Hub Podcasts Why Canada needs to rethink its skills system for the modern workforce
Mar 4, 2026
Valerie Walker, CEO of BeHEARD, builds employer-postsecondary partnerships. Karen Myers, CEO of Blueprint, measures workforce program impact. Jessica Biga-Wadstein, Pearson’s Canada head, focuses on lifelong learning and skills verification. They discuss shortening education-to-work transitions, demand-driven training, employer-aligned credentials, real-time labour market intelligence, and a national skills infrastructure.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
AI Is Forcing A Lifelong Learning Shift
- Canada is making progress: institutions, employers, and policymakers are aligning around how AI reshapes jobs, driving smarter curriculum and upskilling strategies.
- Lifelong learning is becoming central as skills' half-life shortens; embedding learning into work and AI partnerships (e.g., Pearson with Microsoft, Google) accelerates adaptation.
Transitions Between Learning And Work Are Costly
- Long transition times between education and work cost Canada hugely—nearly $146 billion annually according to Pearson's Lost in Transition report.
- Reducing reskilling time from 18 to 10 weeks could unlock over $50 billion in employee earnings each year.
Be AHEAD Built 70,000 Work-Integrated Placements
- Be AHEAD has created over 70,000 work-integrated learning experiences by partnering with thousands of companies and ~100 delivery partners since 2019.
- These experiences range from co-ops to class competitions and embedded curriculum placements that bridge schooling to employment.