Two plus years into the global pandemic, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that as far as employment and careers are concerned, it’s all bad news. But the fact is that Canada’s job numbers have surged ahead, and despite the threat of disruption posed by Omicron, it’s clear that Canadian workers are engaged in the job market like never before, and searching for new opportunities. The question is—how do Canadian workers build the right skills for these new opportunities, so they can quickly find the path to a career? 

The most important takeaway from last year is that we are a resilient species. For all the job loss, business closures, loneliness and heartbreak, we also learned that people can do incredible things if they are committed and given the chance. This should be our mantra for 2021 – it is our path to recovery. Canada can recover from the pandemic only when more Canadians can participate in economic expansion. We have the talent, but organizations need to work together to ensure that people have the foundation and skills to succeed in building the economy.

Should we prioritize getting people back into their old jobs — jobs whose very existence is increasingly threatened? How do we balance the talent needs in traditional sectors with the growing skills gaps in fast-growing, knowledge-based firms? Canada needs a national approach to upskilling that focuses on technical skills, soft skills and resilience.