Like many countries, Canada is currently on the cusp of a digital skills crisis. While modern work landscapes have created a plethora of exciting opportunities, studies have revealed that 86% of Canadian workers feel unequipped for the future of work. The same research shows that while 73% of the working population plan to upskill to be ready for the new reality of work, just 13% of people in our workforce are actively pursuing opportunities for lifelong learning.
The gap between where work is going and how ready Canadian workers feel they will be is a serious problem. It’s clear that an obvious solution for addressing the gap – and helping future-proof the Canadian job market – lies in real workforce development. And a key part of any such development includes building opportunities for lifelong learning across the workforce, especially when it comes to digital skills.
Lifelong learning provides a range of benefits for employers and employees alike. This article looks at just some of the reasons why Canadian workers, employers and policy-makers alike should focus on upskilling to accomplish a range of short, mid and long-term goals.
The economy no longer supports staying in the same job
Arguably, the most compelling reason behind the growing demand for digital skills and tailored knowledge is that the fundamentals of business have undergone a seismic generational shift. For decades, most career-driven individuals attended college, earned a degree, and then found a position allowing them to steadily climb an internal career ladder, before retiring at 60-65 with a golden handshake. It’s clear that this path no longer reflects reality for the vast majority of workers.
“The gap between where work is going and how ready Canadian workers feel they will be is a serious problem.”
Research shows that Gen Y graduates hold 3.9 jobs during the opening 12 years of their careers, meaning that they spend just under three years in each role. This trend is only expected to increase, with experts predicting that most Canadians can now expect to hold up to 15 positions during their working lives. As a result, Canadian workers face two important challenges when it comes to lifelong learning – developing universal skills and keeping pace with evolving technologies.
Lifelong learning supports an aging work population
Just before the pandemic, the average retirement age in Canada was 64, and this number is only going to move higher in the post-COVID era. Embracing the benefits of lifelong learning today offers long-term benefits to workers as they complete the transition to a digital world, one where skills such as working with cloud-based applications are essential. We need to introduce all Canadian workers to new tech-based talents early on as an effective way to increase earning and career stability, even when they are changing roles more frequently.
It’s important to note that lifelong learning delivers broader and more personal benefits for workers, not least because it actively slows the rate of age-related cognitive decline. This correlation between education in later life and reduced cognitive decline has been shown to have a positive impact on communication, social interaction and independence. This will be critically important to Canadian workers, and to our aging population in general, because we know that if Canadians can anticipate working well past the traditional retirement age, they’ll want to reap the rewards of their careers in their personal lives during their final years of work, and on into retirement. An active commitment to lifelong learning can help guarantee these and other outcomes.
Online education is now the norm
Although Canada’s K-12 education systems deliver some of the best outcomes in the world, access to lifelong learning and specialized workforce training is inadequate, with some studies showing that less than one-third of Canadians receive any job-related education. This lack of access holds true even when employers and employees are eager to embrace upskilling opportunities. Our traditional post-secondary institutions can’t address the need, especially when we consider that the cost of a master’s degree can be as high as $65,000, and this doesn’t include earnings lost during study. Cost is only one of the reasons why going back to school in a traditional sense isn’t on the agenda for most workers.
Removing the barriers to lifelong learning means taking online education seriously. If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that online education delivers a cheaper and more convenient solution that works for employers and employees alike. Workers can continue their education and familiarize themselves with digital skills needed for the modern world in their own time, and at their own pace; businesses can avoid losing workers for months as they complete a course, all the while being able to monitor individual and collective progress.
Upskilling is beneficial for everyone
As companies adapt to the changing economic climate and rebuild from the pandemic, designing programs that lead to jobs and upskill employees into talented and knowledgeable professionals must a key feature of Canadian workforce development. Let’s look briefly at some specific ways that upskilling can deliver some surprisingly broad benefits.
We know that in the current economic context, the need for employers to make financially savvy decisions is now greater than ever. Research has shown that advanced staff training can increase a company’s income per employee by over 200%. The secret is that upskilling helps companies leverage success from an intelligent, motivated and technologically skilled workforce.
Meanwhile, as we’ve seen, upskilling delivers substantial benefits for workers. While it is true that demand for labour is at an all-time high, it is also true that many Canadians are dissatisfied with low paid and unskilled jobs. Whether Canadian workers want more flexible and hybrid work environments, better benefits, or simply a higher salary, it remains the case that upskilling is one of the surest ways to guarantee these and other, positive career outcomes.
Meanwhile, at a broader macro level, it seems that a focus on a national upskilling strategy can deliver real benefits to the Canadian economy globally. From digital agriculture to building cutting-edge tech and the knowledge economy, it’s easy to see why demand-driven upskilling programs across the workforce are an effective way to secure and enhance Canada’s competitive edge.
Upskilling starts now
Whether you’re an employer or employee, workforce development and lifelong learning are essential. Find out how you and your organization can reap the rewards of increased productivity, profitability and long-term growth by starting your upskilling journey now. Here at Palette Skills, we’re ready to help!
