About the Project

The Productivity Project is a national research and policy initiative focused on Canada’s productivity challenge and the role of human capital in long-term prosperity.

The Project examines how Canada can better develop, recognize, mobilize, and renew the capabilities people need as work, technology, and economic conditions change. Its work connects questions of productivity, learning, workforce adaptation, skills development, recognition systems, and opportunity.

Launched in 2024, the Project builds on more than a decade of research, policy development, and cross-sector collaboration involving postsecondary institutions, employers, community partners, researchers, and policy leaders.

The initiative is supported by a growing network of partners, including the Alberta Centre for Labour Market Research, Mount Royal University, the LearningCITY Collective, the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, and Canada’s Productivity Initiative, led by the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy.

Since its launch, The Productivity Project has published policy reports and briefs across multiple research series, translating evidence into practical insights for policymakers, employers, education leaders, researchers, and community partners.

Its central argument is simple: productivity is not only about capital investment, technology, or business conditions. It is also about people — and whether Canada has the systems needed to turn human capability into economic and social value.