Future of Work

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Brandon Gonez,

Media

Everything is being disrupted. The archaic ways of doing things in a traditional stringent 9 to 5 office model are quickly becoming archaic. Yes, structure is still essential. But, flexibility is the present and future. That includes flexibility with work locations and hours. That also includes flexibility in the consumption of content. Companies and industries need to adapt to this new model or risk quickly becoming irrelevant.

While the labour shortage is good for job seekers, it's also one of the great eco nomic challenges of our time. It contributes to supply chain disruptions, rising family costs, and billions in lost economic growth. We need all hands on deck to build the homes, hospitals, schools, and other key infrastructure Ontario needs.  More importantly, at an individual level, every job going unfilled is a paycheque left uncollected and a missed opportunity for a meaningful career and a better life.

Leading Through The Myriad Of

Distraction — Balancing The Pros And Cons Of ‘All Things Digital’

Today’s work environment is filled with more distractions than ever, ranging from smart devices, the Internet, and social media to team channels, group chats, and more. While seemingly convenient, different alert tones keep notifying us where to look and what to read or answer next. To sum up, the multitude of digital platforms in-house and outside the organization keeps growing, and so do the distractions. This myriad of digital distractions truly begs the question: how can leaders help streamline, achieve focus, and build engagement through an empathetic approach while leading by example?

In an interview with Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia, Senior Director of Digital Economy, Technology, and Innovation and Cyber.

Right. Now. (CRN) campaign policy lead at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Kathryn Cameron, Chief Operating Officer of Beauceron Security and a member of the CRN campaign, discusses how to balance the pros and cons of digital transformation and the needs of the employee and employer.

Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia: What are some overarching trends you see in today’s workforce?

Kathryn Cameron: As the competition for talent increases, the workforce has been very clear — flexible working arrangements are here to stay.

Organizations are willing to accommodate flexible work environments, including flexible hours and flexibility in work locations for individuals working from home full-time. As a whole, the workforce has expectations that employers will find ways to make work fully accessible remotely.

Bahr-Gedalia: What are some trends you see for employers?

Cameron: The most significant trend I’ve seen in organizations across industries over the past two years is the need to navigate digital transformation.

Employers have needed to find ways to either empower their workforce remotely or engage with their customer base in a new way. Both of these pushes have created opportunities for businesses to be more competitive and creative in reaching new markets. However, these changes have also opened organizations up to increasing levels of digital risk as they make the choice to become more connected online.

Bahr-Gedalia: What risks and challenges do these new expectations of the workforce place on the employer?

Cameron: Digital transformation comes with the risk of employees having more data, more ways to access it, and consequently, more distractions for a workforce already inundated with

new processes and technologies.

This shift to “all things digital” requires organizations to educate their workforce on how to be mindful of their level of distraction. Often this involves education around the value of the information they have access to and what the impact of making errors due to distraction has on the entire company.

Secondly, this requires the employer to provide comprehensive education and support on the internal processes and what to do if someone makes a mistake online, possibly falling victim to a social engineering attack.

Bahr-Gedalia: How do we achieve the potential of complete digital transformation?

Cameron: It requires an intentional effort from leaders. Managing this period of transformation requires leaders to stay focused on their economic goals and have an understanding that each individual is going through this period of change. In addition, maintaining an empathetic and positive

approach to how we react when digital mistakes happen — the right phishing email can catch anyone at the right time — is an opportunity to build a team with high levels of trust.

This entire shift in how we work is happening in the context of also navigating a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, not to mention the everyday stress people had been carrying previously. This is a significant amount of change to absorb.

Onboarding processes with a personal touch that enable individuals to see the impact their work has on others in the organization, emphasizing how to do their job safely as they change where and when they work, will mitigate the security risks of hybrid environments.

Training, from personal development plans to cybersecurity awareness, can become an opportunity to reinforce an employer’s commitment and increase workforce engagement.

CEO, Gonez

What do you believe are the fundamental forces shaping the future of work in Canada? What trends should businesses consider following?

Today's labour markets are undergoing rapid and large-scale changes, given the rise of technology, the upsurge in remote work, and the growing skills gap. We asked the Hon. Monte McNaughton (Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development) and Brandon Gonez (CEO of Gonez Media) to share their expertise on the future of work and provide insights on the trends impacting Canada's labour market. Read their full Q&As on InnovatingCanada.ca.

Hon. Monte McNaughton, Ontario's Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Why is it so important that we upskill in the workforce and bridge the skills gap?

To learn more about the Cyber. Right. Now. campaign, visit the Canadian Chamber of Commerce at chamber.ca/campaign/ cyber-right-now/.

This article was supported by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Kathryn Cameron Chief Operating Officer, Beauceron Security

Ulrike BahrGedalia Senior Director, Digital Economy, Technology, & Innovation, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Homegrown Solutions to Real-World Issues: How Experience Ventures Is Making a Difference

As a catalyst for change, Experience Ventures is equipping bright, young students with homegrown skills to tackle real-world problems.

The majority of Canada’s professionals, most of whom trained at colleges and universities in Canada’s urban centres, are largely choosing to live and work in those centres. Even if limited purchasing options push them into more rural and remote communities, most are only making the move when their work no longer requires them to regularly attend meetings in downtown offices.

Given the shift, it could lead to the belief that Canada’s rural and remote communities are not benefitting from the influx of young talent, or that quaint towns are being turned into a virtual form of "bedroom communities." Thankfully, this is not the case.

Strong, capable talent is coming out of Canada’s rural and remote communities and turning to Canada’s colleges and universities to seek education, training, and experience. With the pandemic moving classes online, many students have pursued their education without leaving those communities. And most importantly, some of the country’s brightest young minds are taking the innovative skills they're learning in school well outside the city centres to better the rest of the country.

Experience Ventures, led by the University of Calgary’s Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking and in collaboration with post-secondary institutions across the country, is looking to lead that future change.

Brilliant Catalyst

Last year, in partnership with Experience Ventures, Ontario Tech University’s Brilliant Catalyst innovation hub launched the Catalyst Challenge. A more inclusive take on a hackathon, the challenge focused on how to improve issues in rural and remote communities. Student participants spent days learning about some of the issues facing rural Canada, from aging telecommunications structure to talent depletion in favour of big cities to issues facing isolated Indigenous communities.

After learning about challenges specific

ence at Ontario Tech, worked with her team of students across multiple universities to come up with the blueprints for their project, "Study Room." Motlagh and her colleagues learned through the program that access to high-speed internet is a challenge in remote communities given the absence of infrastructure.

Study Room places retrofitted shipping containers, which have been designed to create an accommodating work/study space for students and professionals, in areas where such services are not readily available.

While the idea is effective, Motlagh and her colleagues had to wrestle with practicalities such as cost and feasibility. “The difficult part for us was the financial part because we were dealing with different supply chain costs for the equipment and looking at how to make the containers affordable,” said Motlagh. “We’re currently in the customer validation process, meeting with teachers and students in rural Canada, and working on how to manage the money we’ve been given to make the solution better. Through all of this validation, we're slowly realizing that our final product will look very different to what we originally had imagined.”

The team is aiming to have a prototype ready by winter 2022.

Motlagh and her peers credit the program with teaching them skills that extend not only into their future in entrepreneurship, but into other professional pursuits as well. The ability to understand what makes an idea viable, to communicate with investors, and to turn passion and creativity into reality are invaluable skills in any field.

hand that rural and remote communities are never more than a short drive away. St. John’s, home to Memorial, is the province’s only major city at roughly 110,000 people. Students wishing to pursue a university education while staying in Newfoundland and Labrador have no choice but to head to the big city. However, that does not mean rural students have abandoned their roots completely.

Jared Trask, a master's student in experimental psychology, has been commuting to Memorial from his home in Holyrood, some 40 minutes away. Trask is completing his thesis in behavioural psychology by studying the effects of psychiatric disorders on laboratory animals such as mice and rats. Trask is also interested in entrepreneurship, and came to Experience Ventures through the school’s Entrepreneurship Training Program.

Through the program, Trask has been working with EcoBloc, a company focused on building ultrasonic technology to prevent rodent infestations in manufacturing facilities and commercial settings. While the product is perfectly suited to Trask’s science background, the work experience gives him an insight into business development that he would not have received in the laboratory. “When I first signed up for the program, I didn’t really know what to expect,” said Trask. “In terms of a company to match my interests, it couldn’t have gone any better, and probably contributed to why I felt it was so useful.”

While Trask may have come to the program with a thorough understanding of the science behind his ideas, he credits the program with teaching him how to pitch ideas, prospect for investors, and properly structure his business.

Final thoughts

There's no question a large percentage of talent from Canada’s rural and remote communities leaves to seek lucrative opportunities in the country’s urban centres.

to the region, participants were taught some tools key to innovation—from design thinking to valuation—that they would need to devise real-world solutions to these challenges.

The results were not only innovative, but had practical applications as well. Sara Sara Motlagh, a PhD student in computer sci-

On

Yet all hope is not lost for rural Canada — far from it. Innovative national programs such as Experience Ventures are equipping students around the country with the skills they need to stay in their home communities over the long term and creating opportunities for them and for generations to follow. An increasingly digital world, combined with new and exciting opportunities for innovation, means that Canada’s youngest entrepreneurs can create homegrown solu-

Meanwhile, Down East…

the eastern tip of Canada, Experience Ventures students are also learning about innovation and entrepreneurship. Unlike their peers in the Greater Toronto Area, students at Memorial University know first-

tions from anywhere and target real-world issues right in their own backyards.

Jared Trask Master's Student, Experimental Psychology, Memorial University

Keri Damen Executive Director, Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking

Sara Motlagh PhD student, Computer Science, Ontario Tech

This article was sponsored by the University of Calgary

Strong, capable talent is coming out of Canada's rural and remote communities and turning to Canada's colleges and universities to seek education, training, and experience.

Leading Education Institute Offers Innovative Ways to Enter Tech Field

Desiring to deliver a life-transforming experience in a time-sensitive manner, Lighthouse Labs helps participants jumpstart their careers in tech.

Katherine Cappellacci

It’s well known that technological advancements have significantly impacted every business industry. It’s also opened doors for the emergence of new jobs that in the past would have seemed unfathomable — jobs like technology and developer professionals.

The digital landscape is fast-paced and constantly changing. That’s why Lighthouse Labs, a top Canadian tech education company, boasts a learning format that moves at the industry’s pace. It offers participants a fun, convenient, and collaborative environment with industry-focused learning and networking.

Lighthouse Labs recently released its 2022 Career Trajectory Report (CTR), proving its programs have been hugely beneficial to past students. Consisting of survey information collected from graduates between 2013 and mid-2021, the CTR confirms that 98 per cent of those who took courses with Lighthouse Labs believe it positively impacted their careers. In fact, 78 per cent are still employed in tech roles, and 96 per cent say they’re still using the skills they learned.

Get help anytime

Data from the CTR irrefutably proves that students are getting what they need to succeed. Founded in 2013, Lighthouse Labs is the fastest way to enter the tech industry. In fact, 96 per cent of graduates find a job

within 180 days of completing their course.

Students get ample support via Career Services — including access to mentors and advisors who offer guidance every step of the way. This includes career coaching, interview prep, networking, recruitment events, and more.

The key to Lighthouse Labs’ success is its educational philosophy — to meet the demands of this constantly evolving industry. They provide accelerated, hands-on classes that prepare students with the necessary hard and soft skills to thrive in the workforce and instill the importance of continuous learning throughout their careers.

Students can access online coding, data, and cybersecurity courses to reskill through the 12-week, full-time Bootcamp, the 30-week Flex Program, or upskill on a part-time basis.

Prepared for the future

A big motivator for students to enter tech is remote work — meaning that workers no longer need to be located in tech-hub cities. Well aware of this industry trend, Lighthouse Labs continues to look ahead and prepare students for the job market. In 2021, 56 per cent of grads said it was a reason they enrolled, and now 88 per cent of them work remotely. Utilizing the CTR findings, Lighthouse Labs looks forward to teaching the next generation of Canada’s top tech workers.

Thinking of reskilling or starting a career in tech?

Dana Stephenson was attending the University of Victoria when he had a light bulb moment. During one class, instead of giving the class a generic case study, a professor brought in a company CEO, who presented his company and problems to the class. All the students then got to work on practical, real-life solutions to help the business reach its goals. The class went from theoretical and conceptual to hands-on, experiential, and collaborative.

“Immediately, I noticed that the engagement and learning in the classroom skyrocketed,” recalls Stephenson. “No matter what your background was, what your resume said, or what connections your parents had, everyone in that classroom got the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and to put it on their resume. It was also an amazing way for the employer to boost its talent pipeline diversity, productivity, and innovation. The CEO ended up hiring someone right out of that class. And that was the inspiration for Riipen.”

Integrating work and education

In 2014, Stephenson co-founded Riipen, an experiential learning platform that helps schools connect their students to industry and enables companies to discover top emerging talent. It facilitates transformative opportunities for companies to collaborate with post-secondary students on real-world challenges that are embedded directly into coursework. At its core, it solves the “experience paradox” post-secondary students often face — you can’t get a job without work experience, but you can’t get experience without a job.

Riipen is now the world's largest online work-integrated learning marketplace, closing the skills gap for learners with real-world experience. To date, Riipen has enabled over 145,000 learner experiences and over nine million hours of applied learning at more than 420 post-secondary institutions with 24,000 employers. Riipen aims to help students of all backgrounds and geographies to boost their soft skills, gain career clarity, network with potential employers, and prepare for jobs they’ll love. Employer partners, meanwhile, get access to a fresh pool of diverse talent, unlock more potential for growth, boost innovation, and find talent who are a good fit and who will be able to hit the ground running on day one of their potential new employment.

The future of learning

Riipen’s leading-edge approach uses flexible project-based experiential learning to train and prepare students for the future of work. Immersing students in employer-led projects equips them with workready skills, and research shows that experiential learning helps students to improve teamwork and communication skills, gain a better understanding of key skills and course materials, boost self-confidence and leadership capabilities, and acquire a broader view of the world and an appreciation of community.

Level UP is Riipen’s national remote internship program for students and employers in Canada that connects them through 80-hour fully-subsidized internships that can take place completely online.

Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning (I-WIL)

initiative, the program has had great success during the pandemic leading to a tripling of funding and scope, and is currently seeking new partner associations and employers who wish to revitalize their workforce.

Increasing accessibility

Importantly, Riipen makes work-integrated learning more accessible for both employers and students.

“While small- and medium-sized businesses are struggling to find talent, many companies are also realizing that talent is everywhere,” says Stephenson. “Being open to working on projects in a remote capacity has really broken down geographical barriers and helped companies to find talent when and where they need it.”

“Over 70 per cent of learners so far have come from equity-seeking groups,” says Stephenson. These include women in STEM, Indigenous peoples, and racial minorities. Employers benefit from Riipen’s impressive innovation, too. Traditional wage subsidy programs require lengthy registration processes and adding interns to payroll. With Level UP, Riipen recruits students, verifies eligibility, and administers payment once an internship is completed. It’s a game changer for small businesses tight on time.

Dana Stephenson CEO, Riipen

Over 70 per cent of [Level UP] learners so far have come from equity-seeking groups. These include women in STEM, Indigenous peoples, and racial minorities.

Building a Stronger Work Force with Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Programs

Tania Amardeil

Here are just some of the

be proud of.

When was the last time you thought about working on a farm? Do images of walking through a field or livestock barn stand prominently in your mind? How we associate agriculture and farming when we visualize our expectations of career opportunities needs modernization and expansion.

Instead of being a general labourer picking tomatoes, you could be a robotics technician harvesting through automation. Instead of manually tracking nutrient, temperature, and light levels, you’re a programming engineer using the latest technology to sustainably grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuces, eggplants, strawberries, and more that are distributed throughout North America year-round.

Our virtual reality OGVG VR 360 experience gives you a first-hand view of where our food originates, packed, and distributed to retail stores. A worthy experience to review again. But today, we will show you more novel, innovative, and exciting career oppor -

tunities that await you in Ontario’s thriving greenhouse vegetable sector.

Jobs ripe for the picking with the OGVG career experience

The Ontario greenhouse vegetable sector has historically relied on temporary foreign workers to assist in daily farm operations to ensure market demand is met and consumers have a selection of fresh greenhouse produce to choose from. As the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world, domestic unemployment numbers in Ontario and Canada reached alltime highs. Universities, high schools, and many workplaces were operating remotely. Despite a myriad of challenges, some industries continued to work every day — in this case, the greenhouse vegetable sector.

Ensuring the ability to have a job every day is more important now than ever. But, unfortunately, job prospects for Generation Z have not been ideal until now. The concerns of owning a home, planning for a prosperous future, and using the education that individuals paid good money for, are all key drivers impacting this demographic’s apprehension.

In addition to the OGVG VR 360 experience, where you can explore and gain familiarity with the greenhouse vegetable sector, is the launch of the OGVG Careers Experience. So whether you’re educated in biological and environmental sciences, marketing, economics, or any form of engineering and have the passion, attitude, and ability to learn about the greenhouse industry, there’s

a future for you!

With assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and funding through the Canadian Agriculture Partnership, a virtual experience introduces seven segments of a greenhouse vegetable farm, totalling 35 career oppor tunities. Today’s greenhouse vegetable farms are highly advanced, with jobs ranging from office and human resources, shipping and receiving, research and innovation, packing, and many computer science, technology, and engineering specialist positions.

Currently, there are 3,800 acres of fresh and nutritious fruits and vegetables grown under glass. As the world is seeing global shifts in climate, Controlled Environment Agriculture will become increasingly relied upon to ensure Canada continues to build a strong and resilient domestic food supply system and beyond. While solidifying Canada’s economic future, you can solidify yours. Grow with us as we continue to be the future of farming, growing sustainably and ethically. Earning a future, growing forward, and learning together.

From our house to yours, this is greenhouse goodness at its best.

This article was sponsored by Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers

Small Saskatchewan City Preparing for Big-Time Economic Growth

Affordability, proximity to major transportation corridors, and city-sponsored incentives are reasons businesses choose to locate in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

About 300 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon, amidst some of the region’s largest and richest potash fields, is the City of Yorkton. Thanks to recent growth along the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border, which has spurred economic activity in the region, Yorkton has seen a growth rate of 4.3 per cent since 2011. In addition to being the third largest trading area in Saskatchewan, Yorkton is the economic centre of east-central Saskatchewan and recently earned the title of one of the Best Communities for Business in the category of Community on the Rise by Alberta Venture Magazine

Regional and international businesses are investing billions in new ventures and expansion projects in Yorkton, creating new employment opportunities and changing the landscape of the city’s labour market.

An attractive place for businesses to set up shop

Yorkton’s highly educated and skilled workforce, moderate property taxes, and stable commercial, industrial, and residential sectors — along with proximity to major highways, rail lines, and regional and international airports — make Yorkton an attractive place

Anne Papmehl

for businesses to set up shop.

On top of that, the City of Yorkton offers numerous incentives to businesses to locate, relocate, or expand in the area. For example, the newly introduced Residential Construction Initiative grants a 100 per cent tax rebate over five years to the owner of a newly constructed one- or two-unit dwelling.

The Business Creation and Expansion Incentive Program provides incentives to applicants who are constructing a new commercial building or adding onto an existing one, with the goal of helping to expand local businesses, invite new businesses to the city, and stimulate the local economy.

Recent revisions to the Sale of Residential Lots Policy now allow contractors licensed by the City of Yorkton to secure building and advertising rights on a city-owned lot with only a 10 per cent deposit and pay the remaining balance owing on the lot once the home is sold, or two years from the deposit date, whichever is sooner.

Finally, the Business Improvement Incentive Program and Façade and Site Incentive Program are designed to encourage commercial property owners and business owners to enhance the appearance of their building facades or storefronts and make them more

visually appealing to visitors and residents, increase property values, and build civic pride.

One of the most affordable cities

for living and working

The region’s affordability is a big advantage to living and working in Yorkton. Housing prices are among the lowest compared to other cities with a similar population in Saskatchewan. Many reasonably priced, vacant, and fully serviced commercial and industrial lots are for sale. In addition to lower municipal taxes, Yorkton’s development charges are lower compared to any major city in Saskatchewan.

The shorter commute times — an average of 13 minutes compared to Canada’s average of 26 minutes — saves time and money. In addition, the direct access and connections to neighbouring communities and beyond via the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway 16 and other major highways give Yorkton's businesses certain logistics and accessibility advantages.

Finally, while Yorkton offers a small-town feel, it offers all the amenities of a larger urban centre, such as access to good health care, education, big box stores, infrastructure, utilities, high-speed internet, and a variety of indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities.

For more information on why Yorkton is a great place to invest your time and money, contact us at: econdev@yorkton.ca or visit yorkton.ca

This article was sponsored by the City of Yorkton

Nearly Four in Five Small Businesses Are Still Dealing with Pandemic-Related Stress

CFIB launches a new online initiative to help business owners promote wellness in their workplace.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is launching Workplace Wellness, a new online initiative that provides business owners with resources and tools to support wellness in their business. The online hub, developed in partnership with Nexim Canada (PrimaSure), includes free articles, webinars, printable posters and templates, including templates to create a disconnect from work policy and respectful workplace guidelines.

“The pandemic forced small business owners to carry a lot of additional stress on their shoulders. Even though we hope to be on the other side of the pandemic, the majority still feel stressed and uncertain about the future. At the same time, we’re hearing from our members that mental health concerns have also increased for employees and that broaching this topic is not always easy,” says Corinne Pohlmann, Senior Vice-President of National

Affairs at CFIB. “That’s why CFIB developed an online hub where business owners can get information and tools to help them add or enhance wellness in their workplace.”

According to CFIB’s recent survey, nearly four in five (78 per cent) small business owners are still dealing with pandemic stress. The pandemic’s lingering impact is more significant for businesses in hospitality (91 per cent), social services (91 per cent), enterprise and administrative management (90 per cent), and information, arts, and recreation (88 per cent) sectors.

At a time when small business owners’ biggest growth constraint is finding and keeping staff, focusing on wellness can help with retention for employees who may be on the verge of burnout or quitting. CFIB’s research shows three in ten (31 per cent) small business owners have increased the availability of mental health resources/information for their employees since the start of the pandemic.

“We hope this new initiative will make it easier for owners to incorporate wellness practices into their workplace as it could help reduce the likelihood of employees going on short- and long-term disability. In small businesses, in particular, the absence of even one employee has a big impact on business operations, but it can also be personal for many small business owners whose staff often consists of friends or even family members,” says Pohlmann.

“We encourage business owners to reflect on how they can encourage their employees to lead a healthier lifestyle,” says Briana Desormeau, Vice-President, Nexim Canada. “Different ways to build a healthy organizational culture include putting accommodations in place and ensuring employees know about the supports available to them. This could also include building opportunities for open discussion among staff or introducing an Employee Assistance Program.”

To access CFIB’s Workplace Wellness resources, visit cfib-fcei.ca/workplace-wellness

Corinne Pohlmann Senior VicePresident of National Affairs, CFIB