Canada is at a critical juncture, and the need for a workforce revolution is urgent. While we are celebrated for diversity, openness, and quality of life, we also face significant challenges.
The time for incremental fixes has passed. What Canada urgently needs is a workforce revolution, one that values diversity, unleashes the potential of newcomers and youth, redefines success for the modern labour market, and strengthens our economy. This revolution promises a brighter, more inclusive future for Canada.
As someone who has lived and worked across continents, I view this not only through a business and economic lens, but also through the lived experience of being a third culture kid and, now, a global business leader, I instinctively understand that talent, resilience, and innovation stem from adaptation, and Canada’s prosperity will depend on whether we can build a workforce that reflects this reality.
Many newcomers are allured by the “Canadian Dream.” They arrive ready to contribute, but struggle to find work that matches their expertise, and despite rising unemployment rates, employers across healthcare, trades, and technology are struggling to fill positions. In August 2025, Canada lost more than 65,000 jobs, and the national unemployment rate reached 7.1%. Youth unemployment was particularly severe, at 14.6%, leaving many young people underemployed, discouraged, or disconnected from meaningful career opportunities.
This paradox exposes Canada’s structural flaws. Canada is the most educated nation in the world, with high post-secondary participation and a steady stream of skilled immigrants, but our system fails to translate talent into economic contribution. Our apprenticeship programs lag behind those of our global peers, resulting in shortages of skilled workers in the trades. Credential recognition is slow and opaque, forcing qualified professionals into lower-skilled work. The longstanding bias for “Canadian experience” excludes global expertise and acts as a gatekeeper, reducing opportunities and productivity.
Debates about immigration and temporary foreign worker programs often focus on numbers, housing, and short-term wage pressures. Those concerns matter, but they obscure the real issue: how effectively we recognize, leverage, and integrate skills. It is not the volume of people coming to Canada that undermines prosperity; it is institutional inertia and workplace culture that prevent skills from being used.
For third culture individuals, this discourse is all too familiar. We know what it means to navigate between worlds, often feeling like we don’t belong and constantly having to prove ourselves in systems that undervalue our experiences. We also understand that talent is not bound to geography, credentials, or a single career path. In a country as culturally diverse as Canada, employers must embrace this reality. Otherwise, we squander the very advantage that sets us apart.
For instance, a software engineer born and raised in Nigeria, educated in Germany, and who immigrated to Canada brings not only technical skills but also resilience, multilingualism, and the ability to innovate across cultures. Yet in Canada, they may be forced to start over because their experience is not labelled as “Canadian.” Not only is this unjust, but it is also a profound waste of potential that undermines our competitiveness.
The voices of the third culture and diverse communities in Canada serve as a reminder that the future of work is global, hybrid, and adaptable. Despite this, Canada’s systems are still rooted in a world where linear career paths and national boundaries once reigned supreme. To create a thriving workforce, we must transition from Canada’s conservative work systems to embracing transformation. So, what does a workforce revolution look like?
We need a fundamental shift in how we recognize skills and experience. The outdated insistence on “Canadian experience” must end. Although Ontario and most provinces now ban employers from requiring it in job postings, the bias persists and continues to shape hiring practices. Instead, we need faster, more transparent credential recognition systems that value global expertise. Competencies, portfolios, and practical experience should carry greater weight in evaluations. Apprenticeships and training programs must be modernized with greater flexibility, mentorship, micro-credentials, and employer incentives to support learners better and meet workforce needs.
Second, it is crucial to embrace diversity as a core economic advantage. Newcomers, Indigenous peoples, and marginalized groups should not be afterthoughts but drivers of innovation. A diverse workforce can increase creativity, improve problem-solving, and ultimately drive growth. Workplaces need to become culturally aware and incorporate inclusive onboarding and mentorship programs, along with a commitment to investing in cultural competency as a key skill. Immigration and labour programs must also evolve, and reforms to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and immigration targets are necessary to ensure they fill labour gaps while enabling fair integration for newcomers.
We must empower the next generation of students, graduates, and newcomers alike. They need more pathways to advance their careers through internships and co-ops, as well as recognition for their experiences and skills. Education must become more relevant, with accessible platforms for reskilling in fields such as AI, green technology, and healthcare. Investing in education and training ensures that our workforce is well-equipped to meet the challenges and seize opportunities. Only by embracing this holistic vision can Canada build a resilient, inclusive, and competitive workforce.
Canada must act boldly, or risk squandering its potential. Without structural change, more newcomers will be underemployed, young Canadians will disengage, and businesses will struggle to compete, while underutilized talent will deepen inequality and erode social trust.
Canada is uniquely positioned to lead, with its diversity, strong institutions, and global reputation for openness. Still, we must design systems that reflect today’s realities by embracing a third culture mindset, blending local knowledge with a global perspective to build a competitive, inclusive, and visionary workforce. The choice is clear: cling to outdated models or unlock the potential of future generations by treating diversity as our greatest asset.
