Canada’s natural-resources sector in general, and oil and gas in particular, has counteracted the trend of job polarization by providing well-paying, mid-skilled jobs that have sustained Canada’s middle class in recent decades. What are the consequences of the demise of this sector? How might we envision environmental policy that considers the human and community costs and benefits of such work?

Join us on Wednesday, December 16, from 1-2:30pm EST for a roundtable discussion on Cardus’s recent paper “Fuelling Canada’s Middle Class: Job Polarization and the Natural Resource Sector.”

Sean Speer is currently Fellow in Residence and Prime Minister of Canada Fellow at the Public Policy Forum. He is also an assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He previously served as a senior economic adviser to former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Rachel Samson is the Research Director for Clean Growth at the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices. Rachel has worked at the intersection of environmental and economic policy for over 20 years, as an economist, policy advisor and manager at multiple federal departments and as a consultant for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and several Canadian think tanks. Rachel holds a master’s degree in economics from Queen’s University, with a specialization in environmental economics.

Janet Lane is a subject matter expert in literacy and essential skills development and in leading programs and organizations in the literacy field. As the demands on the workforce evolve, her work focuses on the need to understand and build the competencies required for new jobs and changing work environments. Her education, experience and proven track record for growing organizations contributes to her ability to connect human development with the skills and competencies that western Canadian industries need.

Wayne Prins began working for CLAC in 2003 after first joining the union as an operator working in the Northwest Territories. He currently serves as the Executive Director for CLAC.  CLAC represents nearly 60000 members across Canada working in a broad variety of sectors.  Wayne is passionate about advancing the rights and interests of workers within the context of vibrant, stable and safe work communities. Wayne completed a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies at The King’s University and an MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University.