Defining the Future of Work

Amanda: This is the Forefront — a Toronto Metropolitan University podcast about big problems and smart solutions. 

I’m Amanda Cupido. 

So here’s the problem: Canadians are facing a fast changing economy — more so than ever because of the pandemic. There’s a lot happening that calls for an adjustment of skills — which will be key for both individuals and our entire economy. 

This year, The Conference Board of Canada reported that nearly one in five Canadian employees are in occupations at high risk of automation — with few or no options to transition.

And on top of that — as we approach building a recovery strategy from the pandemic — we’re seeing issues with equity, diversity and inclusion, only becoming magnified.  

Pedro Barata is the Executive Director of the Future Skills Centre — which is a Toronto Metropolitan University think-tank that is gaining and sharing insights into the labour market of today and the future. Pedro says the people who bear the brunt of barriers include women, young people, newcomers and racialized populations. 

Pedro: Those are groups that already came into COVID facing significant barriers, lower wages, less access to training, fewer opportunities, higher unemployment, a greater sense of pricarity. And what we’re seeing, is that it’s exactly those industries, like hospitality, like retail that have been really impacted by COVID, and that need to be front in centre in terms of how we think about a recovery that includes everyone. And unless we actually do the extra work to engage communities that are further from the centre, to ensure that we design programs that recognize the need to address multiple barriers that we think about the need to not just train people but also how we work with employers, for example to address issues around racism. Unless we do all of these things and apply a diversity, inclusion and equity lens into skills development, we’re really going to leave a lot of people behind. And we can’t afford to do that, we can’t afford to do that because Canada’s economy is going to need all hands on deck, we’re going to need everyone at their best and it’s really important that we, that we’re very deliberate about a lens that is about including everyone in an agenda for shared prosperity. 

Amanda: The Future Skills Centre — alongside its partners, the Conference Board of Canada and Blueprint are helping with that agenda by offering programs like NPower. 

Pedro: What NPower is doing, is actually meeting a need around IT skills and bringing in populations that have been traditionally left out of the IT industry, and reaching into those communities, letting them know about some of the opportunities that are available. Providing some of the mentoring and supports that would be required to break down barriers that might be caused by trauma or poverty or lack of child care or unaffordable housing. Figuring out some of the barriers that get in the way for a young person to even get into a training program and then once you get into that training program understanding that the skills are important, the hard skills are important around IT but that we also need to provide wraparound supports of ongoing mentoring, ensuring that we are there to address the comprehensive social and emotional needs of young people as they take on a new learning experience and potentially take on a new career.

Amanda: ... like Filsan Kulane.

Filsan: I am an NPower class 3 graduate from the Toronto cohort and I’m currently working at RBC in the payment area as a program control officer. 

Amanda: But back in 2012, she was not in the same place. She had to prematurely end pursuing a Bachelor of Health Science and felt a bit lost.

Filsan: Ya, that was probably one of my low points, was just being stuck and kind of not knowing what's next and what to do and what are my options essentially because not knowing what your options are is quite difficult. You don’t even know where to begin. 

Amanda: Soon after — her cousin told her about the Npower program.

Filsan: So I went for it and I wasn’t expecting much out of it, I never considered tech as an industry that I’d pursue, especially being a women I never felt like tech was something that I could be good at, I didn’t believe that it was for me and I always viewed tech as an industry that was very male dominated as well as very technical, just you know, the tech industry is very technical. So that’s kind of where I was, I was at a crossroads kind of thinking what’s next, what do I do, and I thought let me just spend 16 weeks on something, see where it takes me and it was literally the best 16 weeks of my life. It was amazing, I learned so much not only about technology but also about personal development, professional development, and I networked an insane amount. I still have connections with people I networked with in the program and being a woman in technology I feel like networking is key. 

Amanda: That networking piece was a very intentional part of the program. Here’s Pedro again.

Pedro: You have to recognize that young people who may be racialized, who may not have much of a history in the workplace are going to go into workplaces that need to be prepared to also become mentors and to build the capacity of young people to be at their best. So one of the things that NPower does, is that in addition to working with communities to recruit young people and then working with those young people is that they work with employers so that the employer will also be ready to address issues around multiple barriers and be ready to capitalize on all of the talent that NPower graduates are bringing into that equation. 

Amanda: And looking ahead — Pedro says there are a lot of other factors that are also going to impact the job market.

Pedro: Top of the list is technological change and not only did we already know that that was going to be a feature of really driving some of the transformation that we’re going to be seeing, but under COVID were experiencing it at acceleration in terms of what the role of AI and automation is going to mean in terms of the need for Canadians to really develop digital fluency. 

Amanda: He says that digital fluency is going to be essential — and it should be equated with other foundational skills like reading and writing.

Pedro: We’re also increasingly understanding that alongside those foundational skills, social and emotional skills are going to be absolutely essential in an environment where your job, your career, is going to continuously change. And in that environment we’re going to need Canadians to be resilient, to be nimble to be comfortable in that kind of change. To also have what are called global competencies which are really those skills that enable you to work in teams and to work with people who come from different perspectives, different backgrounds, and that work with you in a team setting. We used to refer to these skills as soft skills but in fact I think we need to think about them more as the powerful skills of the future. And I think that between digital fluency, and the importance of understanding and embracing social and emotional skills these will be sort of like the table stakes and foundation for any job in any industry, which will compliment, ofcourse, industry specific skills.  

Amanda: Ultimately — Pedro says the core to the solution is innovation.

Pedro: If we are going to truly meet the challenge of a fast changing economy and ensure all Canadians have the confidence that they need and the skills that they need to meet that challenge and contribute to our shared prosperity then we’re going to have to treat innovation not as an elite sport but as something that all of us can participate in. And the challenge right now, is there isn’t a lot of support for innovation within skills development, and there also isn’t enough of a practice around it so that we have some of the playbooks that are required to know, how is it that we become more client centred, how is it that we adapt and leverage technology in ways that make skills development easier to access. How is it that we become more responsive to the needs of employers, and really engage them in the conversation. And very importantly, how is it that we actually become comfortable with measuring the outcomes and measuring how we’re doing and what works and what doesn’t. And so what we’re trying to do is really to create a safety net for a sector that has not had the investment that and support historically in incentivising that innovation, in doing things differently, in taking some risks and in going a little bit outside of the box and our job is really to provide that safety net for that risk taking. 

Amanda: He says an example of that change is to shift from thinking quarter-to-quarter to thinking 5 years down the road.

Pedro: And so, our unique value add in skills development is that we can provide longer-term perspective, with support both around dollars as well as capacity, to enable that kind of thinking and visioning, and really support people in taking a leap that otherwise they will not be supported to take. And as part of that, to also create a learning culture. That really understands that any time you’re going to take risks, sometimes you’re going to fail. Sometimes you’re going to do great, but sometimes you’re going to fail. And that’s OK. We need to learn from that, we need to learn from what doesn’t work so that we can create more playbooks about what does work. And so our job is really to create that environment where innovation becomes something that is embraced by more and more and more organizations and skills development and doesn’t become, just you know, something that a few elite organizations do. 

Amanda: Wrapping up — it’s clear that there are a lot of moving parts with regard to the Canadian economy and job market — but I’m glad there are places like the Future Skills Centre dedicated to preparing our workforce and empowering people like Filsan. A final word from Pedro about Toronto Metropolitan University’s role in all of this… 

Pedro: Toronto Metropolitan University is not the kind of post secondary education institution that puts up big walls and sits in an ivory tower and although the work of Toronto Metropolitan University on the academic front, is excellent in addition to that it’s also really turned to solving community problems, to engaging business around understanding how we can build shared prosperity. And in having a lens that is really about ensuring that everybody can get ahead and that we really embrace a diversity, equity and an inclusion lens in everything that we do. So you put all of that together, and you think about how is it that we build opportunity, how is it that we bring education, employers, community, labour, government, how you bring all of those sectors together, that’s very much in Toronto Metropolitan University’s DNA, and so it’s a natural fit for an organization like Toronto Metropolitan University to be outfront in terms of thinking about innovation, and taking risks in ways that brings everybody along and can really create new insights in terms of how we’re all going to succeed together. 

Amanda: This podcast was created for alumni and friends by University Advancement at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Special thanks to our guests on today’s episode: Filsan Kulane and Pedro Barata.

I’m your host, and proud Toronto Metropolitan University grad, Amanda Cupido.

For more information about the Future Skills Centre, and more episodes of this podcast and others, visit torontomu.ca/alumni/podcasts (opens in new window) .