Skills development

An engaged and skilled northern workforce is key to advancing economic development and building prosperous northern communities. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that Northerners benefit from and participate in the tremendous opportunities available across the three territories. CanNor plays a lead role, in collaboration with its partners and stakeholders to ensure that Northerners have the skills and training necessary to take part in the new economy.

CanNor invests in capacity and skills development through a variety of programs and services:

Inclusive Diversification and Economic Advancement in the North (IDEANorth) makes foundational investments in economic infrastructure, sector development and capacity building to help position Northerners in the territories to take advantage of Canada's innovation economy.

The Northern Adult Basic Education Program (NABEP), delivered through the northern colleges, assists adults in achieving sufficient levels of literacy, numeracy and other essential skills to obtain a job or benefit from occupational training. This program addresses the unique challenges faced by Northerners to ensure that they have improved access to training and are better positioned to participate in the labour market.

CanNor's Northern Indigenous Economic Opportunities Program (NIEOP) is intended to increase the participation of northern Indigenous communities and businesses in economic opportunities. In partnership with other federal departments, CanNor collaborates with territorial and Indigenous governments to support Indigenous skills development in the North.