We recently looked back on some of the accomplishments the FOCAL initiative achieved in phase I, but today is all about what’s ahead—the future of the automotive sector in Canada and how FOCAL is striving to support workers and employers in all parts of the industry.

Our goals are clear, practical and actionable and our team is working diligently to prepare for 2023 and beyond. Please take a moment to review these objectives and let us know if you have any questions or feedback. You’re welcome to contact us at your convenience.

Objectives and areas of focus

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, Honda, General Motors, Magna, Woodbridge Group, Martinrea, UNIFOR, Algoma Steel, Blue Solutions, CVMA,  APMA, CAMM, Automate Canada and Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing as well as representatives from all levels of government. The entire auto supply chain, led by the vehicle companies, automotive component suppliers and industry leading association groups, is a part of this initiative. FOCAL is funded by the Government of Canada.

There are three key areas of activity being focused on in phase II: research and analysis, operations/training, and stakeholder engagement. Some of our specific objectives for phase II of the initiative include:

• Engaging industry stakeholders in actionable discussions about labour market challenges; updating and improving relevant market analysis
• Supporting employers in meeting these labour market challenges
• Helping leaders in the automotive industry recruit and train an evolving workforce
• Providing access to job training and hiring grants
• Supporting the sector and stakeholders to adjust to the decarbonization of the economy and the digitization of production in the sector
• Increasing diversity in the automotive workforce

Much of FOCAL’s phase II research will centre on the impact of the ongoing transition from ICE to EVs including updated labour forecasts and skills transferability matrices. Occupational profiles will be shared in order to educate current and prospective members of the automotive sector ( sharing details on lifetime earnings, current earnings, mobility into management and other sectors, new tech and opportunities to learn, new opportunities due to demographics, etc). FOCAL will also provide reports on technological change, diversity and youth participation in the sector, apprenticeships, immigration and more. In terms of operations and training, FOCAL aims to support workers as they train on green tech, EV production and/or digitization within production. Additionally, there will be significant focus on hiring.

Finally, from an engagement and communications perspective, we are committed to disseminating information throughout the sector and to all relevant stakeholders in order to best support these objectives in the months ahead.

Follow us to stay informed

We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but the expected benefits are both worthwhile and exciting. 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—you may contact us at your convenience.