Pedro Barata (Future Skills Centre)

Jul. 26

On this episode of Marketing News Canada, Darian Kovacs interviews Pedro Barata, the Executive Director at Future Skills Centre.

Pedro is a forward-thinking hub for research and collaboration dedicated to preparing Canadians for employment success. Through research, convening, networking and evaluation of innovative pilots, the Centre is focused on contributing solutions to anticipate the emerging needs of employers, as well as the needs of those not currently participating fully in Canada’s changing workforce.

When it comes to what happened during the pandemic and the job market, some workers were able to adapt more quickly than others. White collar workers, such as established workers who work in offices were able to switch to the work from home lifestyle very quickly, and others not so much. People who worked in industries such as restaurants were forced to find other means of income to sustain their lifestyles.

Pedro discussed the idea of the “new collar” of jobs. These are people such as content creators. The issue with this job sector is that the inflow of money is often not consistent. Many creators are living paycheck to paycheck or barely making ends meet. Some are lucky enough to be living financially free and having a good work-life balance.

“74 percent of employers are willing to let their employees work from home post-pandemic,” says Pedro. He sees a more hybrid style of working post pandemic. This allows employers to hire from all around the world, and even hire people that work in remote locations. He believes this is something to look forward to because people from small towns can now be making big city salaries.

Another thing to note about being able to hire from anywhere is the ability to hire a variety of different races. In 2021 it has become very apparent that people care about diversity and inclusion. With this being said, businesses need to make a cautious effort to hire to diversify their workforce, especially educational institutions. Students want to see more than white males teaching them, because they want to feel as if they are being represented and understood.

When discussing education, Pedro said there is a real debate whether it means as much as it used to, and if it helps secure a job. He believes that higher education used to nearly promise a job, but today students are struggling post-graduation. The job market is highly competitive and it makes securing a position more difficult. People are also expected to have an even more impressive resume by adding on more than just a degree.

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