The automotive industry has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past century, and another exciting chapter of its evolution is currently taking place.

From innovations in in-vehicle systems to the advancement of electric vehicles (EVs) and battery technologies, plenty of change is both notable and ongoing. If you’ve followed FOCAL for the past few years, you’re likely familiar with some of the initiative’s research, resources, stakeholders and goals. For those who are new to FOCAL, we’d like to offer a brief summary and introduction. If you have any questions, please contact us.

About FOCAL 

The FOCAL initiative is a collaboration between the Canadian Skills Training and Employment Coalition (CSTEC), the Automotive Policy Research Centre (APRC) and Prism Economics and Analysis. FOCAL stakeholders (past and current) include Ford, Toyota, General Motors, the APMA, Magna, Woodbridge Group, Martinrea, UNIFOR, United Steelworkers and the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing as well as representatives from all levels of government. FOCAL is funded by the Government of Canada, and is now in phase II of a comprehensive plan that involves research, knowledge dissemination and the funding of skills training and development across Canada.

In the fall of 2018, the FOCAL initiative produced an extensive portfolio of research findings and subsequent recommendations related to Canada’s automotive production and technology sectors. Today, as we continue our work in phase II of the initiative, we’d like to share an overview of phase I accomplishments. 

Key accomplishments (phase I)

Thanks to the dedication of our team and stakeholders, FOCAL accomplished a lot in phase I of the initiative. We learned that the automotive sector and its associated supply chains are a lot larger than previously believed, and the industry has to recruit 45,000 individuals in the upcoming decade (primarily replacing retirees) in order to remain competitive. Furthermore, the transition from ICEVs to EVs manufacturing represents a massive challenge, as well as an opportunity for economic and labour gains. As we move ahead with phase II, here are some of the highlights of the project to date:

• Established a steering committee composed of representatives from all major stakeholders as noted above
• Underwent an extensive industry consultation process that included UNIFOR, all three levels of government and other critical stakeholders
• Produced a number of trend reports, regional profiles and labour market forecasts that were made available for download
• Produced an interactive dashboard on the FOCAL website that enabled users to understand and interact with automotive industry data by tracking, analyzing, monitoring and displaying key metrics
• Completed a massive knowledge dissemination effort facilitated through industry consultations, the FOCAL website and social media

Follow us to stay informed and gain access to events, funding opportunities and more

As we look back on these accomplishments, phase II of the FOCAL initiative is already well underway. Please follow FOCAL on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay informed and gain access to resources and special events as well as funding opportunities for employers. We encourage everyone reading this blog to share it with their professional networks in order to best share these opportunities with automotive sector staff and employers. Again, the FOCAL team welcomes your questions and feedback—please feel free to contact us at your convenience.