
About this episode
The episode discusses Canada's need for a large workforce by 2030 and the challenges in attracting and training talent.
Canada could need up to half a million new workers by 2030 — everything from the trades to high-tech entrepreneurs to knowledge workers. But between the U.S. hoovering up Canadian talent and new policies putting a chill on international students, building the talent we need might take some work. Host Amanda Lang talks to Robert Asselin, the CEO of U15, which represents Canada’s top 15 research universities, about training entrepreneurs, scaling up companies and winning talent.
People in this episode
Host: Amanda Lang
Guest: Robert Asselin
Topics covered
- workforce development
- international students
- entrepreneurship
- talent acquisition
- higher education
Keywords
- Canada
- workforce
- talent
- international students
- entrepreneurs
- U15
- training
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: U15
Places: Canada
More episodes of Wonk
- Evan Solomon on the promise and perils of AI · June 11, 2026 · 32 min
- Building an economy that helps people flourish · June 4, 2026 · 32 min
- The big risks facing Canada and the world · May 28, 2026 · 38 min
- Why the Canadian economy will be okay · May 21, 2026 · 53 min
- Gregor Robertson on the housing dilemma · May 14, 2026 · 30 min
- Frank McKenna on Canada’s future and dealing with America · May 7, 2026 · 33 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Wonk podcast page.