Home » Diversity News
Looming Shortage of Skilled Workers in Canada’s IT Sector
Submitted by Olga Scherbina on June 7, 2011 – 9:23 pmNo Comment | 1,840 views
Recent study by the by the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), in partnership with the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC), cites the shortages of skilled workers and suggests a new job market for ICT that has radically changed. According to ICTC, Canadian employers will need to hire approximately 106,000 IT workers. Other report highlights are:
- There is a pervasive mismatch between the industry skill requirements and the available skill supply in the labour market. This mismatch affects all regions of the country;
- Information Systems Analysts and Consultants, the largest ICT occupation in Canada, will continue to drive the shortages with demand for this complex mix of skills being much greater than the available supply;
- Recent graduates with co-op or internships as part of their education will, for the most part, be able to obtain relevant employment. Those graduates without co-op or internships will experience prolonged frustration in finding a relevant job;
- The gender imbalance for ICT occupations (males make up approximately 75% of all ICT employees) limits the qualified pool of employees for industry recruitment. This compounds the skills shortage in Canada.
- Recently arrived internationally educated professionals (IEPs), who have no Canadian experience, will have considerable difficulty in securing an ICT job that is commensurate with their qualifications, unless their English or French language skills are strong.
Visit ICTC website for more information
Tags: immigrants, IT, sector, skills shortage, study
Loading ...