Now that a new year of schooling and training is underway, you might be wondering: why should employment service providers care about yet another set of reports on skills and productivity? Simply put, because they shine a light on the very work you’re already doing every day with your clients and communities. I'm not sure about you, but I find their findings inspirational.
 
The Future Skills Centre’s PIAAC report shows that raising basic skills such as literacy and numeracy isn’t just about individual achievement. Each incremental improvement can translate into higher wages, better health outcomes, and even a measurable boost to Canada’s GDP. For providers, this reinforces the value of the services we deliver: when we help clients strengthen foundational and digital skills, we’re not just supporting their employment—we’re contributing to national prosperity.
 
The Canada West Foundation’s Productivity Project reports (Productivity and People and The Coming Storm) drive the point home. Canada’s productivity gap is not going to be closed by trade or technology alone. It will be closed by people—with the right skills, deployed effectively, in the right places. That means our role in preparing, coaching, and connecting clients has never been more essential. The reports also warn of uneven regional labour-market shifts, reminding us that our local knowledge and adaptability are critical for helping communities weather the “storms” ahead.
 
So why should we care? Because these findings validate and elevate our work:

• They demonstrate that closing skills gaps can change lives and economies.
• They highlight the disproportionate impact of supporting underserved groups, where even small gains can drive large social and economic returns.
• They confirm that lifelong learning and retraining are not optional—they are the backbone of Canada’s competitiveness.
   

These reports remind us that the future is not fixed—it’s built through people. Every literacy course delivered, every coaching session completed, every training pathway supported has ripple effects that extend far beyond one client. They show that our collective work has the power to close gaps, strengthen communities, and drive Canada’s prosperity. That is both inspiring and affirming: employment service providers are not just responding to labour-market needs—we are helping to shape the future of work in this country.

Janet Morris-Reade
CEO