Reskilling Canada’s Workforce in the Age of AI

AI and other macroforces are fundamentally reshaping jobs and skills. According to the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025, employers expect to roughly 39% of workers’ core skills will change by 2030 as technologies like AI become embedded in workflows. AI, the green transition, and geoeconomic shifts are active forces redefining how work gets done.

At the same time, our own research at Agilus shows that 42% of Canadians are unsure how AI will affect their role. That uncertainty is a signal for employers to act.

At the same time, Canadian labour market trends point to growing demand for AI-related capabilities, with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) analysis showing an increase in job postings requiring AI and digital skills over recent years, especially in areas like machine learning and data science. Jobs are evolving every day.

The Reskilling Revolution: A Global Response

The World Economic Forum’s Reskilling Revolution aims to empower 1 billion people by 2030 with better education, skills and economic opportunity.

Since 2020, commitments under this initiative are expected to reach over 856 million people globally, embedding skills into workforce transformation, education systems and economic policy. The urgency is clear. The report also projects that 22% of jobs globally will experience significant disruption by 2030, with 170 million new jobs created and 92 million roles displaced. Only 0.5% of global GDP is currently invested in adult lifelong learning

While digital skills like AI, cybersecurity and data literacy are critical, employers are placing equal weight on human-centric capabilities: judgment, collaboration, curiosity, leadership and resilience. In other words: technical skills open doors, and human skills sustain careers.

Why This Moment Matters for Canada

In Canada, we are seeing this shift play out across engineering and technical roles, professional services, as well as operational and industrial environments. Access to skilled talent is becoming a binding constraint on growth and innovation.

OECD research on AI skills demand in Canada — using millions of job postings — shows steadily increasing demand for AI-related skills, particularly in areas like machine learning and neural networks, even if overall AI job postings are still a niche share of total demand.

Broader OECD work on AI and skills shows that as AI exposure increases, non-specialized roles will still require strong management, communication and digital skills, reflecting the reality that most workers will interact with AI in some form.

In the recent Economic and Social Report on “Canadian employment trends in the era of generative artificial intelligence: Early evidence” Statistics Canada signals evolving demand around digital and generative AI adoption, with some shifts in labor market trends tied to technological advances, underscoring how quickly employer expectations are evolving.

The Growing Gap Between Work and Learning

Labour markets are evolving faster than education and training systems can adapt. Technical skill lifespans are shrinking while credentialing systems are struggling to keep pace and foundational skills in some economies are stagnating. Meanwhile, workforce transitions are becoming larger in scale, more frequent and more uncertain.

If nearly 40% of core skills are shifting, incremental training won’t be enough. Systemic change is required.

What Leading Organizations Are Doing

The Reskilling Revolution is shifting from mobilizing commitments to implementing systemic transformation. Its priorities for 2026–2027 include:

1. Strengthening education and talent systems for technological change
2. Defining and scaling future-critical skills through shared frameworks
3. Improving learning-to-earning pathways through employer-education collaboration

Major global organizations including Salesforce, Cisco, SAP, and others are scaling digital and AI training programs to reach tens of millions of learners by 2030.

The direction is clear: Skills are infrastructure.

What This Means for Employers

For Canadian organizations, the question is how quickly you can operationalize it. Access to training is increasingly influencing where professionals choose to build their careers. Reskilling has become a retention lever.

1. Skills gaps are a barrier to transformation

Employers consistently report that the biggest constraint on growth and innovation is talent and skills. In the Future of Jobs Report 2025, skills gaps were cited as a key barrier to business transformation across sectors.

2. The types of skills demanded are broadening

AI and digital literacy are increasingly foundational, but human-centric competencies like problem-solving, communication, leadership and adaptability are rising in importance as tasks shift and roles evolve.

This aligns with OECD findings that even workers whose roles are exposed to AI will increasingly need skills in management, communication and digital competencies.

3. Reskilling must be continuous, not episodic

Jobs are changing faster than traditional education and training systems can adapt. The evidence suggests that workers and employers alike will need lifelong learning pathways to bridge the gap, from micro-credentials and employer-led training to digital learning platforms.

4. Training signals long-term investment in people

Access to meaningful AI training and development is increasingly a deciding factor for candidates evaluating potential employers. Organizations that demonstrate a clear commitment to upskilling, mentorship, and internal career mobility are more likely to attract motivated talent and retain high performers. In a labour market defined by rapid technological change, training is a visible signal that an employer is invested in the long-term success of its workforce.

The Workforce Canada Builds Next

Canada’s future workforce will be shaped by how quickly organizations and workers build new capability. If 42% of workers are uncertain about AI’s impact on their roles, the responsibility is shared:

• Workers must engage in continuous learning
• Employers must create access and clarity
• Policymakers must align systems and investment

The Reskilling Revolution signals that this transformation is global. Canada cannot afford to lag.

About Agilus Work Solutions

Agilus Work Solutions is one of Canada’s largest recruitment firms, supporting employers across engineering, technology, life sciences, professional, industrial, and public sector roles. With deep specialization, national reach and local expertise, we help organizations access hard-to-find talent and make confident workforce decisions in a changing world of work.

We combine recruitment expertise with market insight, workforce research, and practical tools to help employers build teams that perform today and adapt for tomorrow. Our focus is not just filling roles, but strengthening capability, productivity, and long-term workforce resilience in Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is reskilling becoming so important for Canada’s workforce?

Technological advances such as artificial intelligence, automation, and digital platforms are rapidly changing how work is performed. The World Economic Forum estimates that nearly 40% of core job skills will change by 2030, making continuous learning essential for workers and employers.

What skills will be most important in the AI era?

Digital and technical capabilities such as AI literacy, data analysis, cybersecurity, and digital tools are becoming increasingly valuable. At the same time, human-centered skills like communication, leadership, adaptability, and problem-solving are growing in importance as roles evolve.

Are AI-related jobs growing in Canada?

Yes. Research from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows increasing demand for AI-related skills in Canadian job postings, particularly in fields such as machine learning, neural networks, and data science.

What role do employers play in reskilling the workforce?

Employers play a critical role by providing training opportunities, digital learning platforms, mentorship programs, and clear career development pathways. Access to reskilling opportunities is increasingly influencing where professionals choose to work and stay.

What is the Reskilling Revolution?

The World Economic Forum’s Reskilling Revolution is a global initiative aimed at providing 1 billion people with improved education, skills, and economic opportunities by 2030 through collaboration between governments, employers, and education systems.

How can Canadian organizations prepare for workforce transformation?

Organizations can prepare by investing in continuous learning programs, partnerships with educational institutions, internal mobility programs, and digital skills training that align workforce capabilities with emerging technologies.