In Canada, we have a unique story to tell

Our government's investments under the Innovation and Skills Plan ensure that we will compete globally for the most talented people, the newest technologies, and the fastest growing companies.

By: Navdeep Bains; Hill Times; Oct. 2, 2017

Representing Canada at the G7 presented a unique opportunity to promote Canada as a leader in creating the economy of tomorrow, and also champion our greatest economic strength, our people.

Across the globe, industrialized nations are dealing with a period of slow growth and are struggling with the many challenges associated with an ever-changing economic landscape. Globalization and disruptive technologies demand that we rethink how to succeed in a new global economic reality.

In Canada, we have a unique story to tell. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) project that Canada will lead the G7 in economic growth this year, and we have taken a proactive, people-focused approach to preparing for the new economy. We're harnessing the creativity and imagination of Canadians to transform industry and create the jobs of tomorrow and we're making sure Canadians have the required skills for these jobs.

The path to achieve this goal can be summarized with one word: innovation.

We know that innovation is key to growing the economy and creating good-quality jobs for the middle-class and we know that skills, talent and people are essential for us to adapt to a changing job market, and prepare for the jobs of the future.

Innovation depends on creativity, diversity and collaboration between government, academia and the private sector.

That's why our government introduced the Innovation and Skills Plan, a plan that focuses on people and addresses the changing nature of the economy to ensure it works for all Canadians.

It's a plan that will position Canada as a world-leader with an innovation economy that creates jobs and grows the middle class.

One of these objectives is to encourage more business investment in research and development, and to turn more ideas into solutions for the marketplace.

This includes our Innovation Superclusters Initiative which will leverage $950-million federal investment to catalyze public-private partnership in innovative industries across the country.

Another feature of our Innovation and Skills Plan is the recently launched $1.26-billion Strategic Innovation Fund in support of high-growth innovative sectors with the potential to strengthen our position in industries like automotive, aerospace, clean-tech, ICTs and agri-food.

We are also promoting life-long learning by making targeted investments in skills training that start early and continues throughout a person's career to prepare them for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

As part of this approach, we are giving young Canadians the opportunity to develop digital skills and encouraging them to get involved in the foundational skills of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This will position our children for the economy of the 21st century.

Our government is also supporting the creation of 10,000 work-integrated learning placements a year, making them more attractive to employers and giving our country a leg up in the global innovation race.

Canada's diversity is a significant competitive advantage in the global economy. Harnessing this diversity uniquely positions Canada to attract the best and brightest from around the world to compliment our existing talent and create a remarkable value proposition for business.

That's why we launched the Global Skills Strategy in June to facilitate faster access to top global talent for companies doing business in Canada that are committed to bringing new skills to Canada and creating more Canadian jobs.

It sets an ambitious two-week standard for processing visas and work permits for global talent.

Our values of openness, acceptance, and the promotion of diversity and inclusion in all sectors of our economy are part of Canada's value proposition.

By re-establishing Canada's international reputation and providing our businesses with a stable and predictable environment, our government has set the stage for the dynamic and inclusive economic growth our country is currently experiencing.

Since October 2015, 400,000 jobs have been created. In the second quarter of 2017, our economy grew by 4.5 per cent, ranking first among G7 countries.

All of this brings me back to last week's G7 meeting, where my international counterparts endorsed many of the innovation-related measures I've just covered.

As other countries go about their business, Canada is seen as a leader. Canada is back.

Our government's investments under the Innovation and Skills Plan ensure that we will compete globally for the most talented people, the newest technologies, and the fastest growing companies.

And we will do it in our own way, the Canadian way.

(The op-ed above appears in the Hill Times. Link here: https://www.hilltimes.com/2017/10/02/canada-unique-story-tell/120681)