The key to closing Canada's skills gap in the future lies in young people and according to a recent Randstad study, it seems that young Canadians are getting the message. There is a wealth of opportunity for career building within the various skilled trade sectors across the country, and people are taking notice.

When I read my daughter's article about her "Cheap Week" it warmed my heart that she is as cheap as I was. It brought back memories of my own youthful financial desperation. It's good to know that she's inherited the family cheap streak. I, too, had to be cheap, so why did I get concerned when I realized my daughter was tippy toeing around the poverty line?

Millennials are reaching the age when they should be achieving financial autonomy and independence, but unfortunately many aren't. Why are millennials having so much difficulty landing a job and living independently? According to a survey, this generation says its biggest obstacle to financial success is the lack of earning power and unemployment, followed by a lack of budgeting, planning and saving.

A gap year is when high school graduates take time off to work, travel or volunteer before they go to college or university. Gap years are common in other parts of the world like the U.K. or Australia, where they are treated like a rite of passage. They've only recently picked up steam in Canada.

There are many analogies being used these days to explain good leadership, ranging from the alpine guide leading a group of roped climbers to the summit, to the skipper sailing a regatta with the crew. One of my all time favourites though is the analogy of the maestro conducting an orchestra.