In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, we explore what it will take for Canada to build and sustain a competitive edge in artificial intelligence. Host Jeremy Strachan speaks with three experts who each bring a different perspective on the opportunities and risks shaping Canada’s AI future. We begin with Aaron Rodericks, Head of Trust and Security at Bluesky, who offers a candid assessment of the global AI race—highlighting Canada’s position relative to major players, the realities of market concentration, and the emerging cybersecurity risks tied to rapidly advancing models. Next, Jaxson Khan, Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs joins the podcast to unpack the concept of AI sovereignty, outlining what it means in practice across the AI stack and what structural and cultural shifts are needed for Canada to build, adopt, and retain AI capacity. Finally, CIFAR AI Chair at the University of Alberta Blair Attard-Frost reflects on Canada’s newly released AI strategy, emphasizing the importance of public trust, social research, and a broader cultural shift in how we approach innovation, governance, and talent retention. Together, this conversation explores what it will take not only to compete in the global AI landscape—but to do so in a way that is secure, sovereign, and socially grounded. 

Guests 

Aaron Rodericks, Head of Trust and Security, Bluesky 

Jaxson Khan, Senior Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs 

Blair Attard-Frost, CIFAR AI Chair and Assistant Professor, University of Alberta 

Host 

Jeremy Strachan, Manager, Education & Skills, Signal49 Research 

Links 

Future Skills Centre Homepage: https://fsc-ccf.ca/ 

Future Skills Centre LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fsc-ccf 

Future Skills Centre Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fsc-ccf.bsky.social 

Signal49 Research Homepage: https://www.signal49.ca/ 

Signal49 Research Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Signal49Research 

Signal49 Research X: https://x.com/S49Research 

Conference Board of Canada, The. Canada’s Workforce in Transition: How AI Is Shaping the Future of Work. Ottawa: The Conference Board of Canada, 2025. English | French 

Signal49 Research: AI and Entry Level Demand. Ottawa: Signal49 Research, 2026. English | French 

Government of Canada. Canada’s National AI Strategy: AI for All. Ottawa: Government of Canada. English | French 

Mullen, Sean, and Jaxson Khan. Sovereign By Design: Strategic Options for Canadian AI Sovereignty. Toronto: Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, 2026. English | French  

Loertscher, Oliver. Going All in on Automation: Economic Growth, Labour Markets, and the Path Toward a Robust Transition. Ottawa: Signal49 Research, 2026. English | French. 

In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, we turn to the care economy—one of Canada's most essential yet complex labour market sectors. Host Jeremy Strachan is joined by Anita Khanna, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy at United Way Centraide, who explains why care work—from long-term care to community services—operates differently from other sectors, facing persistent challenges with worker retention, job quality, and wage disparities. We then hear from Tyler Downey, President of SEIU Healthcare, who outlines how unions are helping to build pathways into the care economy—particularly through targeted training and supports that enable internationally educated nurses to enter and thrive in Canada's healthcare workforce. We close with Sean Chilton, CEO of Health Workforce Canada, who highlights the critical role of high-quality, integrated data in understanding workforce gaps, improving planning, and driving better health workforce outcomes across the country. Together, this conversation explores what it will take to stabilize, strengthen, and grow the care workforce at a time of rising demand and system-wide pressure.

Guests

Anita Khanna, Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy, United Way Centraide

Sean Chilton, President and CEO, Health Workforce Canada

Tyler Downey, President, SEIU Healthcare

Host

Jeremy Strachan, Manager, Education & Skills, Signal49 Research

Links

Future Skills Centre Homepage: https://fsc-ccf.ca/

Future Skills Centre LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fsc-ccf

Future Skills Centre Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fsc-ccf.bsky.social

Signal49 Research Homepage: https://www.signal49.ca/

Signal49 Research Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Signal49Research

Signal49 Research X: https://x.com/S49Research

United Way Centraide Canada: https://www.unitedway.ca/ 

Announcement of United Way Centraide Canada's National Labour Force Strategy: English | French

SIEU Healthcare Union: https://seiuhealthcare.ca/ 

Health Workforce Canada: https://healthworkforce.ca/ 

Health Workforce Canada's Pan-Canadian Health Workforce Data Strategy: English | French 

Pathways for International Educated Health Care Professionals (Insights Report): English | French

In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, we focus on Canada’s big build moment—when major infrastructure, industrial expansion, and nation‑building projects are converging with profound workforce pressures. Host Jeremy Strachan is joined by former Ontario Minister of Labour and Infrastructure Monte McNaughton to explore why apprenticeships, early pathways into the skilled trades, and labour mobility are essential as retirements accelerate and demand surges. We then hear from Mike Gordon, Director of Canadian Training of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, who unpacks why training quality, credential recognition, and national standards are critical to mobilizing a skilled workforce—without taking risky shortcuts. We close with Pari Johnston, President and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada, who makes the case for public colleges as the backbone of Canada’s skills ecosystem, and what it will take to deliver training at the speed, scale, and quality needed to prepare workers for an AI‑driven economy. 

Guests  

Monte McNaughton, Co-Chair, Future Skills Centre Resilient Workforce Working Table 

Mike Gordon, Director of Canadian Training, United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters 

Pari Johnston, President and CEO, Colleges and Institutes Canada 

Links 

Future Skills Centre Homepage: https://fsc-ccf.ca/ 

Future Skills Centre LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fsc-ccf 

Future Skills Centre Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fsc-ccf.bsky.social 

Signal49 Research Homepage: https://www.signal49.ca/ 

Signal49 Research Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Signal49Research 

Signal49 Research X: https://x.com/S49Research 

Future Skills Centre Resilient Workforce Working Table: https://fsc-ccf.ca/engage/resilient-workforce-working-table/ 

United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters: https://www.uacanada.ca/ 

Colleges and Institutes Canada: https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/ 

Signal49 Research, Building Under Pressure: Skilled Trades Shortages and Rising Construction Costs. Ottawa, Signal49 Research, November 24, 2025. 

Statistics Canada. Changes in the population of tradespeople between 2016 and 2021. Education, Learning and Training Research Paper Series, September 26, 2024.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/81-595-m/81-595-m2024002-eng.htm  

In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, we tee up the new season by diving into Canada’s hinge moment for talent, productivity, and resilience by revisiting some of the key themes from A Future Built on Skills. This one-day hybrid event from October 2025 brought together thought leaders in skills, training and workforce development. We’re joined by the Future Skills Centre’s Noel Baldwin in conversation with the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families, exploring an all‑hands‑on‑deck approach to workforce resilience—why soft skills, apprenticeships, and work‑integrated learning matter as major projects and trades demand surge. Then J.P. Giroux, President of the Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium, takes us onto the factory floor to unpack how automation and AI are reshaping roles, why SMEs must treat training as strategy, and how a culture of continuous learning drives real productivity gains. We close with Professor Wendy Cukier, Academic Director and Founder of the Diversity Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, who makes the case for a national skills agenda centered on SMEs, inclusion (EDI), and scenario planning for AI, and what a blueprint for preparing Canada’s workforce for 2026 and beyond looks like.

Guests

The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families, Government of Canada

Noel Baldwin, Executive Director, Future Skills Centre

J.P. Giroux, President, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium

Wendy Cukier, Academic Director and Founder, Diversity Institute

This is Jeremy Strachan, your host of the Future Skills Podcast, brought to you by the Future Skills Centre. You may have noticed that The Conference Board of Canada's changed it's name. We’re now Signal49 Research. This new name reflects a guiding signal in times of uncertainty; a dependable beacon that leaders can rely on to navigate complexity. Inspired by Signal Hill in Newfoundland and Labrador, and with a nod to Canada and the 49th parallel, it embraces the spirit of innovation and anchors us in a distinctly Canadian point of view. Learn more about what our new name means at signal49.ca.

 Meanwhile, stay tuned for Season 6 of the Future Skills Podcast, with new episodes coming this spring and summer where we explore what matters most to Canadians when it comes to skills, training, and the ever-changing world of work.

In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, host Jeremy Strachan explores the complex and evolving landscape of skills development and workforce training in Northern and Indigenous communities. Amanda Thompson from Signal49 Research shares insights from the Learning from One Another project, a multi-year initiative examining labour market trends and training strategies across Yukon, Nunavut, and Northern Ontario. We also hear from Kris Mullaly of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, who discusses the Q-STEP program and Tuttarvik—community-driven initiatives that are empowering Inuit youth through culturally grounded training and employment supports. Finally, Xina Cowan of EntrepreNorth highlights how entrepreneurship is creating new pathways for economic resilience and self-determination across the North.

Guests

Amanda Thompson, Lead Research Associate, Signal49 Research

Kris Mullaly, Program Manager, Qikiqtani Inuit Association

Xina Cowan, Co-Director, EntrepreNorth

See all our research:

https://www.signal49.ca/future-skills-centre/research/

In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, host Jeremy Strachan explores how self-employment and entrepreneurship can serve as powerful pathways for neurodivergent Canadians to thrive in the workforce. Jennifer Fane from Signal49 Research discusses her Future Skills Centre-funded research on barriers facing neurodivergent entrepreneurs and the need for tailored support programs; Wanda Deschamps, founder of Liberty Co. and openly autistic entrepreneur, shares her perspective on shifting the narrative from accommodations to strengths and the importance of neuroinclusion in business; and Brad Loiselle, CEO of Skills Council of Canada, reveals how “dyslexic thinking” has fueled his serial entrepreneurship success, from building North America’s largest wrapping paper business to creating innovative educational platforms. 

Guests

Jennifer Fane, Lead Research Associate, Signal49 Research

Wanda Deschamps, Founder and Principal, Liberty Co.

Brad Loiselle, CEO and Founder, Skills Council of Canada

Links:

https://www.signal49.ca/product/neurodivergent-self-employment-resources_mar2026/

In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, host Jeremy Strachan explores the transformative world of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on the Canadian workforce. With insights from experts Noel Baldwin, Stephanie Enders, and Mark Patterson, we hear how Future Skills Centre research is helping us better understand the way AI is reshaping job markets, skills development, and employment strategies. The conversation tackles critical challenges like AI literacy, ethical considerations, and the need for adaptability in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Discover how workers and businesses can leverage AI to enhance human skills, improve productivity, and navigate the future of work.

Guests

Noel Baldwin, Executive Director, Future Skills Centre

Stephanie Enders, Chief Delivery Officer, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii)

Mark Patterson, Executive Director, Magnet

In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, host Jeremy Strachan dives into the critical topic of leveraging the skills of newcomers to Canada and its impact on economic and social success. Joined by Tricia Williams from the Future Skills Centre, Sharon McLennon from the Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovation Centre, and Shamira Madhany from World Education Services, the discussion explores how Future Skills Centre-funded initiatives have shed light on newcomer retention and workforce integration. 

The episode highlights barriers such as credential recognition, workplace bias, and lack of professional networks while emphasizing solutions like targeted upskilling, wraparound supports, and cultural competency training. With insights into workforce development across Canada, this episode underscores how effectively integrating skilled immigrants is key to addressing labor shortages and boosting economic resilience.

Guests

Tricia Williams, PhD, Director of Research, Evaluation, and Knowledge Mobilization, Future Skills Centre

Sharon McLennon, Director, Newfoundland and Labrador Workforce Innovation Centre

Shamira Madhany, Managing Director and Deputy Executive Director, World Education Services

What defines quality of work in today’s economy? In this episode, host Jeremy Strachan speaks with Laura McDonough from the Future Skills Centre and Dr. Olga Morawczynski from Heal-3 to explore how wages, job security, mental health, and workplace culture impact our experience at work. They discuss how research from the Future Skills Centre has shed insights on the evolving expectations of workers, the role of leadership in job satisfaction, and how benefits and training can shape long-term career well-being. As workplaces continue to change, and as Canada’s workforce challenges continue to evolve, understanding what job quality means is becoming more important than ever.