Question Period Note: Future Skills

New technology, artificial intelligence, and global competitiveness are changing the way Canadians work, and many of the skills needed for good quality jobs are expected to change in the years to come. A Canadian workforce that incorporates new technology and adapts is key to Canada’s long-term economic growth.

• Technological advancements such as robotics and artificial intelligence are having a profound impact on Skills requirements, the Workplace and business models.

• The Government of Canada has demonstrated global leadership by launching Future Skills in February 2019 to understand the skills Canadians need for the future.
• Our aim is to mobilize action across all stakeholders and sectors to ensure Canada’s skills development policies and programs are future-fit.

• The Future Skills Council is advising the Government on priorities for action.
• The Future Skills Centre, an independent research and innovation centre, is testing and measuring new approaches to skills assessment and development.

• Future Skills will pave the way for middle class Canadians to adapt, succeed, and thrive at work for years to come.

The Government of Canada is investing $225 million over four years starting in 2018-19, and $75 million per year thereafter in Future Skills. Future Skills aims to proactively ensure that Canada’s skills development policies and programs adapt to jobseekers’, workers’ and employers’ changing needs and allow Canadians to take advantage of emerging opportunities by increasing access to better quality training.

The initiative includes the Future Skills Council, a ministerial advisory council to identify and promote priority areas for action on emerging skills and workforce trends of pan-Canadian significance; and the Future Skills Centre, an independent research and innovation centre to prototype, test and measure new approaches to skills assessment and development.

Employment and Social Development Canada launched an open call for proposals to establish the Centre and an open call for applications for Council membership in spring 2018. Following rigorous selection processes, the Government of Canada announced the Future Skills Centre consortium (Ryerson University, the Conference Board of Canada and Blueprint) and Future Skills Council membership on February 14, 2019.

Canada’s skills development system is decentralized across fourteen governments (federal, provincial and territorial) who have shared skills development jurisdiction and work with thousands of businesses, labour, educational and training institutions, and not-for-profit organizations who play important roles helping Canadians to develop skills and find quality employment. Collaboration is critical to its success; Future Skills will work with provinces, territories, and stakeholders to:

• Increase Canadians’ knowledge of emerging skills so that they can make more informed choices when seeking, accepting and/or maintaining employment;

• Increase employment and training service providers’ and policy makers’ awareness of emerging skills and effective training practices so that all Canadians have better access to quality training and services that meet their evolving needs;

• Integrate knowledge and evidence of what works into policy and program design so that Canadians, including under-represented groups and vulnerable workers, have the opportunity to acquire skills to find and maintain productive employment; and

• Mobilize action amongst governments, businesses, labour, training and educational institutions, not-for-profit organizations and experts to replicate and scale up knowledge and evidence generated by the Future Skills Council and Future Skills Centre.

None