Youth Skills & Readiness in Atlantic Canada
The W4S Lab (Workforce for Skills) is a research and knowledge hub examining how well Atlantic Canada’s youth are prepared for the modern economy.
Led by Dr. Lucia Tramonte, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of New Brunswick, the lab translates PISA 2022 data into clear, accessible insights for educators, policymakers, workforce leaders, and communities.
At a time when skills gaps are widening—and regional competitiveness is at stake—the W4S Lab ensures that high-quality, student-led research informs real-world decisions about education, workforce development, and innovation.
This is evidence, made usable.
This work is supported by the Pond-Deshpande Centre at the University of New Brunswick, which provides infrastructure and knowledge-mobilization support to help ensure that student-led, applied research reaches decision-makers across the region.
Why This Work Matters
Recent analysis of PISA 2022 public-use data reveals persistent and troubling trends across Atlantic Canada:
- New Brunswick has the lowest reading performance in Canada
- Nearly one-third of students perform below minimum international proficiency standards
- Urban–rural skill gaps are wider here than elsewhere in the country
- Atlantic Canada has a disproportionately high share of students at the lowest performance levels
These gaps shape young people’s pathways into post-secondary education, work, and long-term economic participation—and they have implications for the region’s future prosperity.
What the W4S Lab Provides
- Research reports and visual summaries grounded in PISA data
- Clear analysis of literacy, numeracy, and readiness gaps
- Student-led research and applied insights
- Commentary connecting youth skills to workforce development and innovation
- A platform for ongoing dialogue across research, policy, and practice
About the Lead Researcher
Dr. Lucia Tramonte is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of New Brunswick. Her research focuses on education, inequality, youth transitions, and the social dimensions of skills and readiness, drawing on large-scale international datasets to understand how systems shape life chances.
The W4S Lab reflects her commitment to ensuring that rigorous research supports better decisions for young people and communities across Atlantic Canada.
- Read the Atlantic Canada PISA Report
- Explore the Data & Visual Insights
- Read the Blog Series
- Meet the Research Team
- Reach out for more info on Youth Skills & Readiness
What Comes Next: Using Skills Data to Inform Better Decisions
How research like this can support smarter policy, workforce planning, and investment in youth potential.
Why Youth Skills Matter for Innovation and Regional Competitiveness
Connecting literacy and numeracy to innovation capacity, entrepreneurship, and economic resilience.
What Atlantic Canada Can Learn from Higher-Performing Jurisdictions
Comparing regional outcomes to national and international peers to surface lessons and questions.
Skills, Inequality, and Opportunity: A Sociological View of PISA Results
How structural factors—not individual effort alone—shape educational outcomes.
From Classroom to Career: What Youth Skills Data Tell Us About Workforce Readiness
Linking foundational skills to post-secondary transitions, employment pathways, and productivity.
Who Is Most at Risk? Patterns of Low Performance in Reading and Mathematics
Examining which groups of students are overrepresented at the lowest performance levels, and why.
The Geography of Skills: Understanding Urban–Rural Gaps in Atlantic Canada
How place shapes opportunity—and why rural skill gaps are wider here than elsewhere in Canada.
Why New Brunswick’s Reading Results Should Concern All of Atlantic Canada
A closer look at reading performance and its connection to long-term learning and labour-market outcomes.
Below the Benchmark: What It Means When One-Third of Students Don’t Meet Minimum Proficiency
Exploring the implications of students performing below Level 2—and why this matters for future education and work.
What PISA Really Tells Us About Youth Skills in Atlantic Canada
An overview of PISA 2022 and why it matters for understanding literacy, numeracy, and readiness in the region.
© 2026 – Pond-Deshpande Centre at the University of New Brunswick