Canada, like so many other countries around the world, is facing a labour market crunch. And if we are going to overcome that crunch, we must be willing to invest and adopt innovative ways to meet that challenge.
First investment: In the federal government’s spring fiscal update on April 28, Canada Strong for All, the government prioritized targeted spending based on its goal to build a more resilient economy. That new spending includes $6 million to hire and train between 80,000 and 100,00 Red Seal skilled trade workers. These skilled workers are needed to build infrastructure, including housing and to provide support for our health care and technical sectors.
A week after Ottawa’s announcement, Saskatchewan followed suit, investing an additional $534,000 to expand short-term, hands-on training programs. Other provinces have made similar commitments.
This spending and focus on increasing skilled workers in Canada are needed; however, it is not enough to address the ongoing labour demands of a country with a rapidly aging population. While Canada continues to rely on immigration to help address those labour shortages, the credential recognition process and retraining requirements are both inefficient and costly.
While federal and provincial financial investment is critical, it is not enough. We must do more, and this means an innovative approach beyond our borders.
A new policy proposal from 369 Global, a Canada-headquartered group of companies in skills training, media and talent mobility, outlines a plan through immigration that will help Canada address labour shortages while reducing costs and delays experienced by new immigrants and companies in need of skilled workers and health care professionals.
The proposal—for Canada to create Global Skilling Centres (GSC) abroad: Canadian-branded training hubs in high-growth partner countries to deliver Canadian-equivalent education and credentials before workers arrive here.
This is not a study-abroad model or a rebranding of international student recruitment. It is a structured, employer-linked workforce strategy. Canadian post-secondary institutions, along with employers, would co-design programs aligned to real labour market needs in sectors such as skilled trades, technical skills and health care. Participants in GSCs would be trained by Canadian standards in their home country, providing a pathway to employer-matched immigration once training has been completed.
In other words, immigrants who complete the training would arrive in Canada qualified and ready to work.
This policy would mean an end to the credential recognition problem of skilled trades for new immigrants. Canada would no longer be reactive on its immigration requirements based on fluctuating market needs; instead, it would be proactive to ensure the training and pipeline of skilled trades workers meet what is needed across the country.
In addition, GSCs would strengthen bilateral trade and diplomatic relationships with those countries where Centres are based.
These Centres require partnerships with foreign governments and post-secondary institutions, as well as the private sector. Our policy proposal outlines a few recommendations, including the designation of a Global Skilling Attaché within Canadian embassies and high commissions in target markets, post-secondary institutions to receive incentive funding to co-develop export-ready curricula, and private sector employers facing chronic labour shortages to be invited to co-invest in centre operations in exchange for preferential access to trained graduates.
This innovative approach requires Canada’s postsecondary institutions and employers to co-design training programs delivered in designated countries and for immigration policy to formally recognize pre-arrival, employer-endorsed credentials.
Countries around the world are competing for talent, and many are already building workforce partnerships directly in emerging markets. Canada cannot afford to remain reactive while others act. For Canada to meet its technical, trades skills, and health care sector workforce needs, we must look beyond our borders for more efficient solutions.
Training workers before they reach our borders is an innovative approach for Canada to compete internationally for the talent needed to meet the workforce challenges today and what is expected for years to come.
