• Français
Future Skills Center logo
Français
Polygon Created with Sketch. Home | Research
Research

Participation in skills training: A report from the Survey on Employment and Skills

The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the workplace. Some businesses closed either temporarily or permanently. Others enabled their employees to work from home. Those that could not shift to remote work had to implement new safety procedures to
prevent their employees from getting sick. Along the way, access to skills training was interrupted. In cases where training did continue, its focus often shifted to managing the changes in the workplace caused by the pandemic.

The latest wave of the Survey on Employment and Skills, conducted in March 2023, revisits the issue of access to skills training. Three years after the onset of the pandemic, it finds that more workers are participating in work-related training to improve their skills, while training is becoming less focused on the management of the pandemic. It also shows that the most common type of training is that which focuses on workplace health and safety. The survey finds that working from home does not appear to have posed a barrier to skills training to date, as those who have switched to working from home are more likely than those who continue to work in their regular workplace to access training to improve their skills.

New employee, training and work during covid-19 pandemic. Millennial african american woman in apron, protective mask and gloves with guy preparing latte near equipment in interior of loft cafe

Key insights

44 percent of people in the labour force participated in a training course during the past12 months that was provided by their employer. This compares to 34 percent a year earlier, and to 33 percent in June 2021

22 percent of workers participated in a training course during the past 12 months that was not provided by their employer, but that they took while they were working. This compares to 19 percent a year earlier, and to 18 percent in June 2021

20 percent of workers participated in a training course during the past 12 months that they took while they were unemployed. Among those unemployed at the time of the survey, the figure is 27 percent

Related content

Photo of busy city street
Research

Understanding the Future of Skills: Trends and Global Policy Responses

  • January 2020
  • Public Policy Forum, Diversity Institute
Studies on the future of work tend to focus on the jobs at risk of automation, with projections varying widely from 6% to 59%. Sunil Johal and Michael Urban take a different approach in reviewing eight expert reports and the actions taken by nine countries to prepare for the challenges ahead. They distill key lessons for Canada to ensure workers are equipped with the skills they need to thrive in tomorrow’s economy, whatever shape it takes.
1 Related Reports
five workers walk in front of shipping containers at a port
Research

Canadians worry about impact of trade war as pessimism about economy deepens

  • June 2025
  • Environics Institute, Diversity Institute
Concerns about the impact of U.S. tariffs are contributing to a growing pessimism among Canadians about the economy, employment and their own financial situation.
1 Related Reports
Street scene of groups of people crossing the street
Research

Are Adults Making Use of Career Services in Canada?

  • November 2021
  • Labour Market Information Council
Career services represent an important way for Canadians to attain reliable and accurate labour market information (LMI), such as job opportunities, potential earnings and skill requirements, as well as a wide range of supports to support success in learning and work.
1 Related Reports
View all Research