Employment

The emergence of COVID-19 forced a shift away from workplaces and schools to online working and learning, but this digital transformation has not been evenly experienced by all Canadians. This report examines the key components of Canada's essential digital infrastructure system, highlights worrying inequalities that exist within this system, and offers recommendations on how to quickly reduce some of the most glaring obstacles that prevent many of those who would benefit the most from accessing training, education and employment opportunities digitally from doing so.

Job polarization is one of several trends — including automation, offshoring and the growing importance of the gig-economy — that were already of general interest prior to the onset of the pandemic, but which have been pushed even further into the centre of public policy discussions by the arrival of COVID-19. As Canadian policymakers consider how to build back the economy after the pandemic, addressing the problems created by job polarization needs to figure prominently in their priorities.

Canadian Economic Competitiveness

What did a survey of over 800 Atlantic employers tell us about their outlook and activities to drive business growth before COVID-19? Explore our findings in five thematic reports and what it means for supporting employers as economies rebuild.

Past Event

How can we transform Canada’s skills policy landscape to address new trends in how we live, work, learn and socialize in the post-pandemic world? Developed in partnership with Diversity Institute and the Future Skills Centre, and supported by Microsoft, this Scoping Report represents the first phase of a new project designed to tackle these questions. In this initial scoping report, we take stock, outline the key skills issues created and exacerbated by the pandemic, and identify eight areas for research that will be explored in depth in Phase 2 of the project.

Employers across Atlantic Canada are facing skills shortages and are turning to newcomers to fill job vacancies. Yet retention in the region remains a problem, and many immigrants who relocate elsewhere in Canada report employment as a leading cause for their decision to move away. A consultation with local business leaders, business council representatives, educators and immigrant workers provided insights into challenges and policy opportunities.

Newfoundland and Labrador's labour force is shrinking — not to mention population — and once again more people are leaving the province than arriving. PPF developed recommendations to upskill existing workers and bring in new workers at a St. John’s consultation with leaders in government, civil society, immigration, education institutions and business as part of our Atlantic Revitalization project.

Employers across Atlantic Canada are facing skills shortages and are turning to newcomers to fill job vacancies. Yet retention in the region remains a problem, and many immigrants who relocate elsewhere in Canada report employment as a leading cause for their decision to move away. A consultation with local business leaders, business council representatives, educators and immigrant workers provided insights into challenges and policy opportunities.

Employers across Atlantic Canada are facing skills shortages and are turning to newcomers to fill job vacancies. Yet retention in the region remains a problem, and many immigrants who relocate elsewhere in Canada report employment as a leading cause for their decision to move away. A consultation with local business leaders, business council representatives, educators and immigrant workers provided insights into challenges and policy opportunities.

As we move toward rebuilding our economy, policymakers should consider the success of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot as a model for regionally focused population and economic growth, especially in smaller cities and rural communities – likely to be hardest hit by the COVID-19 reduction in immigration.

Whether it's new technology or global events driving the pace of change, Canadians are being asked to adapt in the workplace. Canada needs an essential skill framework that includes and looks beyond simple literacy and numeracy. It needs to include the 'soft skills' that industry leaders say are key to success and other essential skills that will help Canadians adapt, no matter what comes their way. Each needs to be measured and tracked to ensure Canadians remain globally competitive, and this paper argues that renewing Canada’s Essential Skills framework is the place to start.

by Jasmine Gill

Many employers in Canada want to get better at hiring and advancing workers with disabilities – but the results are lagging. PPF’s Access Ability leverages policy, research and training to identify ways that businesses and policymakers can ensure workers with disabilities are able to contribute their full potential while fixing the persistence of exclusionary bias in recruitment, hiring and training.

Past Event

If skills are the new currency of the 21st century, we need to clarify the terms of exchange. Competency frameworks are critical to reducing friction in the skills and employment ecosystem by providing more clarity on how we define, assess, develop and utilize skills. Join the authors of a new Skills Next report and our esteemed panelists on Nov. 13.