Across Canada
In the Media
What one factory closure tells us about building resilient communities
International lessons show that localized skills training, community-led planning and tailored supports can help workers adapt without leaving the communities they call home.
In the Media
Effective nation-building starts with the people and places where it happens
Strategic place-based industrial planning that attracts new investment and aligns workforce development with regional economic diversification can help spur community renewal.
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.
Research
Supporting Rural Agriculture Entrepreneurship: Reframing the Discourse
This research examined how agriculture sector stereotypes impair the growth and sustainability of the sector. Rural agriculture entrepreneurs face several challenges more than traditional businesses.
Research
Learning from Place-Based Approaches on the Road to Net Zero : International Lessons in Skills Training and Workforce Development
Global and Canadian efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift away from fossil fuels have created a central policy question: How can workers, sectors and regions adapt and develop the skills needed for a low-carbon future?
Video
SN Impact Media Interview with FSC Executive Director, Noel Baldwin
Noel Baldwin has been the Executive Director of the Future Skills Centre (FSC) since June, 2024. He brings nearly two decades of experience in leading strategic initiatives and policy development in postsecondary education, adult learning and skills development.
Since joining FSC in 2019 as Director of Government and Public Affairs, Noel has provided leadership in navigating the complex skills ecosystem and working with diverse stakeholders to foster innovation in skills development that addresses the evolving needs of the workforce and promotes inclusive economic growth. FSC has successfully forged strong relationships with federal departments, provinces, territories, municipalities, and international organizations like the OECD. His efforts drove FSC’s early strategic initiatives, including targeted investments addressing critical gaps across regions and sectors.
Podcast
How Do We Upskill Workers to Make the Most of AI?
There is no stopping the oncoming train of artificial intelligence, with all that that means for the workplace. At the very least, it will mean training workers with new AI skills but it also means continuously retraining them to keep up with changes in technology. It will be a mammoth task.
In this episode of Work and the Future, economist and keynote speaker Linda Nazareth talks to Tricia Williams, Director of research, evaluation and knowledge mobilization at the Future Skills Centre about training and AI.
Research
Skilled Trades and Entrepreneurship: The Need for Business Competencies
This report set out to explore two questions: 1) To what extent should entrepreneurship be recognized as a critical dimension of the skilled trades, and 2) which competencies are most essential for entrepreneurs in the skilled trades to succeed?
Research
Greenification of SMEs
This report provides an investigation of existing competency frameworks for green skills in order to identify a framework suited to SMEs. We found current frameworks typically focus on new workforce training and large-enterprise models, and lack consideration of Canadian-specific regulations, smaller organization structures and accessible technical skills.