We transform Canada’s skills development ecosystem through:
Insights
We bring together leaders, practitioners and experts across sectors and jurisdictions to gain and share the insights that ensure Canada has the skills and innovation needed for the future.
Solutions
We are working with governments, industry, post-secondary institutions and skills practitioners to scale solutions from pilots to pan-Canadian programs.
Systems Change
We are now recognized as a trusted partner and leader in skills innovation that influences systems change. By fostering collaboration, engaging with policy-makers and investing in the skills development ecosystem, we ensure promising solutions grow in scale and innovation, and are adopted.
The need to anticipate significant changes to our rapidly evolving economy is urgent:
FSC’s impact at a glance
Creating more than
13 new digital platforms for labour market information and career navigation tools to help people and industries navigate change.
Partnering on
195+ innovation pilots with industry, post-secondary and skills practitioners & growing/scaling 25 initiatives across sectors and regions.
Influencing policy adoption through 4 established provincial partnerships (BC, AB, SK, QC) and growing, encouraging investment into systems-oriented approaches.
79% of our projects focus on addressing barriers and advancing opportunities for under-represented groups.
The agreement between FSC and CPMT will allow us to accelerate the development, enhancement, recognition and transferability of current and future skills in key sectors of the Quebec economy.
The future of employment for all depends on the ability of the government and its partners to innovate and stimulate the development of skills. I applaud FSC’s openness and responsiveness to Quebec’s distinct realities in this area.
Investments in skills innovation across Canada
We are working directly with many stakeholders including practitioners, employers and labour, post-secondary institutions and federal and provincial governments to co-invest and pilot new systems-oriented approaches that expand and improve skills training.
Insights to enable opportunities beyond social assistance
Kate, an Inuit woman living in a remote community, had been struggling for years with anxiety and precarious work. Like many, she entered the labour market before being work-ready, cycling back into social assistance. Through In Motion & Momentum, a program that serves people with systemic and intrapersonal challenges, she formulated new life goals and enrolled in a trades and technology program to start a career.
As the program expands across Canada, there has been evidence of success. In the program’s seven years in New Brunswick,
Mid-career transitions from energy to tech
The oil and gas sector in Calgary has had to pivot, displacing many highly skilled workers. FSC is supporting a Calgary Economic Development solution to help these workers transition to the high-growth IT sector and fuel Alberta’s economy.
The EDGE UP program offers training pathways developed by post-secondary institutions, training organizations and employers. The OECD has endorsed the program’s promise for replication in other sectors and regions, and to inform future policies. Companies like Amazon Web Services have partnered to fuel their local talent pipeline.
More than 70% of the first cohort is now employed in tech jobs or furthering their education. Felipe Moreno spent 15 years as a mechanical engineer. After completing EDGE UP, he landed a job as a data analyst at a Calgary fintech company. The program is expanding to new cohorts and digital platforms.
Accelerating newcomer integration
Saeed arrived from Iran with a decade of experience in the financial industry but couldn’t get a foothold in the Canadian labour market. Many newcomers whose foreign credentials aren’t recognized face barriers that exacerbate higher unemployment and low wages.
Through FAST, an innovative online program that connects organizations that serve immigrants with those that provide career guidance, Saeed received assessments of his technical and soft skills to land a job in finance.
FAST’s success in helping newcomers navigate Canada’s job market is resulting in its expansion into more sectors including biotechnology and life sciences, skilled trades, culinary arts and long-term care. The government of New Brunswick has adopted FAST as a policy solution at scale.
Milestones
- FSC is launched
- First cross-Canada regional sounding tour
- Inaugural research series "Skills Next"
- First round of innovation pilots launched
- Appointment of advisory board
- Launch of Strategic Plan
- Launch of Community of Practice
- Second cross-Canada regional sounding tour
- 30 innovation and evaluation pilots funded
- 64 shock-proofing the future of work pilot launched
- Launch of OpportuNext tool for jobseekers
- 10 promising pilots scaled
- Upskilling partnerships targeted to key economic sectors
- Inaugural Future Skills Summit
- Milestone partnership with Quebec on future skills innovation
- 13 pilots expanded to tackle skills shortages
When COVID-19 hit in FSC’s second year, we pivoted to support Canada’s recovery while staying attuned to future labour market disruptions.
- We supported displaced hospitality and tourism workers with our rapid response project
- We researched COVID’s impact on jobs, sectors, youth, mental health and equity
- We funded 64 innovation pilots to shock-proof Canada’s workforce in the most significant economic disruption of our times
Our commitment to excellence and accountability
We adhere to the highest standards of financial accountability and transparency, earning the trust of everyone in Canada to steward public funds to catalyze skills innovation and training and enable everyone to thrive in an evolving economy.
These solutions – the testing and evaluation of some of the actual assets that have been developed – we would’ve been very hard pressed to make the progress that we’ve made without the Future Skills Centre’s support. We can scale some of the best practices that were identified as we’re working with other provinces. It makes it exciting – not just in how it helped us to begin to respond and provide solutions, but also to start to think ahead.
Engage with us to drive innovation in skills development
Events
Explore the upcoming and past events from the Future Skills Centre and its partners across the country. From events exploring entrepreneurship, to sustainability, and career guidance, we hope to see you there.
Explore EventsJoin the Community of Practice
Facilitate connections to make change happen. Share your experiences, access curated products, case studies and tools, explore common interests, and network with others who are preparing Canadians for the future of work!
Join the COPPerspectives on future skills
Dive into the stories and perspectives of the skills development ecosystem and the Canadian labour market by reading our blog, or listening to our podcast.
Explore Stories