This week, my email inbox was inundated with new research reports related to AI and the labour market. While reading each one, I asked myself, "What does this mean for community-based employment programs?" and "How can we collectively help prepare workers, employers, and sectors?"
 
ASPECT president Lori Forgeron attended a meeting in Victoria last year of the Forestry Supports and Community Resiliency Council, of which she is an appointee, and noticed a blaring gap in the conversation: tech companies were developing AI solutions, and forestry companies were readying to adopt AI technologies, but no one was talking about a plan to train workers to use the technology.

Here's some of the research that may interest you:
 
Artificial Intelligence Talent in Canada: Emerging AI Skills and Future Workforce – The Conference Board of Canada, November 24, 2024
 
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Labour Market Insights – Labour Market Information Council, November 25, 2025
 
Which workers and jobs will be most affected by machine learning? – Institute for Work & Health, November 2024
 
Exposure to artificial intelligence in Canadian jobs: Experimental estimates – Statistics Canada, September 25, 2024
 
Universities and colleges are great training grounds, but there's a gap that community-based employment service providers can fill either by creating the training or by facilitating its creation. Community-based employment service providers can move quickly, identify funding, and create partnerships to bridge tech development and large industries such as forestry, fisheries, mining, and oil and gas.
 
How can we help? Employment services are vital to ensuring no one is left behind. We build resilience and adaptability by delivering upskilling programs tailored to low-skilled, older, and underrepresented workers and offering career development to those navigating industry changes. Advocating for inclusive AI policies and promoting AI literacy through workshops allows us to create equitable opportunities and empower all workers to thrive in an AI-driven world. Together, we can build a more inclusive future for everyone and address the elephant in the room: the impact of AI on the labour market.

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC