Canada Sells: Bridging Skill Gaps to Drive Canada’s Economic Growth

What if we told you the key to unlocking millions—if not billions—of tech GDP in every region across Canada is an out-of-the-box upskilling program that costs only $3,500 per worker? And what if we added that this impact could be replicated in any region across Canada, in multiple sectors? No, really. Hear us out.

We know Canadians build great products. No shortage there. But that’s only the beginning. Canada’s historic challenge happens when innovations run up against the chasm between the Early Adopter market–those who are eager to try new tech–and a larger majority market that seeks proven results and future stability, where they can unlock full revenue potential for their regions. More on that here.

Canadian companies need a workforce with specialized go-to-market skills if they’re going to cross that chasm and reach major markets across the world—competencies that traditional, localized sales roles often lack. And we’re at a crucial 12-24 month window for AI adoption to significantly boost Canada’s go-to-market potential. So how do we move forward?

That’s where Uvaro’s “Canada Sells” solution comes in. It’s a Canadian-born program designed to upskill Canada’s 700,000 sales reps across industries like real estate, automotive, financial services, and more. We equip them with specialized skills and tools so they can transition into advanced traded sectors that offer better personal compensation, all while making Canada’s critical emerging industries more competitive on the world stage. Here’s why it’s needed, how we’ve already proven stellar results, and how we plan to expand this program with the latest Skills Horizon Call from the Future Skills Centre (FSC).

The Challenge: Bridging the Regional Gap in Go-to-Market and AI Skills

Canada’s high-growth industries are picking up speed, but a lack of skills could slow them down. For decades, success in traditional sales roles meant building essential, transferable skills like relationship-building, customer engagement, and account management. But in today’s market, these skills aren’t enough. If workers and businesses are going to keep pace and grow with the demands of high-impact sectors like software and advanced technology on the world stage, they need more: digital skills, AI fluency, and pathways to better jobs.

Easier said than done, according to the Future Skills Centre. Canada’s workforce faces real structural barriers to digital advancement and opportunities for skill development, especially in digitally intensive sectors like advanced technology and software. Among the largest:

• Unequal access to digital infrastructure and skills training across Northern, Indigenous, and rural communities puts the workforce in these areas at a distinct and unfair disadvantage in Canada’s high-value sectors.
• A continued reliance on legacy technology, as outdated tech limits the workforce’s opportunities and ability to engage with modern digital tools and strategies that are essential for high-growth industries.

This gap is particularly critical as demand for digital skills rises: over the next decade, nine out of 10 jobs in Canada are projected to require digital competencies, yet only 54% of workers currently possess them.

Do nothing (or do the wrong things) and Canada risks leaving large swaths of its workforce unprepared for the skills required in traded industries and advanced sectors that drive economic growth, and in the traditional industries they come from as well. The result: Canada and the innovation it's known for get left behind.

Identifying and Training for Emerging Skills

Part of the battle is figuring out which emerging skills are primed for success—and then training for them. Uvaro tracks these needs on both technical and interpersonal levels, ensuring that our curriculum stays aligned with current demands.

Take AI, for example. Our job board analyzes over 10,000 sales job postings weekly, and what did we find? AI skills are rarely listed explicitly in sales roles. However, through our direct conversations with hiring managers, we’ve found that 9 out of 10 expect candidates to leverage AI for traditional responsibilities, even if they’re unsure how to specify these skills in job descriptions. With this insight, we’ve identified over 15 AI-focused competencies that drive go-to-market success, building curriculum around skills like Customer-Facing Prompt Engineering, AI-Assisted Prospect Research, and AI for Market and Competitor Analysis.

Since launching our Canada Sells solution through the Tech Sales Plus program in 2022, we’ve integrated emerging AI skills to keep the curriculum relevant and impactful. Members are going above and beyond to secure these skills—our first AI-Powered Productivity cohort filled to capacity even before launch, highlighting the strong demand within our community.

Imagine unleashing this kind of potential across every high-value traded industry–and imagine the power of using AI-enhanced skills to unlock and amplify traditional go-to-market competencies, opening new market opportunities and driving measurable business outcomes.

The Status Quo: Traditional Skills and the Gap to the Early Majority

Sure, traditional sales skills like relationship-building and customer engagement skills resonate with Early Adopters of technology, and even those in the Early Majority who are eager to embrace proven solutions. While these skills have served traditional industries well, today’s Early Majority expects more. They won’t settle for yesterday’s buzz. They’re tired of the status quo.

Reaching this market often means breaking out of Canada and entering true traded sectors by selling to the U.S., with an economy over 13 times larger than ours. Expanding into the U.S. offers Canadian companies a critical growth opportunity, transforming them into competitive players on the global stage.

Reskilling is key to this growth opportunity. Think of it like a car salesperson stepping into a go-to-market role at a software company. Their relationship skills may open doors, but without a strategic grasp of market dynamics and the skills needed to drive expansion, entering new markets and establishing credibility is going to be hard. Really hard.

Now imagine an entire workforce where this is true. This gap in digital fluency and strategic market insights doesn’t just hold back individual professionals; it prevents companies from scaling efficiently and seizing competitive advantages in high-growth sectors.

The good news? Upskilling doesn’t have to be an overwhelming expense. For as little as $3,500, a worker can acquire specialized go-to-market and AI-enabled skills that meet today’s market demands. And with revenue-generating roles, this investment can yield a rapid return. For context, the average annual quota for a SaaS Account Executive is $800K—meaning> that just one year of quota attainment or a single enterprise-level sale can easily cover program costs, returning value to the province through tax revenue from increased sales.

With AI competencies alone boosting productivity by 3-5% in go-to-market roles, this upskilling offers a significant return on investment, especially when applied to the high-volume business generated in these industries. To put it into perspective, a 3-5% productivity boost applied to Ontario’s $48.3 billion tech GDP could translate into $1.4 billion to $2.4 billion in added growth—and add more than $48 to $80 million to Atlantic Canada’s booming $1.6+ billion tech sector.

And that’s just one sector! By strategically investing just $3,500 per worker in targeted upskilling, companies…

• Empower their teams to connect with data-savvy, stability-focused clients—converting new business that traditional sales skills might miss
• Transform traditional sales talent into digitally fluent professionals equipped to drive growth in complex markets

These productivity gains not only enhance revenue but also strengthen Canada’s traded sectors, creating a workforce that supports sustainable, long-term economic growth.

Our Solution: The “Canada Sells” Program

Here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, our solution to this challenge!

Through the Future Skills Centre’s Skills Horizon Call, we are ready to expand our “Canada Sells” solution, delivering localized programming that develops the specialized go-to-market and AI skills businesses and individuals need. “Canada Sells” moves Canadian companies beyond initial traction. We help them reach the Early Majority market with the core go-to-market capabilities, AI expertise, and strategic market expansion skills they need to establish and maintain predictable, sustainable growth.

Our partnership with Digital Nova Scotia is just the tip of the skills solutions iceberg. The “Tech Sales Plus” program, built from our “Canada Sells” solution, has provided a proven, scalable model in Atlantic Canada for addressing Canada’s go-to-market challenges. The success of this program speaks for itself:

• 90% of program finishers met the funder’s advancement target
• 91% of participants were from underserved Atlantic communities
• $13K average salary increase within 12 months of completion
• $2 million in estimated additional annual income taxes from participants

We’ve proven the power of our approach. and we’re now scaling this solution nationally through new partnerships to help companies improve their competitiveness in high-stakes traded sectors.

It’s a quadruple win: for our funders, partners, and participants, “Canada Sells” is a lower-risk path to high-impact results. And expanding what works, we drive sustainable growth for Canada’s workforce and economy alike.

1: A ‘Dual Impact’ Focus For Businesses and Workers

“Canada Sells,” like many Uvaro solutions, brings businesses and workers together to create a higher-impact program ecosystem. Businesses gain the go-to-market insights they need to enter new markets and engage larger customer bases, while workers develop foundational and emerging skills like AI-driven customer insights. Our collaborative two-sided approach ensures both groups are prepared to meet market demands and foster regional growth.

Each regional deployment of “Canada Sells” aims to engage 50 businesses and 250+ learners—a strong foundation that represents the program’s scalable potential across Canada. Uvaro works with a roster of partners across Canada, such as The Career Foundation, YMCA Three Rivers, and PICS to ensure diverse and effective participation in any region hosting a program. We continually expand our network, adding partners tailored to each program’s regional needs. We’ve built our solution, and now national expansion is within our sights, with each deployment amplifying economic impact.

2: Strategic GTM Skills at the Core—Backed by a Catalog of AI and Career Resources

At the heart of “Canada Sells” are skills that drive productivity in roles and for businesses. Through a combination of live instruction and strategic resources, participants gain the essential competencies to navigate competitive markets effectively. Businesses, in turn, learn to leverage these advanced skills, embedding productivity gains into their operations for a lasting impact.

In addition, our open-access catalog is designed to support continuous learning. It offers go-to-market courses that focus on soft skills and durable skills, build on existing skills, and extend participants’ expertise in emerging digital skills, enabling them to adapt to evolving industry demands. This catalog reinforces our program’s commitment to developing adaptable, resilient workers who bring critical value to high-growth industries.

3: Work-Integrated Learning Brings Businesses and Learners Together

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is a cornerstone of “Canada Sells,” creating practical experiences that bring learning to life. Through short-cycle WIL projects, participants apply their new skills and gain hands-on expertise as they solve real business challenges, while businesses benefit from immediate, practical solutions that support their growth ambitions.

We’ve partnered with platforms like Riipen to facilitate these impactful WIL projects, ensuring that every learner and company involved in “Canada Sells” experiences measurable outcomes. This commitment to real-world impact not only reinforces individual learning but also strengthens the program’s regional economic impact.

A Proven Pathway to Regional Growth

Our “Tech Sales Plus” pilot with Digital Nova Scotia was just our first phase—a successful one that demonstrates the measurable impact of the “Canada Sells” solution in skills training across regions.

So what comes next? Uvaro is ready today to launch new programs through the latest Skills Horizon Call from Future Skills Centre, addressing immediate go-to-market needs for businesses in high-growth industries while building a stronger workforce and more competitive economy through AI competencies for long-term growth.

“Tech Sales Plus” has already delivered proven results, and expanding it allows us to scale our successes faster and more reliably than starting from scratch. With this strong foundation, we’re seeking partners to expand our model nationally, adapting to unique regional needs as we go.

The moment is now. Help us bring ‘Canada Sells’ to more regions. Whether through the Skills Development Fund or customized local solutions, our flexible support pillars make it easy to create impactful programs. Let’s work together to empower Canada’s workforce, one region at a time!