This briefing looks at the hiring demand for social and emotional skills across the country for different industries and occupation levels.

This briefing presents findings on recruiting for social and emotional skills based on interviews with human resources professionals as well as analysis of Canadian knowledge-based job postings data.

This executive summary introduces insights into recruiting for social and emotional skills based on interviews with human resources professionals as well as analysis of Canadian knowledge-based job postings data.

Personal support workers (PSWs) often lack appropriate professional development opportunities despite playing a crucial role in Ontario’s health-care system, especially in the face of new challenges like the pandemic. To address this gap, the University Health Network (UHN) team collaborated with new and existing partners to develop and launch education and advocacy resources to increase PSW competence, confidence and resilience in providing safe and effective care. 

The information technology (IT) sector in Manitoba, particularly in Northern communities, faces significant challenges due to a shortage of qualified individuals to fill numerous job openings. Postsecondary IT programs, which are primarily located in southern Manitoba, often do not accommodate the unique needs of Northern students, who face barriers such as relocation, high costs and a shortage of skills deemed prerequisite by the postsecondary programs.

This project, initiated by Saskatchewan Polytechnic, aimed to address the challenges in online education exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project focused on enhancing the online learning experience in applied fields such as information technology, agriculture, health care, manufacturing and warehousing. The success of these sectors are critical to the success of the Canadian economy and are traditionally dependent on hands-on training. The initiative targeted equity-deserving groups, including women, Indigenous people, newcomers, and individuals with disabilities.

The project “Resilience of newcomer women in northwestern Ontario: Overcoming economic shock due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” led by Lakehead University, explored the employment challenges and recovery prospects of newcomer women in northwestern Ontario post-COVID-19. Conducted in both rural and urban areas, the study involved 66 interviews and surveys with over 5,000 residents of northwestern Ontario. The study was designed to assess how the pandemic affected these women’s job opportunities.  

Indigenous Works, a national Indigenous not-for-profit organization, developed the Luminary Research and Innovation Project to enhance innovation in Indigenous business environments, with the knowledge that more Indigenous-led research is needed to catalyze innovation and community well-being.