Drummond, Sinclair – Why is Health Human Resource Planning Not Happening?
From: Don Drummond and Duncan Sinclair To: Canada’s Ministers of Health Date: May 26, 2022 Re: Why is Health Human Resource Planning Not Happening? Many groups have recently awakened to the need to plan ahead to ensure the supply of qualified providers to meet the changing health and healthcare needs of Canada’s population. We need to embed the use […] David R. Johnson – What Education-Testing Chant Should We Choose in 2022?
From: David R. Johnson To: Ontarians Concerned About Education Date: May 18, 2022 Re: What Education-Testing Chant Should We Choose in 2022? Two chants are on offer: “Hey Ho, Hey Ho, the EQAO must GO!” “Hey Hey, Hey Hey, the EQAO must STAY!” These chants summarize opposing views in […] Bafale, Robson – Canadian Investment in Intellectual Property Products is Too Low
To: Canada’s Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland From: Mawakina Bafale and William B.P. Robson Date: May 9, 2022 Re: Canadian Investment in Intellectual Property Products is Too Low Minister, your 2022 federal budget rightly highlighted the importance of economic growth for Canadians’ future prosperity and the fiscal health of Canadian governments. Much of the budget’s […] Luc Godbout – Pourquoi pas 75 ans?
De: Luc Godbout À: Chrystia Freeland, Ministre des Finances Date: 14 février 2022 Sujet: Pourquoi pas 75 ans? Certains changements peuvent à la fois optimiser les mécanismes des régimes de retraite tout en contribuant également à l’incitation à la prolongation de carrière. C’est particulièrement le cas pour la détermination de l’âge à laquelle les régimes enregistrés d’accumulation de […] Luc Godbout – Why Not 75 Years Old?
From: Luc Godbout To: Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance Date: February 14. 2022 Subject: Why Not 75 Years Old? Some simple changes can both optimize the mechanics of pension plans while also encouraging people to extend their working careers. The first would be adjusting the threshold age at which registered capital accumulation plans – such […] Rosalie Wyonch – What Happened to Health Workers? Data on Labour Shortages, Wages and Vacancies
From: Rosalie Wyonch To: Canadians Concerned About Healthcare Date: January 21, 2022 Re: What Happened to Health Workers? Data on Labour Shortages, Wages and Vacancies Hospitals are cancelling surgeries, closing units or wards, and reports of nursing shortages abound. The situation appears dire, but it is unsurprising. Research, surveys and data showed health labour shortages before COVID-19. Throughout the […] S4 E1: The Effect of Online Learning on Student Performance with Emily Oster
Elementary school students educated primarily online during the pandemic are falling behind by as much as an entire letter grade, according to a study delivered by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Brown University Professor of Economics Emily Oster says it’s enough of an impact that policy makers need to consider student performance when making decisions on […] Halloran, Jack, Okun, Oster – The Effect of Online Learning on Student Performance: Evidence from US States
To: Canadian Ministers of Education From: Clare Halloran, Rebecca Jack, James C. Okun, and Emily Oster Re: The Effect of Online Learning on Student Performance: Evidence from US States Date: January 5, 2022 Students who spent a higher fraction of the COVID-19 pandemic receiving in-person instruction performed significantly better on standardized tests in the spring of 2021 than those […] Parisa Mahboubi on The Agenda – Time for a Four Day Work Week?
Most companies pivoted to remote work at the beginning of the pandemic. And many people either changed or quit jobs. In the wake of all that, the idea of the four-day work-week is coming to the fore. Can a long weekend, every week, be the answer to everything from workplace productivity to fighting climate change? To discuss this, The Agenda welcomed the C.D. Howe Institute’s Senior Policy Analyst Parisa Mahboubi; Andrew Barnes, author of The 4 Day Week: How the flexible work revolution can increase productivity, profitability and wellbeing, and help create a sustainable future; and the Rotman School of Management’s David Zweig.
Parisa Mahboubi – Canada’s Skills Development Challenges
From: Parisa Mahboubi To: Canada’s Ministers of Employment Date: November 16, 2021 Re: Canada’s Skills Development Challenges The job market is in constant flux. Automation, digital innovation, globalization and demographic trends are reshaping the market, causing structural changes and shifting the skill requirements for a productive workforce – and now COVID. COVID-19 related restrictions have resulted in high unemployment […] Mahboubi, Irawan – Embracing Population Aging: Staying Young Through Life-Long Learning
To: Canada’s Ministers of Employment From: Parisa Mahboubi and Ivannia Irawan Date: November 3, 2021 Re: Embracing Population Aging: Staying Young Through Life-Long Learning Population aging – accelerated by improvements in life expectancy not least – has been an unpleasant reality for policymakers around the world as working-age populations dwindle and the costs of healthcare […] Steer clear of EI for gig workers – Financial Post Op-Ed
It all seems so straightforward and evident: why not cover vulnerable “gig” workers, an often-marginalized group in the economy, who were hit so hard by the pandemic, under EI? In June, a parliamentary committee recommended that Employment and Social Development Canada conduct consultations on ways to provide self-employed persons, including those in the gig economy, with access to regular Employment Insurance benefits. ESDC has responded and formal consultations along these lines are forthcoming. They need to include a sober, detailed analysis of the problems involved.
The first item on the agenda ought to be a clear and agreed definition of gig work, which is critical to insuring potential income losses. A recent survey…