Skilled Trades
Research
Mining Skills Innovation Research
Regional assessments in the Cariboo and Northcoast/Nechako regions have identified logistical barriers to training, including housing shortages, childcare gaps, and geographic isolation. To address these issues, the research proposes a Workforce Development Accelerator Framework.
Project
Invest Talent: Building Metro Vancouver’s Workforce Hub
The Invest Talent pilot was designed and implemented to test a demand-driven approach to regional workforce development rather than building training programs around available supply.
June 1, 2026
32 minutes
Podcast
Season 6 | Episode 2
A Workforce to Build Big
In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, we focus on Canada’s big build moment—when major infrastructure, industrial expansion, and nation‑building projects are converging with...
Featuring: Jeremy Strachan, Monte McNaughton, Mike Gordon, Pari Johnston
In the Media
Canada’s need for skilled trades workers will far outstrip boost from Ottawa’s new plan
A mix of retirements and projected economic growth mean Canada will need more than 1.4 million additional trades workers by 2033, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday, as he touted the new program at a trade union event in Gatineau.
April 30, 2026
32 minutes
Podcast
Season 6 | Episode 1
A Future Built on Skills
In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, we tee up the new season by diving into Canada’s hinge moment for talent, productivity, and resilience...
Featuring: Jeremy Strachan, The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Noel Baldwin, J.P. Giroux, Wendy Cukier
In the Media
Tricia Williams discusses Skilled Trades on The Current with Matt Galloway
The federal government wants to address worker shortages in the skilled trades. At the spring economic update they announced a 5 year plan -- worth 6 billion dollars -- to help recruit, train and hire young people into the skilled trades
In the Media
FSC launches $5.5M ‘Replicate’ to scale proven trades training programs across Canada
With Canada facing a pending labour shortage — particularly in construction and the skilled trades — a new national initiative aims to accelerate solutions by expanding programs that have already proven successful.
Research
The Demand for Green Skills and the Impact on the Supply and Demand for Apprentices and Certified Journeypersons in the Canadian Economy
Canada’s transition to a net-zero economy is transforming the nature of work in the skilled trades. As industries such as energy, construction, manufacturing, and transportation, adopt cleaner technologies, the demand for certified tradespeople is sharply increasing.
Research
Skills for Infrastructure Innovation
This report examines global and Canadian infrastructure trends, highlights innovative practices (e.g., digitalization, green construction, modular methods, regulatory reforms) and analyzes the implications for the workforce and skills required in the coming years.