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Understanding Future Skills: Emergence of an Ecosystem for the Digital Economy

The focus of this report is on the emergence of the digital economy ecosystem in Quebec, with a specific focus on the Montreal artificial intelligence cluster.

The report includes a mapping exercise that identifies and traces the connections between the many intermediary agencies involved in supporting the various initiatives and relationships that define this cluster. It also involves an exploration of the interface between different policy initiatives and institutions and how they have helped or hindered the development of the cluster.

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The authors also examine the impact of the digital economy, especially how various stakeholders present in this ecosystem – governments, consulting firms, employers, trade unions, and others – frame issues related to the impact of its arrival and growth on jobs and work. Critically, the shift in high demand skills brought about by the emergence of the digital economy, and the interaction of this shift on the other factors influencing the emergence of Quebec’s digital economy ecosystem, will form a central analytical thread that runs throughout the report. Correspondingly, the authors conclude the report with an exploration of the wider implications of their findings for all Canadians and the various skills strategies being developed with the aim of enabling other parts of the country to successfully navigate the future of skills.

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Aligning Workforce Skills with Quebec’s Future of Work

Skills development in Quebec received a major boost with a three year, $20 million agreement between the Future Skills Centre and the Commission des partenaires du marché du travail (CPMT). The partnership supported CPMT initiatives that strengthened and adapted workforce capabilities to meet both current and future labour market demands in Quebec. 
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Adoption Ready? The AI Exposure of Jobs and Skills in Canada’s Public Sector Workforce

This project investigates how artificial intelligence adoption could affect Canada’s public sector workforce, examining whether AI is more likely to assist workers with job tasks or automate those tasks entirely.
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Perceptions of trades training gaining traction over university

Canada faces a shortage of workers in the skilled trades, resulting in part from persistent labour-market demand driven by activity in construction, manufacturing, transportation and…
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