Canadian workplaces are changing fast
Automation, digital tools, and new work models continue to reshape jobs across every sector, and employees need access to high quality learning opportunities to keep pace. Employer-provided training equips employees with the skills to adapt, take on new responsibilities, and move confidently through transitions.
When employers invest in learning and development, they build stronger teams and more resilient organizations.
Training also opens doors. When employees can access learning that reflects their needs and goals, they close skill gaps, navigate structural and career barriers, and pursue advancement opportunities that might otherwise remain out of reach.
In our 2025 research, younger employees told us that career growth, skill development, and chances to learn on the job strongly influence where they choose to work and whether they stay. In a competitive labour market, meaningful learning opportunities matter.1
Why Canada needs better data on organizational training
Learning and development (L&D) plays a growing role in workforce strategy. Canadian employers need reliable, up-to-date Canadian information on what types of learning are most effective, who has access to training, and how learning investments translate into workforce outcomes. Without this, organizations risk investing too little, misallocating resources, or unintentionally widening existing inequities.
This raises a critical question: Do Canadian employers have the evidence they need to design, scale, and sustain organizational training programs that meet current and future skill needs?
Not right now, and our research aims to change that. We will generate Canadian-specific evidence that helps employers build effective learning strategies, respond to emerging skill needs, boost productivity, and strengthen competitiveness.
No comparable resource exists today, and calls continue to grow for a clearer picture of how employer-sponsored training works in practice.2 Our findings will support informed decision-making for employers, policy-makers, educators, and industry leaders as they navigate a rapidly changing skills landscape.
There is an urgent need for better, more up-to-date data on employer-sponsored training in Canada to provide policy-makers, researchers, and employers with a strong understanding of patterns and trends and a good foundation on which to make policy and investment decisions.
– Munro and Lamb, Employer-Sponsored Training in Canada
Research approach
We will run a national survey of employers and employees and pair it with targeted case studies. This will clarify current practices across the country, giving Canadian organizations reliable data and practical insights to guide L&D investment decisions.
We’ll ask employers across regions and sectors about their L&D strategies. The employee survey will capture their perspectives on program access, value, and experience. Case studies will highlight innovative approaches that have been applied in Canadian organizations.
This combined evidence will provide a comprehensive view of how L&D works on the ground and where new opportunities exist.
Research outcomes
This project will provide clear, actionable insights, including:
- benchmarking data on how Canadian organizations approach L&D—covering how employers identify in-demand skills, implement upskilling and reskilling practices, recognize credentials, invest in learning, and evaluate training impact;
- analyses of motivations, barriers, and decisions that shape how employers choose between internal and external L&D providers;
- a clear view of employee experiences and expectations, including perceived value, access, quality, skill gaps, career barriers, and preferred learning methods;
- evidence on how L&D influences retention, attraction, and career transitions across roles, sectors, regions, and demographic groups;
- economic analysis of the investment needed to meet current and future skill needs in Canada.
Get involved
We want to hear from leaders shaping learning and development across Canada. If you work in L&D or your organization uses innovative training practices, connect with us. We want to hear from you.
Contact: Lindsay Coffin, Principal Research Associate
Email: [email protected]
- Borba, Diogo, and Lindsay Coffin, “Inside Total Rewards: What Matters Most to Employees,” The Conference Board of Canada, July 15, 2025.
- Munro, Daniel, and Creig Lamb, Employer-Sponsored Training in Canada: Practices, Investments and Gaps, Toronto: Future Skills Centre, 2023, 5.
FSC partners
The responsibility for the findings and conclusions of this research rests entirely with Signal49 Research.