The Future of Work and Learning Brief
Issue #49 | October 2024
Affordability is a top reason youth in Canada choose a place – but it‘s not the only reason. This special edition of the brief expands on Canada West Foundation’s latest report Finding Their Place: Manitoba youth mobility to share research insights relevant to Western Canada.
Key Point #1: Youth want what B.C. offers
Young people perceive B.C. as offering the ideal mix of quality of life, social factors and potential for career growth particularly in emerging sectors. This perception helps explain the number of people moving into B.C. over the past few years. Youth are willing to take on the extra cost of living if they can attain the lifestyle they want.
Surveyed youth in Vancouver had the most favorable views of their province while those in Winnipeg had the least favourable views.
Views of home province by select Canadian City, 2023
Affordability challenges and Alberta’s economic upswing have caused some people to reconsider their opinions and Alberta, particularly the Calgary region, has experienced a population boom. Our research is clear though – B.C. has a competitive advantage over other provinces when considering lifestyle or social factors while the Alberta economic advantage persists with competitive wages, more affordable housing and lower tax rates.
Key Point #2: Attracting and Retaining Immigrant Talent Means Addressing Newcomer Priorities
For surveyed newcomers, the main driver for choosing Canada is to build a better life for themselves and their families. Communities and provinces which are diverse, inclusive and have fewer barriers to workforce entry such as credential recognition, affordable upskilling/reskilling opportunities and large diaspora networks are attractive to recent immigrants.
Top five reasons permanent residents choose Canada
- Build a new life
- Opportunities for children
- Safe communities
- Improve my or my family’s economic situation
- Find better employment opportunities
Priorities shifted for those who had been in the country for over 10 years with social and quality of life factors having greater influence in mobility decisions. If communities or a province could not meet these changing needs, newcomers were more willing to move compared to other surveyed youth. We estimate over half of interprovincial migration is comprised of newcomers. This willingness to move makes sense – newcomers have already uprooted their lives once to move to Canada and are willing to move again to find the province or community which meets their immediate needs and as they evolve.
Key Point #3: Negative Perceptions of Rural Opportunities Persist
Suburban and rural communities in B.C. and Alberta attract young families and people who cannot afford to buy a house in increasingly expensive cities, such as Vancouver and Calgary. Saskatchewan and Manitoba are seeing fewer people leave their provinces but are not necessarily attracting people to rural areas yet. Rural growth in Alberta and B.C. matches or outpaces urban growth in Saskatchewan and is only slightly behind rural growth in Manitoba.
When asked to describe Manitoba, surveyed youth either viewed the province as synonymous with Winnipeg or as rural. Rural was described as boring, lacking diversity of experience and people, and offering little opportunity for career growth. Rural Manitoban youth agreed to a certain extent but saw the rural lifestyle as one which offered opportunities for community connection and easier access to outdoor recreation and nature. These youth said rural living had a lot to offer in terms of affordability and safety compared to the cities but that they would welcome more arts, cultural, dining and entertainment options.
With remote work and digitization of traditional industries, such as agriculture, there is also an opportunity to show youth that the rural lifestyle is changing and that they can find opportunities in their fields in rural communities. Education institutions and employers have a role to play in building work-integrated learning programs in rural communities so youth can build career networks and see a pathway to success in a rural context.
What Next?
Western Canada has an opportunity for collaboration to find ways to move forward and build solutions within and across provinces to help youth find the community in which they want to establish themselves and thrive. While Manitoba and Alberta are part of that story, Saskatchewan and British Columbia have their own unique contexts and specific draws which attract and retain young people.
Canada West Foundation is here to work with partners across the west to create change and incorporate the values and perspectives of youth while building future industries, supporting everchanging traditional industries, and creating communities which are diverse and vibrant. With current and future generations in mind, the West can position itself as a top destination for young talent.
Work in progress includes briefs and further research with partners on the following topics:
- Funding for digital work integrated learning programs
- Rethinking non-Indigenous employment practices for First Nations youth talent attraction and retention
- Secondary migration of newcomers across the west and funding and policy gaps
- Rural youth talent attraction and retention
Further Reading
REPORT | The Young are Restless
Janet Lane and Aaron Murray, March 2022
REPORT | Work to Live: Alberta youth mobility
Janet Lane, Stephany Laverty and Dr. David Finch, March 2022
WHAT NOW? Policy Brief | Oh, the places youth could go!
Janet Lane, Riya Ganguly and Stephanie Laverty, June 2022
OP-ED | Alberta’s economy is diversifying but it still has some challenges to overcome
Jane Lane and David Finch, July 2022
The Future of Work & Learning Brief is compiled by Stephany Laverty and Jeff Griffiths. Through this monthly brief, keep on top of developments in the workforce and how education and training are changing today to build the skills and competencies needed for the future. If you have any interesting stories for future editions, please send them to .