By Arundati Dandapani
When we asked employers across North America which were a split between Canada (65%), USA (33%)—and those with global operations (2%) —what top skills they were hiring for in 2025, a clear pattern emerged: project management, strategic thinking, data analytics, and communications rose to the top. The most in-demand attributes were distinctly human—critical thinking, problem solving, communication, business development, sales, leadership, and decision-making—paired with digital and research software proficiency. Numeracy, while still important, slipped a few ranks from the previous year’s survey unsurprisingly with the advancing capabilities of technology and the computing tools at our disposal today.
These are not siloed capabilities—they reflect cross-functional, interdisciplinary demands that require an “outside-in” mindset. While 62% of employers indicated hiring intent (with more positive hope recorded from US employers surveyed than those in Canada), that figure still marks a drop of over 30 percentage points from the previous year! Notably, the most in-demand upskilling areas for international students and graduates were teamwork and project management, business development and sales, and—unsurprisingly—advanced analytics, including AI and machine learning. However, investment in external training programs declined from 47% last year to just 34% in 2025, while internal training now accounts for the majority at 54%. Alarmingly, 14% of employers reported offering no training at all—a figure that has risen by nearly 10 percentage points from last year’s survey.
Yet, what stood out even more was the gap between the demand and the real support systems available for immigrants entering the workforce. Only a third of employers surveyed have hired global talent. While 83% of employers said they believe in helping newcomers integrate, only a fraction have structured programs in place. Many still see language proficiency, cultural adjustment and credential recognition as the biggest barriers—signaling both opportunity and urgency for better pathways to more culturally competent workplaces.
Some employers cited cost, government responsibility, or meritocracy as reasons for not doing more—but even among the hesitant, there was a growing awareness that immigrant talent brings more than skills: it brings perspective, resilience, and global insight. In a rapidly evolving data-driven economy, those qualities are no longer “nice-to-haves”—they’re essential. The study also found that most organizations are still relying heavily on in-house training, with graduate certificates, master’s degrees, and PMP credentials leading the way in recognition—yet flexible, industry-relevant upskilling remains limited and uneven. As with past years, this year’s survey report is also available as a PDF – email arundati@generation1.ca.
These insights reaffirm why Generation1.ca’s Future Ready Innovators Credential matters more than ever. It bridges the gap between employer expectations and immigrant newcomer readiness—not just through tech, AI, and data literacy, but through holistic, human-centered support. The credential is anchored in six dimensions: professional development with purpose, personal well-being that drives performance, community ties that build belonging, critical thinking and EDI literacy that fuel advocacy, future-facing AI and tech skills, and life lessons no curriculum teaches. By listening to both employers and immigrant jobseekers, and embedding real-world complexity into each dimension, this credential is designed to close systemic gaps and uplift those in transition or career limbo as they build new lives and lead new futures.
The 2025 survey results didn’t just validate the vision—it delivered the roadmap. Now, we are turning intention into impact—one skill, one story, one future at a time. But we can’t do it alone. We need employers, sponsors, and partners like YOU who are ready to make a culturally significant impact—through critical thinking, leadership, and inclusive innovation. Join us at our August 7 in-person event, and again at our September 26 virtual career fair and case competition, and be part of designing the future, together.
More about this study has been featured in the Market Research Institute International.
