Thematic sessions
-Skills and talent

April 24, 2023 – This session brought together a diverse group of practitioners and thought leaders to explore talent management and attracting skilled immigrants. There was representation from the business community, think tanks, academia and civil society organizations.

Participants underlined the importance of achieving the right balance between the need for “high-skilled” and “low-skilled” workers, plus the need for skilled workers in certain sectors. They also discussed how best to forecast and identify future skills, including transferable skills. There was also a suggestion that we could look more at what immigrants can do versus the credentials they have. Some highlighted the importance of Canadian post-secondary institutions in educating and training the workforce needed for the long-term. There was some discussion around the fact that aging demographics are more acute in rural/smaller centres, and that there is a connection between improved rural strategies and stronger outcomes, including higher retention rates. They also stressed the benefits of providing integration services for principal applicants and their families and the advantages of including employers as part of the plan.