Canadian government invests in labour market research

More than $375,000 awarded for research on future labour market issues

More than $375,000 is being awarded through grants to support research on Canada’s future labour market issues.

Greg Rickford, federal minister of state for the Science and Technology, and Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, said the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) awarded 16 Knowledge Synthesis Grants to researchers at post-secondary institutions across Canada. Researchers will be working together in an effort to combine upcoming research on the labour market with existing academic knowledge and make their findings available to a broader audience.

“With a better understanding of labour market issues, employers and individuals will be better equipped to identify the skills our workforce needs, and to develop new opportunities for jobs that will grow our economy while strengthening Canada’s research advantage,” Rickford said.

Sixteen projects at post-secondary institutions across Canada will benefit from the grants. The projects connect Canadian researchers with international partners in academic, public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Each of the 16 projects will develop one of two themes — either the future demand for skills in the Canadian labour market, or the supply and development of skills for the future Canadian labour market.

Using the grants, Christian Andersen from the University of Alberta, working with partners at the Rupertsland Institute in Edmonton, will build understanding of Métis education, employment and training.

Sally Lindsay, from the University of Toronto, together with collaborators from the University of Guelph, the University of Toronto and the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, will use the grant money to find ways to increase the participation of persons with disabilities whose talents are underused in the Canadian labour market.

“Canada’s investments in social sciences and humanities research lead to new insights that create new value for businesses, governments, communities and individuals,” said Chad Gaffield, president of SSHRC. “In particular, expanding our understanding of both supply and demand of essential skills in the Canadian workforce, and enhancing the flow of information between campuses and other sectors of society, supports job creation, increases productivity, and contributes to a resilient economy for the benefit of all Canadians.”

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