Our Home and Creative Land: Developing Canada's Creative Workforce for Tomorrow

Online, October 31, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Winnipeg (November 1, 2011) -

Canada's workforce needs to become more creative, argues the Action Canada Task Force on Creativity. A proposal currently being explored by the Task Force is the development of a training program for people who are currently employed by businesses and enterprises in Canada.

To further explore the idea, the Action Canada Task Force is enlisting some of North America's most prominent voices on the topic of creativity to discuss how a framework for a national training program to enhance creative skills can be developed and delivered for Canada's workforce.

The public dialogue session, hosted by Action Canada, will be moderated by Mary Lou Finlay, former host of CBC Radio's "As It Happens," and will feature Dave Angus, President and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce; Mary Corrigan, Founder of Tracking the Wisdom; Alan Freeman, an economist working for the Greater London Authority and currently a visiting fellow of the University of Manitoba; and Catherine Graham, author of four critically acclaimed poetry collections and Vice President of Project Bookmark Canada and Marketing Coordinator for the Rowers Pub Reading Series.

"The aim of the public dialogue session is to engage with leading industry-thinkers in the area of creative skills training in order to develop a framework for a national creative skills training program and to explore what challenges stand in the way of its development," says Louise Kent, a member of the Action Canada Task Force on Creativity. " Our view is that creativity is not the result of a genetic lottery but is a skill that can and should be trained."

The Action Canada Task Force on Creativity is undertaking a year-long research project examining the benefits of enhancing creativity in Canada's workforce and the measures needed to develop a comprehensive training program on creativity skills. The Task Force will use the findings of this public dialogue session along with other research to develop policy recommendations to be presented to the Canadian Federal and Provincial Governments.

The public forum is free, open to the public and will take place 11:00 am - 12:15 pm at the Convocation Hall, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue on November 4, 2011.

Tickets to this public forum are not required, but an RSVP is encouraged. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Action Canada Fellows and panel experts will be available for interviews before and after the event. Please contact Louise Kent at (416) 579-0026 or [email protected].

About Action Canada
Action Canada is the only Canadian fellowship that offers both senior leadership development and cross-country conferences to enhance an understanding of Canada and public policy choices for our future. Fellows are chosen from all sectors, including business, science, government, academia and the professions.

For further information, contact:
Louise Kent
Action Canada Fellow, 2011/12
[email protected]
(416) 579-0026