S6 Ep. 02: A Workforce to Build Big

In this episode of the Future Skills Podcast, we focus on Canada’s big build moment—when major infrastructure, industrial expansion, and nation‑building projects are converging with profound workforce pressures. Host Jeremy Strachan is joined by former Ontario Minister of Labour and Infrastructure Monte McNaughton to explore why apprenticeships, early pathways into the skilled trades, and labour mobility are essential as retirements accelerate and demand surges. We then hear from Mike Gordon, Director of Canadian Training of the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, who unpacks why training quality, credential recognition, and national standards are critical to mobilizing a skilled workforce—without taking risky shortcuts. We close with Pari Johnston, President and CEO of Colleges and Institutes Canada, who makes the case for public colleges as the backbone of Canada’s skills ecosystem, and what it will take to deliver training at the speed, scale, and quality needed to prepare workers for an AI‑driven economy. Guests  Monte McNaughton, Co-Chair, Future Skills Centre Resilient Workforce Working Table Mike Gordon, Director of Canadian Training, United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Pari Johnston, President and CEO, Colleges and Institutes Canada Links Future Skills Centre Homepage: https://fsc-ccf.ca/ Future Skills Centre LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fsc-ccf Future Skills Centre Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fsc-ccf.bsky.social Signal49 Research Homepage: https://www.signal49.ca/ Signal49 Research Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Signal49Research Signal49 Research X: https://x.com/S49Research Future Skills Centre Resilient Workforce Working Table: https://fsc-ccf.ca/engage/resilient-workforce-working-table/ United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters: https://www.uacanada.ca/ Colleges and Institutes Canada: https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/ Signal49 Research, Building Under Pressure: Skilled Trades Shortages and Rising Construction Costs. Ottawa, Signal49 Research, November 24, 2025. Statistics Canada. Changes in the population of tradespeople between 2016 and 2021. Education, Learning and Training Research Paper Series, September 26, 2024.https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/81-595-m/81-595-m2024002-eng.htm