The Canadian Health Care system is facing significant challenges that are evolving over time. In addition to the central issues of funding and delivery models, health care is confronting important human resource issues. Demographic trends combined with anticipated growth in demand for skilled health care professionals point to skill shortages as a serious issue to be faced by the health care system and the people it serves.

In this focus article, we take a closer look at a variety of human resource and skills issues as they pertain to the health care sector, and explore some of the possible solutions from the perspectives of health sector managers and labour leaders.