The Future of Work in Canada: Emerging Trends and Opportunities

Please note: Registration for this event will begin at 7:30am, and the event will begin at 8:00am.

What are some of the trends currently defining the new world of work in Canada, and what does our future look like? What opportunities can be seized to build more competitive, prosperous, and inclusive organizations?

This mini-conference, presented in partnership with Deloitte Canada, will feature panel discussions and presentations by representatives from Deloitte, Brookfield Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Vancity, Futurpreneur, and many more.

Panelists from across Canada and beyond will share recent research, apply expertise and field audience questions. Seating is very limited and lunch will be served. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from some of Canada’s most innovative business leaders.

Emerging Trends and Opportunities in the Future of Work

To open the morning, Stephen Harrington, Senior Manager, Talent Strategies, Human Capital, from Deloitte will present research and findings from their 2017 report The Intelligence Revolution: Future-proofing Canada's Workforce. The presentation will introduce future-proofed capabilities Canadians will need to succeed, while also making recommendations for business leaders and government to put Canada on the path to success.

Next, Sarah Doyle, Director of Policy and Research, Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will share findings from a variety of their 2017 reports. The reports examine potential for automation and its effect on the labour force across Canada, future-proofing the Canadian workforce, and the intersection between entrepreneurship and innovation.

Finally, significant changes in work design have left ordinary workers, their families and communities to bear the brunt of the transition to new ways of producing wealth, often leading to unemployment, poverty and exclusion. As we embrace developments such as automation, artificial intelligence, and the platform economy, what can we do to ensure that workers are accompanied in this transformation through decent work opportunities? Irene Lanzinger, President of BC Federation of Labour, will share insights and options from a labour perspective.

Addressing the Skills Gap: Enhancing Mobility From Post-secondary Education to Employment and Entrepreneurship

What are ways to enhance mobility between post-secondary institutions and employment opportunities? How can we address talent shortages and succession issues? How do we break down assumptions and recognize capacity and transferring skills to meaningfully transition to a new sector? What innovative models of youth employment and entrepreneurship are providing improved opportunities for workplaces and society as a whole?

Panelists include:
Sarah Lubik, Director of Entrepreneurship, SFU Beedie School of Business (Moderator)
Paulina Cameron, Director, Futurpreneur
Jake Hirsch-Allen, Lynda.com Higher Education Lead, LinkedIn
Kim Howson, Senior Manager of Youth Strategy & Relationship Management, RBC Future Launch

Embedding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Future of Work

How can organizations meaningfully integrate inclusive hiring practices into their human resource policies and procedures? What trends and technologies are changing the way our workplaces hire employees, and how can we be prepared for a more diverse, equitable future of work?

Panelists include:
Amy Robichaud, Principal, AR Strategies and Former Director of Partnership & Engagement at the Minerva Foundation for BC Women
Iglika Ivanova, Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Patrick MacKenzie, CEO, Immigrant Employment Council of British Columbia
Tara Van Zuiden, Senior Manager - Talent Strategies, Human Capital, Deloitte
Lesley MacDonald, Employee Engagement and HR Planning, BC Hydro

How Alternative Business Models Can Improve the Way We Work

What are some examples of alternative business models, and how are they improving the way we work? This discussion, led by Vancity, will discuss new opportunities afforded by innovative business models.

Panelists include:
Elvy Del Bianco, Program Manager, Cooperative Partnerships, Vancity (Moderator)
Frisia Donders, SMart (E.U.)
Steve Rio, Founder & CEO, Briteweb
Eric Bulmash, Sr. Consultant, Community Business and Investment, Vancity

AI and Automation in the Workplace

How is automation truly changing the way we work? What are models of effectively utilizing AI in the workplace while still allowing for meaningful, well-paid employment?

Panelists include:
Fred Popowich, Executive Director of KEY, SFU’s Big Data initiative (Moderator)
Elyssa Macfarlane, Founder and Editor, Meditations on Tech
James Maynard, President & CEO, Wavefront
Nikolas Badminton, Futurist
Tommy Lewis, Microsoft Technologist, Microsoft

Learn more about SFU Public Square's Community Summit, Brave New Work.