Indigenous Peoples

The Northern skills ecosystem is shaped by distinct challenges. This primer discusses how these challenges affect the ability of Northern skills ecosystems to respond to change.

The Survey on Employment and Skills, conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research in collaboration with the Diversity Institute and the Future Skills Centre, was designed to explore Canadians’ experiences with the changing nature of work, including technology-driven disruptions, increasing insecurity and shifting skills requirements.

The economy in Northern Canada is changing. Sectors, such as mining, forestry, and tourism, can quickly expand or contract. Advancing technology is one factor driving those changes.

The second wave of the Survey on Employment and Skills was conducted in late 2020, as the pandemic’s second wave gathered momentum in Canada and the number of new COVID-19 cases steadily increased.

This report focuses on the overall impact of the pandemic, as well as more specific experiences such as lost hours of work, employment or income. It also looks at who was more likely to receive one or more of the emergency support benefits provided by the government, and how helpful these benefits have been.

The economic opportunities currently available in Inuit Nunangat are not balanced. Economic opportunities in the region can benefit from Inuit skillsets, strengths, and knowledge.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a rapid rise in the number of Canadians who are teleworking. While for many the transition has been positive, and a significant number of workers and employers indicate an interest to continue teleworking arrangements post-pandemic, there are inequalities in access and ability to telework. It is urgent that society responds in ways that will chart a path forward as the pandemic continues to unfold.

This report examines the key components of Canada's essential digital infrastructure system, highlights worrying inequalities that exist within this system, and offers recommendations on how to quickly reduce some of the most glaring obstacles that prevent many of those who would benefit the most from accessing training, education and employment opportunities digitally from doing so.