A majority of professionals in Canada feel that they have been handed artificial intelligence tools to utilize in their workplace without sufficient training, a new survey finds.
As skill gaps persist across the country, newly released data from recruitment firm Express Employment Professionals and The Harris Poll shows that 79% of Canadian job seekers expect companies to formally train them on how to use AI, rather than self-learning (which is rising in popularity).
Hiring managers agree, with 77% saying formal AI training should be a company priority.
However, only 29% of companies provide a list of approved or preferred AI tools, and a “lack of clarity leaves many employees navigating powerful technology largely on their own.”
More than 60% of Canadian companies now use AI, according to the report, up from 54% in 2025 and 52% in 2024.
The result is that while AI is everywhere, training has fallen behind, observes Bob Funk Jr., who serves Express Employment International as chief executive officer.
“What this data shows is that companies have focused on getting the technology in place, but not enough on helping people use it effectively,” he says.
Part of the problem is that “AI adoption is moving faster than most organizational change ever has.”
But solving it matters because “training is what determines whether AI becomes a source of real productivity or just another tool employees are left to navigate on their own,” Funk says.
When asked how companies should prepare future talent as AI expands, hiring managers pointed to on-the-job training focused on working alongside AI (38%); dedicated training for skills AI can’t replace (38%); and apprenticeship and internship programs that include AI training (24%).
“Technology will continue to transform how we work, but human expertise and creativity remain irreplaceable,” Funk remarked in January.
