Skills for success: Lifelong learning vital both for employees and for Canada

This concept of life-long learning – with a focus on “skills for success” – is vital in ensuring that Canada will have enough skilled workers to fill job openings in the future, according to one expert.

“We know that the demands of jobs have been changing over time,” says, says Alison Howard, executive director at ABC Life Literacy Canada, in talking with Canadian HR Reporter.

And there has been an increased demand for using technical skills, she says.

“We know that 84% of jobs in Canada currently require the use of a computer basic technical skills. Also, post-pandemic, we know about persistent labor and skill shortages across most regions and sectors. Eighty per cent of major employers saying they're having trouble finding skilled workers. So, there's lots of need there. 

Boosting opportunities for people to develop those skills is important, according to Howard.

“These are going to be advantageous, no matter what job you're in, no matter what field you're in, no matter where you are in your career, because these are the types of skills that everyone is looking for in every job. And so there's lots of opportunities to help to fill job shortages, if these skills can be developed.”

Upskilling is “critical” in the age of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), according to an expert.

Employer resources for lifelong skills

For employers hoping to help their workers develop these skills, Howard suggests that they “not try to reinvent the wheel”.

“Make sure that you're having a look around and seeing what's out there, because there are lots of resources and free resources and help out there to make sure that these skills are the ones that are being taught are relevant to your workplace,” she says, citing ABC resources as an example.

Also, employers need to meet workers at their learning level, she says.

“It's important to know that, as adult learners, we already come into learning with a set of skills, a set of knowledge that is our background. We're not starting from scratch. So it's great to meet people where they are in terms of their learning, and to recognize that people do have skills and opportunities to learn that they're most appreciative of that maybe [they won’t] have the opportunity to do otherwise.”

Recently, the Skills for Success Day was held on Sept. 19, which is about raising awareness of the importance of skills training and free services available for adult learners, says Howard.

“It's an annual initiative to raise awareness about the skills for success, which are needed by everyone to progress in work and in life,” she says. “It's also an opportunity for different organizations to learn best practices from each other through presentations and webinars and open houses.”