Unlocking Canada’s Skills Potential
The Role of Education and Training Outside the Post-Secondary System
Français • May 28, 2026
Exploring the education and training ecosystem
Education and training providers operating outside Canada’s formal post-secondary system—sometimes referred to as non-post-secondary institutions (non-PSIs)—are a critical driver of workforce development. They deliver learning that is fast, flexible, and closely aligned with evolving employer needs.
However, this growing network is fragmented and difficult to navigate. With many providers, inconsistent definitions, and no shared standards, employers struggle to find trusted partners, providers struggle to demonstrate impact, and policy-makers lack the insight to make strategic investments.
Signal49 Research, in partnership with the Future Skills Centre, is bringing the broader education and training ecosystem into focus—identifying who delivers what, to whom, and with what impact.
In this project, we will do the following:
- Build a detailed picture of who the key providers are, what they offer, and how they operate.
- Launch the first national survey of learners who completed skills training outside the post-secondary education system to examine their enrolment motivations, perceptions of program effectiveness, and labour market outcomes.
- Interview training providers and employers to clarify how these programs are perceived, the value they deliver, and the challenges and opportunities that are shaping their impact.
- Offer evidence-based guidance to strengthen quality, recognition, funding, and alignment across Canada’s education and training ecosystem.
Leveraging Canada’s skills infrastructure
Staying competitive in today’s uncertain world requires a workforce that can learn continuously and adapt quickly.
Non-PSIs are well positioned to support this adaptability.
They deliver specialized, targeted training that complements formal PSIs and can reach learners who may be under-served by traditional systems. This diverse group of providers—including private training firms, community organizations, industry associations, unions, and online learning providers—can help emerging industries build talent pipelines, fill niche skills gaps, and support mid-career workers with rapid reskilling if they can connect with learners and employers.
By generating clear evidence on the role, reach, and outcomes of education and training programs delivered outside of formal post-secondary education, we can help employers, governments, and providers leverage the full breadth of Canada’s skills infrastructure.
Untangling the landscape
As a first step, we developed a typology that identifies the key actors and clarifies the distinct roles that each one plays (see tables 1, 2, and 3).
These actors often work together rather than in isolation. Government-funded programs like Better Jobs Ontario, for example, are frequently delivered through community-based non-profits and other third-party providers, illustrating the interconnected nature of the system.
Table 1
Front-line training delivery
| Category | Governance structure | Funding model | Recognition types | Target population | System role | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community-based non-profit providers | Non-profit organizations | Public grants, philanthropy, some earned revenue | Completion certificates, microcredentials, bridging credentials | Vulnerable learners, youth, newcomers | Access, equity, and wraparound supports | Community-based organizations delivering employment and skills training through a strong equity lens. | Achēv; Skills for Change; ACCES Employment; World Skills Employment Centre |
| Indigenous-led training organizations | Indigenous governments, Indigenous-led non-profits | Public funding, Indigenous governments funding | Skills certificates, culturally grounded credentials | Indigenous learners | Community empowerment and culturally embedded workforce development | Indigenous-governed training providers rooted in community priorities and cultural knowledge. | Cariboo Chilcotin Aboriginal Training Employment Centre (CCATEC); Indigenous Leadership Development Institute Inc. (ILDI); Anishinabek Employment & Training Services (AETS) |
| Union and joint labour–management training centres | Labour unions or joint union–employer boards | Member contributions, training trust funds | Trade credentials, safety certifications | Union members, apprentices | Collective bargaining–embedded training systems | Training systems embedded within collective bargaining agreements, providing apprenticeship and upskilling. | Labourers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA Local 183); The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW Canada); United Association (UA Canada) |
| Institutional continuing education (ConEd) | Public colleges and universities | Tuition, some provincial operating grants | Microcredentials, professional certificates | Working professionals, lifelong learners | Non-linear upskilling within public systems | Market-responsive arms of public institutions operating outside of “base-funded” diploma/degree programs. | Seneca College Part-Time Studies; The University of British Columbia Extended Learning; The Chang School of Continuing Education; TMU School of Continuing Studies; McGill University |
| Private career colleges (PCCs) | For-profit (provincially regulated) colleges | Tuition | Diplomas, certificates | Career entrants, career changers | Credential-granting authority under regulation | Provincially regulated institutions offering career-focused programs designed for rapid occupational entry. | triOS College; Herzing College; CDI College; Robertson College; Academy Canada |
| For-profit learning platforms and boot camps | For-profit companies | Tuition, corporate contracts | Microcredentials, proprietary certificates | Career changers, tech learners | Market-responsive and agile skills delivery | Providers offering short, intensive, and skills-specific programs with flexible delivery. | BrainStation; Coursera; Udemy; Le Wagon; LinkedIn Learning |
| Employer-led external training academies | Corporate-led training divisions within large companies | Corporate investment, registration fees | Microcredentials, digital badges, proprietary certificates | General public, career builders, sector-specific learners | Industry-aligned skills and ecosystem development | Corporate training platforms offering publicly accessible skills programs to build talent pipelines and support product adoption. | EY Virtual Academy; 3M Safety Training; IBM SkillsBuild; Google Skillshop |
| Employer-led internal training academies | Individual employers | Internal human resources and training budgets | Internal certifications | Company employees | Closed-loop workforce development | In-house training systems aligned directly with company strategy and leadership pipelines. | theAcademy (Signal49 Research) |
| Social enterprises with integrated training | Enterprises using a non-profit or hybrid revenue model | Earned revenue plus public/ philanthropic support |
Completion certificates, work‑integrated credentials | Individuals facing employment barriers | Training embedded in real economic activity | Organizations combining revenue-generating activities with structured skills training. | Building UP; Good Foot Delivery; Purpose Construction |
Source: Signal49 Research.
Table 2
Sector coordination and system design
| Category | Governance structure | Funding model | Recognition types | Target population | System role | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sector-led training organizations | Employer associations, sector councils | Membership fees, employer contributions, public partnerships | Industry certifications | Sector workers, incumbent workforce | Standard setting and industry alignment | Employer-driven organizations defining occupational standards and producing labour market intelligence. |
Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC); Tourism HR Canada; BioTalent Canada; Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) |
| Professional regulatory and licensing bodies | Statutory/self-governing (provincial legislation) bodies | Member dues, licensing fees, exam fees | Licensure (PEng, CPA, RN) | Qualified professionals, internationally trained professionals | Gatekeeping and quality assurance | Bodies mandated by law to set the standards for entry into regulated professions. |
Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO); College of Nurses of Ontario; Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) |
| Workforce intermediaries and training system designers | Non-profit bodies, hybrid partnerships | Public project grants, union–employer partnerships, business-to-business (B2B) contracts | Training tools, assessments, contextualized modules | Early-career job seekers, career changers, apprentices | Sector-level capacity building and curriculum development | Organizations that design learning tools and workforce solutions that strengthen sector-wide training. |
SkillPlan; Palette Skills; NPower Canada |
| Skills ecosystem accelerators and learning innovation | Private firms, hybrid partnerships | B2B contracts, industry and government partnerships | Customized microcredentials, AI-enabled modules | Employers, agencies, associations | Systems innovation and ecosystem building | Firms accelerating the modernization of workforce systems through program design and convening. |
Propero Learning Systems Inc.; Ottawa Education Group; Skills Council of Canada |
| Regional workforce hubs | Multi-employer groups, chambers, workforce boards | Mixed (employer + public) | N/A | Local or regional labour markets | Shared training resources, coordination, and oversight | Place-based partnerships coordinating training across stakeholders to address regional skills shortages. |
Toronto Workforce Innovation Group; Workforce Planning Hamilton |
Source: Signal49 Research.
Table 3
Public policy and infrastructure
| Category | Governance structure | Funding model | Recognition types | Target population | System role | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government-led initiatives | Federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal governments | Public funding | Certificates of completion, trade credentials | Unemployed individuals, career changers, newcomers | Labour-market intervention and public accountability | Publicly administered employment and training programs addressing labour market gaps. Programs may be delivered through third parties. |
Better Jobs Ontario; Canada-Ontario Job Grant; Apprenticeship Service |
| Public learning infrastructure and coordinators | Provincially funded consortia or institutions | Government funding | Microcredentials, digital badges, certificates of completion | Post-secondary learners, adult learners, regional systems | Shared digital learning infrastructure and credential frameworks | Organizations providing centralized digital learning platforms and microcredential frameworks. |
eCampusOntario; Contact North; Campus Manitoba |
Source: Signal49 Research.
What we will deliver
This project will generate a comprehensive, data-rich picture of education and training providers beyond the formal post-secondary system. The insights will strengthen planning, program design, and strategic decision-making for stakeholders across the ecosystem, including the following:
- policy-makers seeking sharper insight into alternative skills training pathways;
- training providers looking for system-level intelligence and partnership opportunities;
- employers wanting to know the full extent of education and training programs available to support the development and retention of their workforce; and
- learners needing clearer information on available programs and what they might expect to get from these programs.
Get involved
If you’re interested in learning more about this study or participating in an interview, please contact Adam Vanzella Yang, Senior Research Associate, Education and Skills ([email protected]).
FSC partners
The responsibility for the findings and conclusions of this research rests entirely with Signal49 Research.