The world of work is changing. Digitalisation, globalisation, the green transition and population ageing are having a profound impact on the type and quality of jobs that are available and the skills required to perform them. The extent to which individuals, firms and economies can reap the benefits of these changes will depend critically on the readiness of adult learning systems to help people develop and maintain relevant skills over their working careers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the Canadian labour market, deepening existing divides and changing the demand for skills. Already prior to the pandemic, labour demand was changing due to the adoption of new digital technology, population ageing, globalisation and decarbonisation. The skills needs for jobs in growing sectors and industries are often not the same as those required for jobs that are at risk of automation or outsourcing. In this context, many adults are being challenged to consider alternative career paths, and to upskill or retrain.

Canadian labour markets have been severely affected by the COVID‑19 pandemic, which has highlighted the importance of a skilled and resilient workforce that is able to navigate employment transitions. This chapter first provides an overview of the impact of the pandemic, as well as the longer-term trends of technological change, globalisation, population ageing and decarbonisation, on Canadian labour markets. It then reviews Canada’s current performance in skilling adults. Finally, the chapter provides an outline of Canada’s system of career guidance for adults, including how responsibility is shared, who the main providers are and how services are delivered.

This chapter presents new data on the use of career guidance among adults in Canada, as compared with adults in other OECD countries. It analyses the use of career guidance among different sub-groups of the population, and highlights Canadian and international initiatives to engage greater use of career guidance among under-represented groups. The chapter also covers the reasons why adults seek career guidance in Canada, how usage changed during the COVID‑19 pandemic, and the main barriers to greater participation.

This chapter reviews survey evidence on how satisfied adult users of career guidance in Canada are with the services they received, to what extent services were tailored to their needs, and which outcomes they report. It then discusses three key policy measures to strengthen the career guidance sector and service provision: producing and using high-quality labour market information; holding providers accountable and monitoring outcomes; and standardising the training and qualifications of career guidance advisors.