Shad Canada doesn’t believe our country has a talent problem—we have an activation problem. And nowhere is that clearer than in the disconnect between the untapped potential of our youth and the country’s worsening productivity crisis.

The economic warning lights are flashing red. According to the OECD’s latest Economic Survey released this week, Canada’s GDP growth is projected to slow to just 1.0% in 2025 and 1.1% in 2026. The average Canadian is now 30% less productive than their U.S. counterpart, with wages lagging by about 8% and investment returns significantly lower. Our economic growth per person hasn’t just stalled—it’s slid backward. And yet, we’re sitting on one of the most valuable assets in the global economy: a rising generation of creative, capable, and ambitious young people ready to lead.

What we need is a national wake-up call. The future of work is changing. Automation is already reshaping entry-level jobs. Half the workforce will require retraining by 2030. At the same time, Canada’s economy desperately needs new ideas, bold innovation, and greater investment in value-added industries like AI, clean energy, agriculture, and biotechnology.

This isn’t a story of doom—it’s a story of opportunity. But only if we stop asking whether young people are ready for the future, and start asking whether we’re ready to support them in shaping it…