Innovation Projects Map

Northwestern Canada is experiencing double the rate of climate warming compared to the global average, impacting water resources and regional climate. To track these changes, a network of ten eddy covariance (EC) towers—which allow for the tracking of greenhouse gases—were installed across the Northwest Territories. However, the lack of local expertise jeopardizes their upkeep and subsequently the data they track.

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.

The persistence of labour and skill shortages within the trades is exacerbated by challenges with on-the-job training and skills recognition. The prevailing methods to document and formally recognize the skills that apprentices acquire through workplace learning are outdated.

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…

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.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are key drivers of the innovation needed to boost Canada’s global competitiveness and deliver meaningful, future-proof jobs. The innovation economy represents a significant opportunity for increased prosperity for Canada and those who live here. Despite some progress, however, diverse people are underrepresented in Canada’s innovation workforce and receive less funding and opportunities for research and development.

The Wood Manufacturing Council (WMC), with support from the Conference Board of Canada (CBoC), launched the Skills Matching and Opportunities in Wood Manufacturing project to address the gap between job seekers’ desires for viable and desirable career transitions and the recruitment challenges faced by the wood manufacturing sector.

The project was a short, online certified program in artificial intelligence (AI) for professionals and leaders offered by IVADO in collaboration with the University of Montreal. The project aimed to address the current and future needs of the labour market for AI skills, and to provide a flexible and customized learning experience for the participants.

Indigenous youth in Canada face significant barriers to pursuing STEM education and careers, including low high school completion rates, a lack of culturally relevant support systems, inadequate integration of Indigenous Knowledge into curricula, and the intergenerational trauma of colonialism. 

Nearly half of Canadian adults have inadequate literacy skills, meaning they have poor reading, writing and numeracy skills that limit their ability to participate in the economy and daily life.

Despite its ability to positively transform healthcare, there is some reluctance among healthcare providers to adopt artificial intelligence within their practice. This project set out to tackle these challenges and capitalize on the potential of AI in healthcare.

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.

A large percentage of people from diverse groups recruited into STEM undergraduate programs do not complete a STEM degree. This project conducted a systematic literature review exploring current research about retention efforts for women of colour in post-secondary STEM programs.

COVID-19 created an uncertain landscape that required new knowledge and tools for employers to enable them to support employment of people living with disabilities.

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.

The project aimed to advance gender equity in the Canadian labour market and address the unique challenges women and equity-deserving groups face in accessing gainful employment.

In recent years, young people have faced difficulties in the labour market. Pandemic lockdowns impacted school and work for most young people, alongside accelerated technological change and the increasing prevalence of gig work (characterized by short-term, on-demand, and task-based labour) have all had negative impacts on quality of work for young people. 

In recent years, young people have faced difficulties in the labour market. Pandemic lockdowns impacted school and work for most young people, alongside accelerated technological change and the increasing prevalence of gig work (characterized by short-term, on-demand, and task-based labour) have all had negative impacts on quality of work for young people. 

The increased deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in work and society offers tremendous opportunities in terms of innovation and productivity but has also raised concerns about its potential negative, and wide-ranging effects.

Have questions about this report? Contact us communications@fsc-ccf.ca. How to Cite This ReportChan, G., McDonough, L. (2023) Project Insights Report: Transforming Skills and Talent Acquisition…

Key Insights When individuals receive training and opportunities to develop their skills, they tend to find greater satisfaction and meaning in their work. Likewise, companies…

Like many economies across the world, Canadians (and Canadian employers in particular) recognize that Canada needs more skilled tradespeople. Not enough Canadians, however, appear to be interested in pursuing these careers. Rates of enrollment in apprenticeships are falling short of where labour demand is. Past efforts to increase numbers of skilled tradespeople through immigration have fallen short of their targets, with low admittance through federal programs and a lack of information available for new Canadians on how to get qualified.

In recent years, young people have faced difficulties in the labour market. Pandemic lockdowns impacted school and work for most young people, alongside accelerated technological change and the increasing prevalence of gig work (characterized by short-term, on-demand, and task-based labour) have all had negative impacts on quality of work for young people. 

Have questions about this report? Contact us communications@fsc-ccf.ca.How to Cite This Report

Have questions about this report? Contact us communications@fsc-ccf.ca. How to Cite This ReportMcDonough, L. (2023) Project Insights Report: Did the pandemic and current labour shortages…

Executive Summary Platform apps and gig work predate the pandemic, but the number of people that they employ increased sharply as a result of COVID-19…

This project examined gig work literature and applied its insights to conduct semi-structured interviews with a small group of Canadians with disabilities engaged in gig work. 

The findings from the review and interviews showed that many people living with disabilities feel pushed into gig work by a lack of other employment options.

Like many economies across the world, Canadians (and Canadian employers in particular) recognize that Canada needs more skilled tradespeople. Not enough Canadians, however, appear to be interested in pursuing these careers. Rates of enrollment in apprenticeships are falling short of where labour demand is. Past efforts to increase numbers of skilled tradespeople through immigration have fallen short of their targets, with low admittance through federal programs and a lack of information available for new Canadians on how to get qualified.

This project explored the uptake of microcredentials within digitally intensive industries in Canada, a field projected to grow and change in coming years. The project used a novel form of labour market information — LinkedIn profiles — to discern differences in skill, occupational seniority, and microcredential certification in the tech labour market in Canada.

This project was designed to address two key issues: employer underinvestment in training and low participation in training programs that address skill gaps in manufacturing. The Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC), in partnership with Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) piloted an outcomes-based “pay for performance” (PFP) model which reimbursed employers if they successfully supported delivery of EMC’s Manufacturing Essentials Certification (MEC).

Future City Builders was a four-month program that supported youth to work collaboratively to develop real-world solutions for healthier and more equitable cities. By engaging in collaborative projects, participants were expected to gain knowledge and skills that made them more employable, better able to create their own employment opportunities, and use their newly developed skills throughout their career and life to contribute to sustainable cities.

This research examined the experiences and attitudes towards remote work in Canada for employees and supervisors and sought to understand how the arrangement has affected productivity, satisfaction, trust and well-being.

Regardless of labour market conditions, some young people have a hard time transitioning into the labour market and are not working or training for extended periods of time. During an economic shock like a recession, challenges are heightened.

Have questions about this report? Contact us communications@fsc-ccf.ca. How to Cite This ReportTobin, S. (2023) Project Insight Report: Technology Impacts on Quality of Work in…

This project sought a better understanding of how PLAR is used, or can be used, to effectively accelerate learners through programs in the applied health sciences.

In response to this challenge, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) tested the virtualization of training by building a platform that provided learners, instructors and researchers with remote access to a physical training environment.

The research explored the extent of economic and job quality inequities between those who had access to remote work options during the pandemic and those who did not, as well as the widening disparity in job satisfaction between the two groups.

Have questions about this report? Contact us communications@fsc-ccf.ca. How to Cite This ReportMcLaren, K. (2023) Project Insights Report: Understanding the Relationship Between Quality of Work…

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, Canada’s unemployment rate reached one of its highest levels at 14.1 per cent. In response, the federal government launched the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), providing a financial benefit of $2,000 a month to workers directly affected by COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of work, leading to more connectivity and a blurring of boundaries between work and non-work. These changes have had an impact on the well-being of workers and in response employers, employees and decision makers in Canada are navigating how to develop and implement Right to Disconnect policies.

This research examines the relationship between access to benefits and quality of work in the current Canadian context, with a central focus on mental health and well-being, diverse forms of care and greater inclusion for those without benefits.

This research sheds light on the reasons why people engage in gig work and the policy levers needed to mitigate the risks associated with this new form of employment.

The future labour market will be a tumultuous one, as it will be shaped in part by a transition to a “net-zero carbon” economy, an increasing pace of workplace technological change, globalization and other forces. Canadian workers will face rapid shifts in labour and skills demand between sectors, and pressure to upgrade their knowledge and skills.

Canada has lagged behind other OECD countries in providing digital skills development and career services delivery online. However, the pandemic forced many career development providers to stop in-person delivery, creating incentive for the sector to innovate and move, at least temporarily, to delivering services online.

Canada’s domestic manufacturing sector is missing out on opportunities to compete with the rest of the world because innovative employers are unable to find workers with the skills they need, and workers are unsure about what they need to stay relevant.

In this research project, the Brookfield Institute conducted interviews and surveys with 14 industry leaders from 11 firms spanning three broad sub-sectors across the country. The objective was to improve understanding of what is contributing to the low uptick of technological innovation in the construction sector.

Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre’s Skills for a Clean Economy project generated knowledge about employment opportunities in cleantech for workers at risk of disruption by the clean economy transition and the COVID pandemic.

This project supports training and skills development needs among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across Canada and fosters more inclusive workplaces.

This project will deliver training in entrepreneurship, networking and mentorship that strengthens and supports the Black business community.

This project will examine the health human resources and health care needs to improve the management and treatment of foot care for persons with diabetes, as well as to enhance the efficiency of the health care system.

This project aims to help Canada’s bio-economy become more agile and resilient. It will engage BioTalent Canada’s network to research and evaluate innovative practices and technologies used by agile, resilient, and diverse Canadian bio-economy employers to excel in highly disruptive economic situations.

This research project aims to develop national standards for jobs related to sustainable use of ocean resources, also known as the “blue economy”.

This project will address persistent and growing labour and skills shortages affecting Canada’s agriculture and food processing industries.

This project will create evidence-based programming needed to develop the mindset and resilience of Canada’s high-performing entrepreneurs and elevate the craft of mentorship.

Owners and operators of SMEs will learn the innovation skills to develop a long-term remote work strategy.

Innovative training and upskilling in the aerospace and aviation sector benefits workers and the industry.

The Indigenous economy will benefit from increased research collaboration, improved knowledge mobilization, new networks and partnerships that advance economic growth, jobs and well-being.

This project will create and share resources for employers in disability management on a national basis to improve processes and policies to engage, accommodate, and keep employees with disabilities.

Young women will transition out of the services sector and into social entrepreneurship as this program equips them with social, emotional and entrepreneurship skills to launch social impact businesses and through one-on-one coaching.

Adults with low literacy and skill levels benefit from online learning for employability and essential skills.

Hospitality and food service industry workers will be empowered with education and support to deal with mental health and substance use challenges and crises.

Online training is customized and adapted to support workers in the Canadian food and beverage processing industry.

National research will identify regions and workforce segments disproportionately affected by the pandemic and scope project demand for roles and retraining required to advance the clean economy.

Development of the Employability Skills Assessment Tool (ESAT), a cloud-based tool to measure an individual’s social & emotional/employability skills.

The first, fully-online, multilingual education opportunity specifically designed for historically isolated, unregulated care workers.

Shifting the mindset and educating healthcare professionals in the effective, appropriate, safe, and compassionate use of AI.

Project to create a virtual recruitment and assessment centre in four regions across Canada to recruit underrepresented populations into the unionized construction industry.

First Canadian test of online VALID-8 tool allowing trades apprentices to be objectively assessed by a certified journeyperson and also demonstrate what they are capable of to prospective employers.

Rapid-response project to design and test industry-specific, skills-focused recovery options for the hard-hit tourism and hospitality sector.

Transitioning into strong growth rate jobs