The discussion emphasized the growing importance of WIL in addressing Canada’s workforce and productivity challenges, particularly in skilled trades sectors critical to housing, infrastructure, manufacturing, and clean energy. BHER’s national WIL program prepares students for the workforce, and helps businesses succeed, adapt and grow.
Andrew’s presentation sparked conversation around how experiential learning and early career exposure help build a more productive, future-ready skilled trades workforce. Skilled trades employers said that workplace readiness, communication skills, adaptability, and practical realities like transportation are increasingly important for early talent success, and employers noted the need for entry-level workers to adapt more quickly to trades work becoming more digital and technology-driven.
Canada needs more people in the skilled trades but it’s more than just supply. Companies also need to develop and deploy talent in effective and innovative ways. In our Thought Leadership piece, Canada’s problem isn’t just producing talent. It’s deploying it, we make the case that how companies define roles, hire, and invest in training matters just as much as how much talent we produce.