The Future Skills Podcast
Canada is facing wide-reaching demographic and technological changes that pose increasingly significant challenges to the world of work. The Future Skills Centre Podcast, presented by Signal49 Research, will explore these crucial emerging challenges to the future of work. In each episode, we will unpack a unique issue facing Canadians and hear from varying perspectives—such as community members, decision-makers, and thought leaders—to discuss solutions and paths forward.
Formerly operating as The Conference Board of Canada
Effective January 26, 2026, AERIC Inc./Signal49 Research discontinued use of ‘The Conference Board of Canada’ name, logo and branding, which had been used by AERIC Inc./Signal49 Research under license from The Conference Board, Inc. The Conference Board, Inc. and its licensees, which are not affiliated with Signal49 Research, own all right, title and interest in THE CONFERENCE BOARD name and trademarks in Canada and have the exclusive right to their use in Canada since January 26, 2026.
The Future Skills Podcast
Ep. 01: Developing Social and Emotional Skills in an Automated World
We’ve all heard it before: Technology is disrupting the world of work, eliminating “low skill” jobs and harming the future of the trades. Daunting? Sure. But there’s also growing demand for a specific type of worker. One with the ability to problem solve, lead, collaborate, communicate, and adapt to the ever-evolving world of work. In other words, there is a growing demand for strong social and emotional skills. The problem is, there is a gap between the demand for these skills and the skills Canadians acquire through education and training.
So, what exactly are these social and emotional skills? Why are they needed and why are we behind? What are our post-secondary systems doing to prepare future employees, and how do we ensure Canadians can “keep up” with changing demands throughout their careers? In our first episode of Season 1 of the Future Skills Centre podcast, we start to answer these questions through conversations with Paul Brinkhurst (Futureworx) and Jennifer Adams (OECD).
---
Transcripts
- English
- Ce balado a été enregistré en anglais, mais vous pouvez en télécharger la transcription en français
---
FSC—The Future is Social and Emotional (Online Experience):
https://www.conferenceboard.ca/research/the-future-is-social-and-emotional
FSC—The Future is Social and Emotional (Impact Paper):
https://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=10628
Karanga (Jennifer Adams is Chair):
https://karanga.org/
Futureworx (Paul Brinkhurst’s Organization):
https://futureworx.ca/