FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto: BMO Field Workforce Development Plan
- Location
- Toronto, Canada
- Client
- Arena Group
- Expertise
- Social Value & Impact Strategy
- Completion
- 2026
Translating social value commitments into local employment, skills development, inclusive procurement and community opportunities, helping ensure the investment creates lasting benefits beyond the tournament.
In preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto at BMO Field, Arena Group engaged Human Space, our global inclusive design and advisory practice, as Workforce Development Liaison to help deliver a Workforce Development Plan focused on creating lasting social and economic benefits for Toronto.
Embedded within the project team, Human Space helped translate community benefit commitments into actionable initiatives supporting equitable employment, skills development, supplier diversity, local procurement and community engagement.
The team coordinated with Arena Group, the City of Toronto, subcontractors, unions, educational institutions and workforce agencies, while tracking and validating performance against defined targets and providing structured reporting to the City. Initiatives included apprenticeships, internships, job shadowing, workplace tours, DEI and sustainability training, supplier outreach, industry panels and volunteering.
By Summer 2026, the program had delivered measurable outcomes across workforce participation, training, procurement and community engagement. These included 46,944 apprentice and journey-person labour hours, 18,371 labour hours completed by members of equity-deserving communities, 68% local procurement, approximately $4.88 million in diverse supplier spend, and 70% representation from equity-deserving communities within Arena’s Toronto project management team.
The program helped ensure the investment associated with FIFA World Cup 2026 Toronto created meaningful opportunities extending beyond the tournament itself.