ReSkilling Retail Workers Survey

To date, there is very little research and evidence that focuses on retail workers, particularly the career progression of racialized and/or Indigenous youth in precarious retail roles. Beyond the skills needed to make a successful transition into the technology sector or other high-growth industries, we hope to learn about these workers’ existing skills and education to identify what competencies and abilities are most transferable. 

With the experience of Venture for Canada’s collaborators and the community, the project seeks to learn about how these supports can be integrated and implemented through reskilling training.

We would like to invite you to take part in a voluntary research study about the retail sector, career-based skills, and job transitions. This project is funded by the Future Skills Centre (FSC), a research center that has funded this program and others across Canada. FSC is funded by the Government of Canada. Our project is focused on supporting retail workers in jobs that are changing or being disrupted into similar jobs that are growing. You can learn more about the project here.

This project aims to learn about the skills needed to successfully make a career transition between the retail sector and the technology sector in Canada. 

What: Venture for Canada is conducting research about the retail sector, career-based skills, and job transitions for this project. We invite you to take part in this voluntary, anonymous survey that will inform the design of a training program that impacts retail workers, retailers, and start-ups.

Who: There are 3 different surveys. If one of the below descriptions looks like you, please complete the corresponding survey.

• Folks who work in retail or have worked in retail in the past 3 years (age 18 – 29)
• People, Operations, HR folks at tech companies and start-ups
• Retailers. HR, Recruitment, People, Operations folks at existing retail companies

Where: All surveys and more info can be found here.

Retail Workers 

This is a self-administered online survey made available to people working in retail roles in Canada to explore their work-related perceptions of skills and expectations around transitioning into jobs in other fields and/or sectors. There are sections relating to:

Participant demographic information (including age, gender, ethnicity, etc.) and work history

• Perceptions of work-related skills
• Considerations related to job transitions

The survey is designed and administered via Qualtrics and completed by a convenience sample of people ages 18 – 29 who identify as workers or recent workers in Canada’s retail industry.

Retailers and Tech/SMEs

This is a self-administered online survey made available to people working in HR and hiring roles both in the retail sector and in the tech, startup, and SME community in Canada to explore their thoughts on digital adoption, displacement rates due to Covid-19, work-related perceptions of skills and expectations around hiring. There are sections relating to:

• Organization size, location, service/product, etc.
• Perceptions of work-related skills and considerations related to hiring and recruiting

The survey is designed and administered via Qualtrics and completed by a convenience sample of people who identify as people working in HR and hiring roles both in the retail sector and in the tech, startup, and SME community in Canada.