May 8, 2020
Workforce experts convene national dialogue about Canada’s post- pandemic labour market
(May 8, 2020) – Beyond the immediate surge in unemployment rates across the country, the impact of COVID-19 on Canada’s workforce and strategies to mobilize around key priorities will be examined when an expert panel convenes on May 13, 2020 for a 60-minute online forum hosted by Workforce Central Canada. Confirmed panelists for the live event – Rising Stronger: Preparing Canada’s Post-Pandemic Workforce – include Steven Tobin from the Labour Market Information Council, Sarah Watts-Rynard from Polytechnics Canada, Trudy Parsons from MDB Insight, Gladys Okine from the Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity and Jake Hirsch-Allen from LinkedIn along with moderator Ron Painter from the National Association of Workforce Boards.
The extent to which history might inform the path forward for labour market planning will be among the topics covered as panelists address the pressing workforce and economic development issues facing Canadian communities. “We’ll be talking about the longer-term impact on skills and knowledge requirements, and the best ways to coordinate our efforts to maximize the speed of recovery” explains Trudy Parsons, Executive Vice-President at MDB Insight and a founding partner of Workforce Central Canada. “There are considerable challenges ahead and it’s vital that workforce issues are part of our national recovery conversation. Recovery will take time and will require our full attention. We need to be asking key questions and rallying our national capabilities” she adds.
The panel’s expertise includes post-secondary education and training, labour market information, workforce development and strategic planning, youth engagement and development, and the integration of economic and workforce development.
Workforce Central Canada was founded in 2017 as a collaborative effort of HIEC, MDB Insight and the National Association of Workforce Boards. Known for its series of targeted workforce podcasts, Workforce Central Canada provides leadership, resources and facilitated supports to Canada’s workforce development sector.
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