Green-related skills and knowledge are growing in significance and are becoming widespread across many sectors and occupations, requiring more workers to upskill by building upon their existing competencies. 

By 2030, the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) estimates that with the appropriate framework and investments in place, the Canadian green-building industry could support approximately 1.5 million direct jobs. In Ontario alone, over 100,000 new construction workers are needed in the next 10 years to keep pace with future demand and retirements.

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 FEED the North project, spearheaded by the Ocean Wise Conservation Association, targeted economic and environmental challenges in Nunavut, which were intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and by climate change. This initiative aimed to merge traditional Inuit knowledge with Western science, enhancing sustainability in local fisheries and bridging Indigenous and Western environmental conservation methods.

The Canadian aviation and aerospace industry currently faces challenges recruiting, training and retaining a qualified workforce. To address this issue, the Canadian Council for Aviation and Aerospace (CCAA) developed and tested a digital learning resource and a stackable micro-credential framework.

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methods to document and formally recognize the skills that apprentices acquire through workplace learning are outdated.

Despite the overall success of Canada’s immigration system, a number of challenges persist. When compared to other nations, labour market mobility for newcomers in Canada is not as strong as other dimensions of migrant integration.

The Re-skilling Displaced Retail Workers project sought to support the design of a re-skilling program for displaced Ontario retail workers, with a focus on racialized or Indigenous youth.