Progress with Purpose
Publications
Selected publications authored by the ShiftNine team, grounded in real experience shaping policy, programs, and delivery across government and industry. These pieces are intended for policymakers and senior leaders looking for practical insight into what drives results in practice. They focus on execution over aspiration, outcomes over activity, and the real trade offs that determine whether public and economic interventions succeed or fall short.
The opinion piece argues that Canada must address the “innovation brain drain” by retaining and attracting skilled talent to strengthen the domestic innovation ecosystem. It highlights how immigration backlogs and the lure of higher salaries in the U.S. are pushing Canadian STEM professionals abroad, threatening long-term competitiveness. The author emphasizes the importance of policies that support skilled workers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to ensure Canada’s economic future and sustain its innovation capacity.
The article covers a new report from Canada’s Information and Communications Technology Council calling for a comprehensive industrial strategy for artificial intelligence that builds on the existing Pan-Canadian AI Strategy but places greater emphasis on intellectual property ownership, commercialization, and domestic economic value. The report argues that while Canada leads in AI research, it needs coordinated policy to convert that strength into marketable products and sustained economic growth, including stronger support for late-stage R&D, talent development, and responsible AI frameworks to drive inclusive innovation
The piece explores how ride-sharing and other digital platform services are reshaping urban mobility in Canadian cities, with technologies like Uber, Lyft, and Turo offering convenient alternatives to traditional transportation. It situates ride-sharing within the broader sharing economy and discusses its implications for commuting patterns, employment structures, and how people travel and work across large cities like Toronto. At the same time, it raises policy questions about the future of urban transportation, economic inclusion, regulation, and how these platforms integrate with—and challenge—existing social and economic systems.
The article highlights how the Edge Up upskilling initiative helped displaced oil and gas workers transition into in-demand tech careers by providing short-term digital training and career support. Employers like 360 Energy Liability Management have successfully hired program graduates, valuing their industry experience combined with new technical skills. The program, which trained several hundred workers, has also shown strong employer interest in hiring career transitioners and provides wrap-around support like interview prep and skills assessment to improve job outcomes
Canada faces a big tech talent shortage, needing about 250,000 more digital workers by 2025 as demand grows across sectors. Employers struggle to fill tens of thousands of openings, including in cybersecurity, due to global competition and rapid digital transformation. Boosting internal upskilling and valuing both technical and soft skills are seen as ways to help close the gap.
Canada’s digital workforce needs T-shaped skillsets—people with deep expertise in one area and broad cross-disciplinary knowledge—so teams (like AI, software or health tech) can communicate, collaborate and build products that actually fit real industry needs. The article highlights that siloed skills hinder team effectiveness and calls for education, career support and upskilling to help develop these versatile professionals.
Canada’s “time tax”—the administrative burden of complex forms, delays and red tape—makes it hard for people to access needed services, especially those with fewer resources, and hampers public policy goals. The article argues that appointing a Minister of Citizens’ Services is a start, but deeper reforms are needed to simplify processes and ensure programs like the new disability benefit actually reach people
Canada’s economy has cooled but avoided recession, with inflation dropping toward 2% while the job market stays relatively strong. GDP growth is flat and high net immigration is tightening housing and rental markets. Shelter costs remain stubbornly high and housing affordability for young people is near a 40-year low. Solutions like increased housing supply and policy coordination are needed to ease market pressures.
The article highlights how the Edge Up upskilling initiative helped displaced oil and gas workers transition into in-demand tech careers by providing short-term digital training and career support. Employers like 360 Energy Liability Management have successfully hired program graduates, valuing their industry experience combined with new technical skills. The program, which trained several hundred workers, has also shown strong employer interest in hiring career transitioners and provides wrap-around support like interview prep and skills assessment to improve job outcomes
In the Greater Toronto Area’s real estate market, nearly all neighbourhoods saw homes sell below their asking price, signaling a buyer-friendly environment and weakening pricing power for sellers as market conditions soften. Buyers are gaining leverage with more inventory and less competition, shifting dynamics from the bidding wars seen in recent years
Canada is facing a cybersecurity talent crisis, with an estimated shortfall of about 25,000 workers in the sector. Experts and government officials say the gap stems from insufficient education and training pipelines and a lack of diversity in recruitment. They argue for increased investment in education and skills development, as well as expanded opportunities for under-represented groups, to build a stronger, more inclusive cybersecurity workforce.