Polygon Created with Sketch. Home | Research

Blue occupation pathways: Career transitions to the sustainable blue economy

In this research, we analyze the occupational transitions from 92 high-risk, low-mobility (HRLM) jobs to 15 rapid-growth jobs in the sustainable blue economy (SBE). How many years of training open up the most opportunities for HRLM workers to transition into the SBE? Which regions of Canada have higher transition potential, or higher transition costs? What training programs need to be developed to fill skill and labour gaps? Read the impact paper to get our full analysis.

Key insights

Rapidly growing occupations in the sustainable blue economy (SBE) are often specialized in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Due to the nature of these occupations, most transitions from high-risk, low-mobility (HRLM) jobs to those in the SBE will likely require one to three years of training.

The cost of a career transition to the SBE varies widely across Canada. It is high in British Columbia due to the opportunity cost of training and is much lower in the Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The transition is especially less costly in Quebec because of the very low direct cost of training.

Related content

two farm workers with tablet
Research

Digital Technologies and the Big Data Revolution in the Canadian Agricultural Sector

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan’s Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives reviewed the literature to examine the response in Canada and elsewhere by farmers, agribusiness firms, agricultural organizations and governments to the emergence of big data generated by the use of the IoT in agricultural production processes.
Green environmental energy concept, Technician workers team installing solar photo voltaic panels to high steel platform of factory, Photovoltaic module idea for clean energy
Research

Ready for green jobs: How ready are Canadian regions to attract and support the skilled workforce needed to reach climate targets and drive clean growth?

Clean growth and climate action in Canada could create thousands of jobs in the next seven years. With a potential 300,000 jobs created, communities across the country have the opportunity to thrive while moving Canada towards meeting its climate targets.
mossy branch in vancouver area
Research

Rapid Reskilling to Support Nature-Based Solutions and Green Infrastructure Projects in Canada

The project aimed to retrain workers from the oil, gas, forestry and mining industries, enabling them to transition into roles that support environmental restoration and sustainability through nature-based solutions (NBS).
View all Research