Ottawa’s national strategy and new advisory council aim to expand responsible AI use. Canadian surveys show many workers still need better training and support.

THUNDER BAY — Canada is building a national strategy to turn artificial intelligence into stronger businesses, better public services and new jobs. But available research suggests Canadian workers are not consistently getting the training they need to use the technology effectively.

An Ipsos survey for TD found that 37 per cent of employed respondents agreed they had received adequate employer training on workplace AI. Statistics Canada found that 32 per cent of AI-using businesses reported training existing employees because of that use.

Those findings provide a workforce baseline as Ottawa advances AI for All and the Prime Minister’s National Council on Artificial Intelligence, announced on October 2, 2026.

New Council to Advise on Canada’s AI Transformation

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the council to provide independent, practical advice on the implementation and evolution of AI for All.

Its mandate includes accelerating adoption, supporting Canadian AI companies, strengthening Canadian-controlled AI infrastructure, improving safety and protecting democracy.

The announcement named Ajay Agrawal, Yoshua Bengio, Sanja Fidler, Gillian Hadfield, Jordan Jacobs, Eric Lamarre, Valérie Pisano, Senator Thomas Pitfield, Jody Thomas, Louis Vachon and Michelle Zatlyn.

Patrick Pichette was named an ex officio member. He is also the chief executive officer of Digital Transformation Canada.

A small team within the Privy Council Office will support the council. Responsible ministers and departments retain accountability for policy decisions and implementation.

“Prosperity and sovereignty in the age of AI belong to nations that can build, adopt, and govern AI on their own terms,” Carney said in the October 2 announcement.

AI for All Sets Growth, Employment and Adoption Targets

Launched on June 4, 2026, AI for All is organized around three objectives:

• Building trust: Improving safety, transparency and protections for Canadians.
• Expanding opportunity: Helping workers gain skills, businesses adopt AI and Canadian companies grow.
• Strengthening sovereignty: Increasing Canadian control over critical computing capacity, infrastructure, data and talent.

The federal government has announced these targets:

These are government targets, not measured outcomes or guaranteed forecasts. Jobs and work placements are different measures and should not be treated as interchangeable employment counts.

The strategy calls for entry-level AI learning, sector-relevant training and upskilling for mid-career professionals and frontline workers. It specifically includes employer-led training on skills enhanced by AI.

Federal Service Modernization Is Part of the Plan

On September 3, 2026, Carney announced Digital Transformation Canada, a federal organization intended to improve how government develops, purchases and uses technology.

Its priorities include giving public servants modern, secure tools, reducing administrative work and using federal purchasing power to help Canadian digital and AI companies test and commercialize products.

The announcement also described short-term private-sector fellowships focused on transferring expertise into the public service.

These initiatives address technology and institutional capacity. Their effectiveness will also depend on the skills of the people using the systems.

AI Use Is Growing, but Employer Training Varies

Statistics Canada’s second-quarter 2026 survey found that 19.2 per cent of businesses used AI to produce goods or deliver services during the preceding 12 months, up from 12.2 per cent a year earlier.

The strategy’s roughly 12 per cent adoption baseline refers to an earlier period; it should not be confused with the newer 2026 survey result.

Among AI-using businesses, reported training differed substantially by employer size:

These percentages measure businesses reporting training, not the share of Canadian workers trained. They also do not establish whether every employee received useful instruction.

Statistics Canada’s separate March 2026 worker survey found that 35.9 per cent of workers aged 15 to 69 used generative AI in their main job or business during the previous year. Among users, 63.5 per cent applied it to some, but not most, tasks.

That supports the picture of AI being incorporated into parts of a job. Generative AI produces content such as text, images and code; broader AI surveys may measure additional technologies.

Workers See Benefits and Want Better Support

The 2026 TD AI Insights survey, conducted by Ipsos in February and published in July, found that 59 per cent of employed respondents agreed AI was making them more productive.

However, only 37 per cent agreed they had received adequate employer training.

Those are employee assessments, not independent measurements of output or accuracy. The online survey involved 2,501 Canadian adults, with an unweighted employed sample of 983 respondents in its workplace tables.

Earlier KPMG research reinforces the demand for support. Its August 2025 survey of 2,239 Canadian employees found that:

• 83 per cent wanted or needed to learn how to use generative AI more effectively; and
• 48 per cent said their employer had provided the training and guidance needed to improve productivity in their role.

These surveys largely pre-date the council announcement. They identify training needs; they do not evaluate the council’s impact.

Training Needs to Fit the Work

AI literacy includes knowing which tasks suit a tool, how to give useful instructions and how to judge the result.

Statistics Canada found that 56 per cent of workers who had not used generative AI said it was not applicable to their work. Useful training begins with identifying relevant tasks.

Practical implications — NetNewsLedger analysis: Employers can connect introductory courses to workplace practice by providing:

• Clear rules: Identify approved tools, permitted uses and review responsibilities.
• Relevant examples: Practise with tasks drawn from employees’ actual roles.
• Accuracy checks: Verify names, numbers, calculations and sources.
• Information protection: Explain what data can be entered into each system.
• Time and coaching: Provide opportunities to learn and get help during the workday.
• Performance measures: Track quality, time saved and corrections required.

Federal generative AI guidance recommends employee training, secure tools and oversight. Although written for federal institutions, it offers useful principles for employers designing their own approach.

Thunder Bay Workers Have Local and National Learning Options

Confederation College lists “Supercharge your Business with AI,” a five-hour online micro-credential for business leaders, managers and employees.

The course covers capabilities, business applications, limitations and human oversight. Its listing showed registration open with continuous intake when checked for this article.

Ottawa also launched the National AI Literacy Initiative, delivered with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, or Amii, on September 9, 2026.

Participating post-secondary institutions can offer a free three-hour foundational student course. The federal announcement directs workers and job seekers to short-duration AI training through Job Bank’s Training Finder.

The broader AI for All: Essentials for Canadians course currently offers a public preview. Its website says selected community organizations will receive early course access in December 2026.

What This Means for Northwestern Ontario Employers

The national evidence does not establish a Thunder Bay or Northwestern Ontario training rate.

Regional implications — NetNewsLedger analysis: Employers can begin by asking staff which AI tools they already use, what they need help with and which tasks take the most time.

An initial pilot could involve routine correspondence or summaries of non-confidential information. Experienced staff can help assess whether the results fit the work and identify errors.

For workers and employers, the practical test of Canada’s AI strategy will include whether learning opportunities reach workplaces, whether staff have time to use them and whether the resulting work becomes more accurate and efficient.