India–Canada Skills Talks Put Fair Recruitment and Worker Rights on the Agenda

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC) facilitated the engagement, bringing Canadian education representatives into discussions with Indian industry stakeholders.

Connecting skills training with employers' needs and fair recruitment was a central message of the International Labour Organization's participation in the Team Canada Trade Mission to India in October 2026. The engagement examined how international skills partnerships could create opportunities for workers and help businesses find the expertise they need. Worker protection and decent work formed an essential part of discussions about preparing people for employment across borders.

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC) facilitated the engagement, bringing Canadian education representatives into discussions with Indian industry stakeholders. The ILO participated through its project, Promoting Safe Employment Pathways and Fair Recruitment Practices, known as PSP. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) funds the project, which focuses on safe employment pathways and fair recruitment.

CICan representatives met Indian industry stakeholders at roundtables in Mumbai on 13 October and Bengaluru on 15 October 2026. Discussions examined gaps in workforce skills and opportunities for Canadian colleges and institutes to collaborate with Indian companies. Participants considered how closer relationships between education providers and employers could make training more responsive to workplace requirements.

Matching training with changing industry needs

Technical and vocational education and training featured prominently in discussions about preparing workers for changing labour markets. Participants explored industry-led training and micro-credentials, alongside health workforce development, digital and artificial intelligence skills, and Industry 4.0. Applied research and innovation between colleges and industry offered another area for cooperation, connecting educational expertise with practical business needs.

Connecting skills recognition with fair recruitment

The ILO used the engagement to highlight the links between skills development, recognition of qualifications, workforce mobility and responsible recruitment. Its PSP project provided a framework for examining how skills partnerships could support greater transparency and stronger protection throughout recruitment. These connections matter because access to relevant training needs to be supported by clear information and recruitment practices that help workers make informed decisions about employment opportunities.

Keeping workers' rights central to mobility

Cooperation between educational institutions and employers can help close gaps between the training people receive and the skills required at work. The engagement stressed that decent work and workers' rights should remain central to these partnerships, including those supporting employment across borders. Addressing talent shortages formed one part of a broader discussion about building fairer, more sustainable approaches to international workforce mobility.