Initiatives

The Innovation Lab

The Innovation Lab is dedicated to advancing bold, future-focused ideas by collaborating with partners to maximize the effectiveness of their project design and uncover solutions in a cooperative, low stakes environment.

Our emphasis is on learning through testing and nurturing experimentation to generate those insights. The Lab spearheads two pivotal initiatives: the Accelerator program —which helps teams expand or enhance their project design in a rapid timeframe, and the Incubation Network — which convenes projects that share a common purpose to surface out-of-the ordinary or novel solutions through peer-learning and shared goals.

Community of Practice

The FSC Community of Practice is an inclusive and pan-Canadian network designed to foster knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders in the skills development ecosystem.

With the help of our delivery partners, Research Impact Canada, we offer participants the opportunity to grow their networks with folks from across the country who are preparing Canadians for the future of work, access curated tools and case studies, learn from experts and participate in professional development opportunities on timely topics.

Anyone interested in skills training, workforce innovation, labour market research, and the future of work is welcome to join!

Our latest insights

Project

Development of Canada’s National Occupational Standards for a Sustainable Blue Economy

Canada boasts the world’s largest coastline; however, its ocean-related industries contribute only 1% to the GDP, significantly trailing behind other nations. This project identified a pressing need for specialized training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to bridge the skills gap in ocean-related occupations in the sustainable blue economy (SBE), including marine transport and ocean technology.
Seated person smiling during a meeting
Project

Reboot Plus Expansion

The Reboot Plus Expansion program, led by Douglas College and PEERs Employment & Education Resources, aims to re-engage youth aged 17–24 who are at risk of not finishing high school or are unsure of their academic and career trajectories.
Bread field harvesting
Research

Technology and Agriculture: Adoption and Barriers

Without explicit educational support, small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) and diverse-owned agribusiness may be left out of the AgTech revolution. Skills-based supports are needed to maintain market competitiveness and ensure technology literacy and adoption issues are equalized—not accentuated—among groups.