ReTooling the Future: Navigating Workforce Gaps, Global Shocks, and the Smart Tech Revolution

The manufacturing and tooling sectors are standing at a crucial inflection point. With a growing shortage of skilled workers, a delayed resurgence in skilled trades education, and an aging workforce heading into retirement, the talent crisis is intensifying. At the same time, automation and AI hold great promise—but come with real-world challenges in process stability, cost, and integration.

Canadian manufacturers face a crossroads—between disruption and opportunity. This forward-looking panel brings together industry leaders to share practical strategies for tackling today’s biggest challenges: closing the skilled trades gap, automating with intention, investing in new capabilities for diversification, and navigating geopolitical and financial volatility.

Walk away with actionable insights to drive growth, resilience, and long-term competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global market.

Takeaways:

1. Bridging the Skilled Trades Gap Before It Widens Further - Explore how manufacturers can lead the charge in rebuilding Canada's skilled workforce—through early education outreach, industry-led training programs, and succession strategies that capture knowledge before it’s lost.

2. Automate with Purpose: Balancing Innovation and Execution - Learn how to adopt automation and AI strategically—not just to stay competitive, but to optimize efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, and empower your workforce with next-gen tools and processes.

3. Diversifying for Growth: Investing in New Processes, Technologies & Capabilities - Explore how Canadian manufacturers can future-proof and expand their business by investing in modern machine technologies, advanced tooling, and intelligent controls. Spotlight on growing industrial sectors, and the evolving production demands they bring—helping manufacturers identify the right processes and equipment to enter new markets, improve operational agility, and reduce over-reliance on global supply chains.

4. Thriving in Turbulence: Turning Geopolitical and Financial Risk into Competitive Advantage - Gain insights into how manufacturers can navigate shifting tariffs, trade policies, and political uncertainty—while also managing financial risks such as rising capital costs and currency volatility. Discover how to uncover new market opportunities, make resilient investment decisions, and position Canadian manufacturing as a stable, high-quality partner in an unpredictable global landscape.