Investing in Canadian Talent: The Long Game

Canada’s productivity challenge has become a defining economic concern, shaping federal priorities from artificial intelligence and digital leadership to trade diversification and economic sovereignty. Yet amid the focus on advanced technologies, high-growth sectors and short-term actions to attract talent, one of the most powerful levers for long-term economic performance remains underemphasized: smart, sustained investment in Early Years – Grade 12 / Sec V (EY-12) education as a core component of national talent development.

Early education is a critical tool in addressing skills shortages, weak labour force growth, and stagnant productivity. The foundational skills, interests, and aspirations linked to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) innovation, AI and digital fluency, critical thinking and problem solving are developed incrementally throughout childhood and adolescence – long before individuals enter the workforce. While Canadian 15-year-olds continue to perform well in science and math compared with international peers, there are signs of erosion over time, underscoring the need for sustained attention across the entire education pipeline. (OECD, Country Notes). 

We cannot be complacent in addressing the talent long game. China is investing heavily in digital and AI skill development for its 200 million students. In 2024 the government issued guidance that linked AI education to China’s goal to nurture innovative talent and build the nation’s capacity to address future challenges. In the United States, a 2025 Executive Order, Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth, aims to integrate AI literacy into K-12, train educators, and provide early student exposure to AI to build a future workforce.

Although responsibility for EY–12 curricula rests with provinces and territories, the federal government has a clear stake in ensuring that youth have the foundation, opportunities and resources required for participation in a knowledge-intensive economy. Strategic federal investment in school-age learning (including supports for educators, equitable access to STEM pathways, career awareness and alignment with labour market needs) represents a low-cost, high-return intervention to support long-term productivity, competitiveness, and social resilience.

STEM Engagement Across School Years

Sustained engagement with STEM learning is essential for building a future-ready workforce. Averaged national data indicates that completion rates for senior secondary courses required for university STEM program admission vary widely: Grade 12 participation is highest in mathematics (around 47%), but far lower in chemistry (25%), biology (22%), physics (15%), and computer science (3%). Canadian Association of Principals 

These courses are gateways to postsecondary STEM pathways and influence students’ preparedness for advanced study and careers in innovation-intensive sectors. Physics is required for most engineering programs; currently only one in six students is even eligible to apply!  University admission requirements have changed very little in decades, stifling innovation in secondary education and reducing postsecondary STEM applicant diversity. 

Strong performance in mathematics and science during secondary school is correlated with participation in STEM-related postsecondary programs such as engineering and computer science. Statistics Canada  College and polytechnic programs – and the skilled trades – are also increasingly STEM-based. Meaningful, early STEM engagement helps youth explore all types of postsecondary and work pathways that are needed for Canada’s future.

Without consistent access to meaningful STEM learning throughout EY-12, Canada risks under-developing the human capital needed to underpin sectoral strengths in technology, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, natural resources, energy, construction and beyond.

Educator Capacity and System Pressures

Demands on educators have grown substantially. Teachers are expected to integrate evolving digital tools, emerging technologies, scientific advancements and career awareness into already crowded curricula – even as most lack formal training in science, data science and AI. Concurrently, the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to accelerate digital adoption while exacerbating learning gaps, especially for students with uneven access to resources.

These pressures highlight the importance of supporting educators with professional learning opportunities, programs, resources, and Science, Technology & Innovation (ST&I) partnerships that strengthen their capacity to deliver high-quality STEM and digital learning experiences.

Equity, Citizenship, and National Resilience

The implications of EY–12 education extend beyond workforce supply to include citizenship engagement and social resilience. Strong foundational skills in STEM, critical thinking and science literacy help individuals navigate misinformation, participate in democratic processes, and engage with public policy debates. These capacities are increasingly central to societal well-being and economic participation. 

From a federal perspective, supporting robust early education aligns directly with national objectives related to productivity, innovation, and economic sovereignty. The federal government does not need to engage in curriculum design to play a catalytic role. By investing in scalable, evidence-based supports that help youth and educators succeed across the EY-12 spectrum – from foundational STEM learning to digital and AI literacy and career awareness programming with trusted ST&I partners – it can strengthen the talent pipeline that underpins sectoral, innovation, and sovereignty objectives. Such investments reduce future skill gaps, narrow disparities in learning outcomes, and improve the diversity and resilience of Canada’s future workforce.

Canada’s productivity and competitiveness challenges cannot be resolved through capital investment, regulation, or innovation policy alone. Playing the long game on talent requires recognizing early education as economic infrastructure, not merely social policy. Countries that embed this understanding into their national strategies will be better positioned to compete, adapt, and prosper. Canada still has that opportunity but only if early education is treated as essential to national economic success.