Canada faces ICT labour crunch

CTV.

All regions of the country will face systemic skills shortages, according to a report by Ottawa-based Information and Communications Technology Association (ICTC).

ICTC believes the job market is undergoing “a radical change in skill sets”.

The research firm says recent graduates of co-op programmes will generally find work. However, graduates of traditional ICT programmes and foreign-trained workers will have a much harder time finding work.

It is no longer enough to be a technical expert, says The Vancouver Sun. The industry now needs workers with multidisciplinary skills.

According to ICTC, across the country, shortages will be sharply felt in jobs requiring five or more years of experience, and most severely by employers looking for individuals with cutting-edge skills or with particular combined domain and ICT expertise.

ICT professionals are increasingly required to understand marketing, operations and HR management aspects. Employers are on the hunt for personnel who have specific combinations of ICT experience as well as expertise in domains such as e-health, e-finance and digital media.

Eric Gales, president of Microsoft's Canadian division, says the software giant has long been aware of the limited talent pool in Canada and has been actively working to expand its outreach, states Financial Post.

“There are not enough graduates entering our sector; that is a problem,” he said. “There are also not enough immigrants coming in with the right skills and there is going to be a battle for the skilled professionals in the marketplace.”