MONTREAL – The G7 Employment and Innovation ministers concluded a two-day meeting on Preparing for Jobs of the Future, focused on how G7 countries can help workers get the skills, training and opportunities they need to succeed in a changing economy, which was co-chaired by federal Ministers Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, with participation by the Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.
“Canada and its G7 partners are committed to fully embracing innovation and equipping our citizens with the tools, skills, and information they need to succeed, now and for the jobs of the future. That’s why Canada has made historic investments in science, research and technology, including in areas of high-growth potential like artificial intelligence, a field in which Canada is a world leader,” said Bains.
As G7 countries met this week to discuss how they’re seizing the opportunity of a transforming economy to create the kind of growth that works for everybody, Canada reiterated gender equality as a key component of a strong economy and progressive society. Members of the Gender Equality Advisory Council for Canada’s G7 Presidency also participated in the meetings, offering important perspectives on how G7 countries can move toward achieving gender equality.
During their meetings, G7 Employment and Innovation ministers agreed on the following: a statement on stimulating innovation where G7 countries agreed that governments take an active leadership role in preparing companies to be part of the digital economy and to create well-paying, middle class jobs;
a G7 Statement on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to continue advancing towards a common vision for this transformative technology;
to convene a multi-stakeholder conference on AI hosted by Canada in the fall 2018;
to proceed with a time-limited G7 Employment Task Force to undertake targeted research and analysis, and make recommendations on priority issues for G7 countries on preparing for jobs of the future;
to launch the G7 Future of Work Forum, a digital tool that will support the work of the G7 Employment Task Force and enable Member States to share information on policies, programs and ideas; and
to promote domestic and international tools to address violence and harassment in the workplace through the development of international standards under the International Labour Organization’s leadership.
To further support the work undertaken during its 2018 G7 Presidency, Canada will facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue and collaboration on AI. In addition, Canada will host a conference with domestic partners on preparing for jobs of the future and encourage other G7 countries to engage their domestic partners in similar discussions. As part of Canada’s commitment to demonstrating leadership in helping young Canadians develop their skills and get meaningful, paid work experience, Minister Hajdu also announced up to 500 new paid work placements for students in the artificial intelligence sector, with specific support for female students. Through partnerships with AI leading organizations like Canada’s Information and Communications Technology Council and its partnering companies, such as Corstem based here in Montreal, the Government of Canada will be giving more post-secondary students the chance to learn in a hands-on work environment.This will help them do better in the job market when they graduate, and gives employers access to a pool of talented young people who have the skills they’re looking for, straight out of school.
Quick Facts
The G7 is an informal grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union is also a member of the G7 and is represented by the European Council and the European Commission.
RBC Economics estimates that if women participated in Canada’s workforce at the rates that men do today, we would boost the size of the Canadian economy by 4 per cent.
To support young families and gender equality in both the workplace and the home, Canada’s Budget 2018 is introducing a new Employment Insurance Parental Sharing Benefit that will help support an equal distribution of home and work responsibilities.
Through Budget 2018, the Government of Canada is taking a leadership role in addressing the systemic undervaluation of women by announcing legislation to reduce the gender wage gap in federally regulated workplaces.
