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Industry sector councils are organizations that collaborate with employers, labour groups, educational institutions and other interested parties to create initiatives that enhance skill development and prepare industries for evolving workforce demands. Their initiatives aim to support cross-sector collaboration and address challenges in recruitment, training, employee retention and shifts in industry conditions. Here are organizations that career professionals and their clients can explore.

AISC is the convenor for Nova Scotia’s 14 industry sector councils. Together, they help employers attract, train and retain a skilled workforce. Executive directors from each Sector Council collaborate to share best practices, resources and expertise, empowering employers across the province to adopt strategic workforce development practices and become employers of choice.

As a go-to source for labour market intelligence, BioTalent Canada guides bio-economy stakeholders with evidence-based data and industry-driven standards. BioTalent Canada, as a workforce development council, is focused on igniting the industry’s brainpower, bridging the gap between job-ready talent and employers, and ensuring the long-term agility, resiliency and sustainability of one of Canada’s most vital sectors.

CAHRC is a national, non-profit organization focused on addressing human resource issues facing agricultural businesses across Canada. It works with industry associations, educators and all levels of government to examine agriculture human resource issues and build meaningful, research-based solutions.

CAF-FCA is a non-profit organization that connects Canada’s apprenticeship community. Participants work collaboratively to support vibrant and innovative apprenticeship systems and policies with a view to developing a highly skilled, inclusive and mobile skilled trades workforce. Its shared initiative with SkillsCompétences Canada, called Careers in Trades, promotes trade apprenticeship opportunities and resources.

CCAA is dedicated to helping industry attract and develop workers with the skills the Canadian aviation and aerospace industry needs to meet the demands of the current and future workplace. It acts as the voice of Canada’s aviation and aerospace sector, provides labour market intelligence, and aims to improve safety and reduce costs to industry through improved efficiency, production and quality.

CCIB helps keep Indigenous businesses at the forefront of the Canadian economy, fostering relationships between Indigenous entrepreneurs and Canada’s institutional enterprises to cultivate shared prosperity. It provides more than 2,500 members, including more than 1,300 Certified Indigenous Businesses, with programming, tools, training, network-building, business awards, research, advocacy, and national and regional events to advance economic reconciliation across the country and keep Indigenous entrepreneurs positioned for growth.

CSTEC operates projects related to helping youth, employers, racialized workers, unions, newcomers and women meet labour market challenges. It facilitates co-operation between employers and colleges on training related projects designed to increase the supply of skilled tradespersons and other technical occupations. CSTEC has also provided research and labour market analysis for the manufacturing sector to help inform public policy and training initiatives.

CHRC strives to be at the centre of vision and forward thinking in cultural human resources development. It brings together representatives of arts disciplines and cultural industries in the cultural sector to address the training and career development needs of employers and cultural workers including artists, technical staff, managers and all others engaged professionally in the sector. The sector includes employers and workers in several thousand organizations, big and small, not-for-profit and for-profit.

With general membership and board members drawn from within the cultural sector, CWC’s work is guided by the sector and by the priority needs identified by sub-sector studies and baseline labour force survey data. It manages and facilitates projects to address specific cultural human resource issues such as succession, training, compensation, HR management/planning, career planning and competency development. CWC offers career development tools, internship support and networking opportunities.

This organization is Canada’s advisory council providing research and insights dedicated to serving the public interest by ensuring digital marketing education meets labour market demands in Canada. It is a professional advisory body, serving and safeguarding the public and industry by supporting the competent, accountable, safe and ethical practice of digital marketing educators, credentials and courses in Canada, all tied to labour market demands.

From job creation and wage funding, to training and labour market research, ECO Canada champions the end-to-end career of an environmental professional. Its​ partnerships, programs and research supports employers, professionals, new practitioners, educators and students in the environmental sector.

This organization brings together diverse members from energy industries, sectoral associations and governments from across Canada. As a neutral convener, it fosters dialogue, strategic thinking, collaboration and action to support an affordable, stable and environmentally sound Canadian energy sector.

The Sector Council Program supports organizations in key Manitoba sectors to develop and deliver workforce training for new and existing employees to support business growth and prosperity. This resource lists organizations in Manitoba’s aerospace, bioscience, construction, film, natural resources and transportation sectors, among others.

This organization is the Manitoba Sector Council Program’s newest member under the Transportation and Distribution Sector. The Sector Council Program supports organizations in key Manitoba sectors to develop and deliver workforce training for new and existing employees to support business growth and prosperity.

MiHR is an independent, non-profit organization that supports collaboration among mining and exploration companies, organized labour, contractors, educational institutions, industry associations and Indigenous groups to identify and address the human resource and labour market challenges facing the Canadian minerals and metals sector.

Tourism HR Canada

Tourism HR Canada is a pan-Canadian organization with a mandate aimed at building a world-leading tourism workforce. Tourism HR Canada facilitates, co-ordinates and enables human resource development activities that support a globally competitive and sustainable industry and foster the development of a dynamic and resilient workforce.

Wood Manufacturing Council

The Wood Manufacturing Council is a non-profit corporation that works to bring together stakeholders in advanced wood processing. Our mandate is to plan, develop and implement human resources strategies that support the long-term growth and competitiveness of Canada’s advanced wood products manufacturing industry and meet the developmental needs of its workforce.