Ongoing and persistent labour and skill shortages coupled with underemployment among key segments of the population, notably Indigenous youth have left the connections between industry and Indigenous populations to remain underdeveloped.

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.

The pandemic expanded digital technologies to connect and support remote workers, and increased electronic monitoring of those working remotely. While some employers see value in monitoring, overuse can negatively affect employee well-being and job satisfaction. 

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.

The program addresses challenges most newcomers to Canada face in the first five years after their arrival when searching for employment; a lack of Canadian experience and language barriers specific to a work context. To that end, the C2C program provides culinary instruction, English-language lessons and experience in a catering kitchen workplace.

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.