Overall the Panel found no evidence of a current imbalance between the
demand for and supply of STEM skills at the national labour market level. It
also found insufficient direct evidence on the exact nature and impact of STEM
skills on innovation and productivity growth. These findings suggest that the
source of Canada’s productivity problem is not a shortage of advanced STEM
skills. Short-term, localized imbalances may exist, but the Panel emphasized
the importance of focusing on long-term economic outcomes. Long-term
projections on the need for specialized skills are highly difficult to undertake,
especially considering rapid and inevitable changes in technology, economy,
and society. As a result, it was not possible to definitively determine the skills
and knowledge required for the jobs of the future