New Pan-Canadian Working Table Launched to Strengthen Canada’s Workforce Resilience
Toronto, July 21, 2025 — The Future Skills Centre (FSC) has launched the Resilient Workforce Working Table, a pan-Canadian initiative bringing together skills development experts, employer and labour representatives, and policy leaders to develop actionable, evidence-based solutions and approaches to help Canada’s workforce adapt to growing economic and labour market disruption.
Amid geopolitical shifts, demographic pressures, and technological advances, the Working Table will explore how Canada can respond to uncertainty—and seize opportunities that emerge through innovation, collaboration, and inclusive workforce planning. The Working Table will consider how comprehensive skills training and employment interventions can support workers, employers, and communities.
“This is a pivotal moment for Canada’s workforce,” said Noel Baldwin, Executive Director of the Future Skills Centre. “This Working Table brings together leaders from across sectors and regions to help build resilience and ensure Canada has the skills to meet its ambitions. Their insights will inform policy and practice—highlighting the importance of shared insight and strategic coordination.”
The Working Table includes members from key areas of Canada’s economy—such as manufacturing, AI, construction, healthcare, and forestry—who will surface practical policy recommendations that respond to real challenges and opportunities in real time.
A full list of members is available here:
https://fsc-ccf.ca/engage/resilient-workforce-working-table/
The Working Table is an initiative of the Future Skills Centre, which is funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program.
Quotes
The Working Table is co-chaired by three Special Advisors to the Future Skills Centre, along with Noel Baldwin and Dr. Tricia Williams (FSC Director of Research, Evaluation and Knowledge Mobilization), who bring deep expertise from across Canada’s employment ecosystem:
“This table is an opportunity to connect long-range policy thinking with real-world insights from people on the front lines. We need solutions that don’t just respond to disruption—but that anticipate it.”
– Monte McNaughton, Former Ontario Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development
“Supporting Canada’s workers through the volatile transitions ahead has to be at the core of any successful economic plan for the country. But that also means grappling with the diversity of our labour market. This table will be an important mechanism to find common priorities and solutions from across a wide range of perspectives.”
– Jennifer Robson, Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Program in Political Management at Carleton University
“Our work will focus on what’s practical, evidence-informed, and rooted in Canada’s regional realities. By working collaboratively, we can ensure that the right supports reach the people who need them most.”
– Rob Fleming, Former BC Minister of Education and Transportation and Infrastructure
About FSC
The Future Skills Centre (FSC) is a forward-thinking centre for research and collaboration dedicated to driving innovation in skills development so that everyone in Canada can be prepared for the future of work. We partner with policymakers, researchers, practitioners, employers and labour groups, and post-secondary institutions to solve pressing labour market challenges and ensure that everyone can benefit from relevant lifelong learning opportunities. We are founded by a consortium whose members are Toronto Metropolitan University, Blueprint, and The Conference Board of Canada, and are funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program.
For inquiries, contact:
Annamaria Nunziata
Communications Manager
Future Skills Centre
communications@fsc-ccf.ca
647-242-6156