Workforce Growth for a Prosperous Canada

As the world’s need for abundant, affordable, and low-carbon energy rises, Canada’s position as a producer and exporter of electricity, critical minerals, and more could come with significant economic opportunity. Is Canada’s workforce ready to meet this opportunity head-on?

What people and systems need to be in place to meet the challenge presented by a rapidly shifting trade landscape?

In this discussion, panelists Vincent Caron, Vice President, Ontario Government Relations and Member Advocacy, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, Michelle Branigan, CEO, Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC), and Noel Baldwin, Executive Director of the Future Skills Centre (FSC), explored the obstacles and opportunities in preparing Canada’s future workforce.

“We have a mineral wealth in Canada… a lot of these minerals are still in the ground, and most of the processing capacity is in China. So, I see a demand for manufacturing workers in the processing of these minerals,” noted Caron.

Canada’s lack of local processing and manufacturing infrastructure is part of a longer trend of underinvestment, which has damaged competitiveness: “We’ve really missed the boat in the last few years,” he continued. “We’ve seen manufacturing capital dwindle to the point that the capital stock and manufacturing is […] lower than when we signed the first free trade agreement with the US. We’ve let our capital stock, our buildings, machinery, go down while the United States have been really ramping up investments.”

The potential to pull off major infrastructure projects for a competitive Canadian economy relies on having flexible, skilled workers who can be in the right place at the right time, agreed panelists.

“Climate change is not going to go away. Electrification requirements are not going to go away. We make things challenging for ourselves, whether that is interprovincial barriers, but specifically when that comes down to people having the ability to move with their trade qualification,” highlighted Branigan.

But mobility is only part of the challenge. Training systems must become more agile and aligned with real-world needs to get workers job-ready faster. “Educators need to be working very closely with employers to understand what the changes are and putting forward programming to that next generation that will make sense and allow them to hit the ground running when they actually get employed.”

Workforce planning cannot rely on market signals alone. It requires coordination—across sectors, jurisdictions, and institutions. Baldwin notes “The question that’s really animating us these days is, ‘how do we get the right people with the right skills in the right places at the right time?’ […] We’re coming at this with a bit of concern that Canada ‘hand-waves’ the skill and workforce side; like if the pricing mechanisms are right and the signals are right, people are going to find their way to the right places. And I think the issue now, compounded with the tariff threats from the US, underscores the need for greater dialogue and coordination around some of these plans.”

Co-presented with

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