As Canadian and American negotiators work against the clock to avert new 50% tariffs on approximately $20 billion in Canadian goods, much of the attention is understandably focused on markets, supply chains, and negotiating leverage. The tariffs are scheduled to take effect August 19 unless an agreement or postponement is reached. But this moment raises a deeper question: How prepared are Canadians to navigate the economic changes that will follow, whatever the negotiators decide? Tariffs can change markets overnight. They can disrupt industries, delay investment, threaten jobs, and force businesses to find new suppliers and customers. Governments can negotiate agreements and provide temporary relief. But Canada’s long-term resilience will depend on something more fundamental: the capacity of our people to adapt, learn, move between opportunities, and contribute in new ways. That is one of the central messages of the book I am currently writing, The Missing Bridge. Career development is not simply a service for people choosing courses or looking for jobs. It is economic infrastructure. It helps: workers recognize how their capabilities can transfer to new roles employers find and develop the talent they need communities respond when industries contract or expand young people prepare for a labour market shaped by uncertainty Canadians see opportunities beyond familiar occupations, sectors, and borders Canada cannot control every decision made in Washington. But we can control how well we prepare our people. Roads move goods. Ports connect markets. Energy corridors power industries. Career development mobilizes the people on whom all of them depend. Whatever happens at the negotiating table, Canada’s strongest long-term response will be to invest in its greatest natural resource: the imagination, character, capabilities, and potential of its people. That is how we build a more adaptable economy, and a stronger nation. AI Acknowledgement: This post was conceived and written by me with creative and editorial assistance from my partner, ChatGPT.