Demand for skilled employees is not new, but the skills considered “in demand” have evolved. While developing skills is a life-long endeavour, the skills that Canadians learn through post-secondary training are key to workplace success. Demand for social and emotional skills is growing. Are we doing enough to prepare Canadians for the evolving workplace?

The Public Policy Forum, the Diversity Institute, and the Future Skills Centre have joined together to publish Skills Next, a series that explores what is working in workplaces, universities, and the labour market – and where workers are falling through the gaps in our skills training system. Each report focuses on one issue — such as the impact of technology in the workplace, gig work, digital skills, and barriers to employment that some marginalized groups experience -- and reviews the existing state of knowledge on this topic and identifies areas in need of additional research.

This research project will help inform the development of more appropriate career resources and supports to increase Indigenous representation in Canada’s finance and management professions.

This research project will explore what works for effectively designing, teaching, and supporting cross-cultural Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curricula for Indigenous learners in secondary and post-secondary fields of study.

This research project seeks to understand why Indigenous workers in Canada’s North tend to be concentrated in part-year and part-time work, and which career pathways and supports can help them achieve more sustainable livelihoods.

This project will develop a comprehensive skills framework to describe the Canadian workforce, assess the types of skills currently required by employers and offered by employees, and propose strategies for policymakers to mitigate the growing skills shortage.

In this multi-year project, our team of researchers is exploring the trends, challenges, and opportunities related to social and emotional skills (SES) development and the future of work.

This research project will investigate the role Indigenous-controlled post-secondary institutes play in helping First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students achieve academic success and find meaningful employment.

The report examines how organizations contribute to the development and management of talent at the regional level, with a specific focus on the case study of the Montreal aerospace cluster.