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Education Not Preparing Children for Future Careers, New Report Reveals

Business Wire

New data on education paths, the impact of AI and the road to a successful career over the next two decades.

TORONTO, August 18, 2026--AI is reshaping the job market faster than most parents can plan for. A new survey by Embark, Canada's digital education savings and planning company, in partnership with Angus Reid, reveals that only 20% of Canadians think children are being properly prepared for the jobs that will exist in 2050.

The Future Education & Career Paths Report reveals where Canadians stand on education today, how AI is reshaping the way people plan and save for the future, and what that means for the careers and skills Canadians will need in the next 25 years.

"At Embark, we help families plan for a future that's harder to predict than ever," said Andrew Lo, CEO at Embark. "This data shows Canadians are already rethinking the path. More parents than ever see trades and apprenticeships as a smart, viable route to a great career, right alongside university. We're focused on making sure families can save for whichever path their child chooses, without having to bet everything on one outcome."

What's the best education path to a successful career by 2050?

For decades, a university degree has been treated as the safest route to a stable career. Canadians no longer see it that way.

More Canadians now point to trade schools and apprenticeships, not university, as the best way to prepare a child for a successful career in 2050.

  • 50% point to a trades path (trade school or apprenticeship) as the best way to prepare a child for a successful career in 2050

  • 37% point to a university path (undergraduate or graduate/professional degree) as the best path

  • Support for trades peaks in British Columbia (55%) and among Gen X (48%), while falling sharply among Gen Z (22%)

Are children prepared for the careers of the future?

Canadians agree the job market is about to look completely different. However, they don't agree that children are ready for it.

The gap between how much change Canadians expect and how prepared they think children are is the widest finding in the survey.

  • 86% agree the skills employers value will change significantly over the next 25 years

  • Yet only 20% agree children are being prepared for the careers of 2050, while 57% actively disagree

  • 80% agree Canadians will need to invest more in education and training throughout their careers, not just once at the start

Will AI make postsecondary education more affordable?

Rather than easing the cost of school, AI is being priced in as one more reason it's about to get more expensive.

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