Our Projects

Feasibility Study for Academic Inuktut Schools

Belongnomics partners with the Yellowhead Institute and The Collective for Inuit Self-Determination to carry out a feasibility study for academic Inuktut schools to create Inuktut education in Nunavut.

Community Transformation Project

Belongnomics partners with labourx and IRPP to assess the training needs of workers susceptible to displacement due to low-carbon transformation. The main focus of our contribution is to undertake a closer examination of the employment implications of climate change action in Canada and around the world, notably the transformation towards a net-zero economy, and the possible avenues to examining workers that could be affected by this transformation and measures needed to support them in taking up new opportunities.

Northern Economy Project

Belongnomics is contributing empirical research to a report on Canada’s Northern Economy led by the Yellowhead Institute. The project largely focuses on the socio-economic issues faced by the Indigenous population in Northern Canada.

The Socio-Economic Situation of the Inuit Population in Nunavut

In collaboration with Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI), we conduct in-depth socio-economic research to support and improve the situation of the Inuit population in Nunavut, Canada.

Reskilling Ontario

COVID-19 has fundamentally disrupted Ontario’s labour force and many people who lost their jobs might not be able to return to their former occupation. These last months have also shown that historically marginalized communities are the most likely to feel the full weight of COVID-19. This leaves people in these communities at risk of more permanent job loss, exacerbating the structural inequality that many were born into. In addition, longer-term trends such as automation, demographic shifts and globalization continue to change the nature of work.

In collaboration with ICTC, we are conducting a pilot project for Ontario, facilitating job transitions for those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, enabling them to identify alternative employment opportunities and opportunities for relevant upskilling and retraining.

As such, this project will see the development of:

1. An open access, scalable and competency-focused database of continuing education, micro-credentials and post-graduate training offered by
colleges and institutes across Ontario

2. An application that helps users identify the specific training they need to fill specific skills gaps.

3. An outreach campaign to professionals and stakeholders who can amplify the application and the database’s utility.

Access the full report here!

Understanding the Quality of Work of Canada’s Contingent Workforce

The increased influence of the platform economy has been impacting labour markets across OECD countries. The rise in gig work is one of these effects. Currently, it is difficult to estimate the specific size of Canada’s gig economy and there is also limited clarity on the specific reasons for conducting gig work. This project, conducted in collaboration with the Future Skills Centre and Ipsos, will shed more light on these questions. Specifically, the project is designed to document the current scale and composition of gig work in Canada, provide insights into the motivations for undertaking gig work, and to better understand the work conditions related to the various forms of gig work. The overall goal is to enable targeted policy solutions to better support gig workers in Canada.

The Future of Work in Management Accounting Professions

The adoption of digital technologies is changing the skills demand of management accounting occupations. In collaboration with the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) and Youngstown State University (YSU) we are conducting an in-depth assessment of the impact of technology adoption on management accounting occupations and prepare recommendations on how this is likely going to change the current curriculum to prepare individuals for the shift in skill requirements.

Green Recovery in Quebec’s Auto Sector

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on economies around the world. As we are heading into an economic recovery, one policy focus is on a ‘Green Recovery’ - a fundamental restructuring of critical sectors to help meet a country’s climate change goals. In collaboration with ICTC and Propulsion Quebec, we analyze and assess the environmental and labour force impacts of a greater shift to electric vehicles (EVs) in Quebec’s auto sector.

Emerging Occupations through Smart Cities

Smart cities, i.e. the deployment of digital and ICT-based innovation, have the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of urban services. In addition, they are also likely to create new jobs and change skill requirements. This project, led by ICTC, explores new occupations likely to emerge from smart city concepts and offers forecast on their expected employment growth over the medium term.

Data-driven Talent Attraction for Berlin’s ICT Sector

About 60,000 new people move to Berlin every year. At the same time, the city’s growing ICT sector faces difficulties in finding the right talent. In collaboration with Berlin Partners and MoBerries we develop a digital solution to better serve job seekers and employers and minimize labour market frictions and that sector.

Employment Transition Pathways

The COVID-19 pandemic has been disrupting a variety of industries and occupations. At the same time, automation and digitization are transforming labour markets and skill requirements. For many workers, the need for retraining, upskilling or career transitions will become a reality in the aftermath of the pandemic. In collaboration with MIT’s J-WEL, we are developing data-driven solutions to assist those most vulnerable to better navigate these disruptions.

Fostering a Vibrant Employment-based Pension Pillar in Ontario

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) recently nominated Matthias onto the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for the Employment-Based Vibrant Pension Pillar in Ontario. Together with other members on the TAC, Matthias will provide his expertise on the issues around the Future of Work to identify how to support the vibrancy of workplace pensions within Ontario’s regulatory framework.