhancing the employment prospects of newcomers. The collaborative approach of engaging with employers directly…
a city at night with a big crowd of people walking around and their faces being scanned.
State of Skills

Unleashing AI into the Skills Development Ecosystem

FSC-supported AI tools have bolstered outcomes in skills matching, career development guidance, and recruitment. The overall effectiveness of these tools was underpinned by recognizing and mitigating the inherent bias and discrimination embedded into these technologies.
Two people wearing safety helmets and vests holding clipboards and taking notes in a paper-products warehouse
State of Skills

Quality of Work

Improving quality of work, through better wages and benefits, social environments, security, safety, and inclusion, alongside skills and professional development is one part of a larger strategy to address these labour shortages.
Networking Seminar Meet Up
State of Skills

Effective Employer Engagement in Skills Development: From Rhetoric to Solutions

Key Insights Supporting employers in overcoming structural barriers to training investment is key to addressing labour and skill shortages. Ensuring that employers are actively engaged…
Young carpenter sawing board with circular saw .
State of Skills

Innovation in Training, Recruitment and Upskilling for Skilled Trades

Canada needs to address long standing shortages of skilled tradespeople to advance policy priorities around decarbonization, affordable housing and transforming industry to add more value to what we produce.
Person coding on their computer in an office at night, with multiple monitors in front of them.
State of Skills

Digital Tools in the Skills Ecosystem

There is considerable promise in the role digital tools and virtual career services can play in improving access to training and career development, particularly for those with geographic barriers or constraints such as family care or other work responsibilities.
Two people in masks are standing outside a building, looking at a tablet.
State of Skills

Leveraging the Skills of Newcomers

Key Insights The quality and intensity of employer engagement is critical to the overall success of interventions to support newcomers. Employer engagement needs to go…
A person is working at a desk, reviewing paperwork while someone is opening a cabinet door behind them
State of Skills

Better labour market transitions for mid-career workers

Supporting displaced mid-career workers requires a clear understanding of the barriers and difficulties they face, and it should also seek to build on highly valued skills developed through years of work and life experience.