Jobs, Skills, and the Economy

“People that can learn quickly, that can pivot, that can problem solve, to me those are the core skills that our universities and other educational institutions need to be instilling in people.”

- Gordon Frost, Partner, Mercer Canada, a human resources consulting firm, at the Ontario’s Universities Roundtable on Innovation and the New Economy

Ontario’s economy is changing as technology grows more advanced and the prospect of automation increases. In these circumstances, talent is Ontario’s greatest asset, and developing skills for the jobs of the future has to be a top priority.

“It is the soft skills that are important… the strategic thinking, the ability to distill and communicate information and, in particular, the learning agility.”

- Shurjeel Choudhri, Senior Vice-President and Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs at Bayer HealthCare, at the Ontario’s Universities Roundtable on Youth Employment

Employers told us they need workers with core skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communications and creativity: adaptable skills that will help graduates master new technologies and remain highly employable.

“I need engineers who understand public policy and I need social workers who understand budgets and finance.”

- Peter Wallace, City Manager for the City of Toronto

Employers further told us that Ontario needs workers with broad expertise and a wide set of skills to thrive in the future.

“I'm worried that I won't be able to find a job that not only supports me but can support my family as well. I'm worried that I won't be able to fulfill my dream of travelling and experiencing new cultures.”

- Student, responding in our survey

Our survey revealed that Ontarians are largely optimistic about the future, but we also heard concerns about job insecurity, about whether there will be enough jobs in the future and whether they will support a good standard of living.

“Expanding work-integrated or experiential learning opportunities are essential to the ongoing skills development of our university graduates.”

- Ontario Undergraduate Students Association (OUSA)

Students and employers across all sectors agreed that experiential learning is a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to ensuring Ontarians are prepared for the workforce.

“We don't know how fast the economy will grow, what new technologies will be developed, or how quickly and consistently employment will expand. What is considerably more certain, however, is that success will continue to be tied to education, in part because a good education enhances one's ability to adapt to a changing economy.”

- U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, at the University of Baltimore 2016 Midyear Commencement

And throughout our survey, at all our roundtables, and across our research, we repeatedly heard that one essential ingredient to a talented workforce is a well-rounded postsecondary education.

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