Canada’s technology sector is facing “alarming” skills and labour shortages in the next five years, according to the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC).
A new report shows that in most parts of Canada, demand for information, communications or technology workers will outstrip supply, and employers will have an especially tough time finding workers with five or more years of experience.
“Industry, government, education and associations must [make] a concentrated effort to respond to this looming skills and labour shortage,” said Paul Swinwood, president and CEO of the ICTC.
The news is not dissimilar from the mining sector, which a recent report found might need as many as 100,000 new workers by 2020 (see “Workforce planning” – issue 1103; December 14-20, 2010.)
In the tech sector, Canadian employers will need to hire some 106,000 workers in the next five years.
The ICTC’s latest report, completed in partnership with the Information Technology Association of Canada, found there is a “pervasive” mismatch between industry skill requirements and the availability of those skills in the labour market.
In order to address the labour shortage, the ICTC believes the country needs to increase enrolment in tech-related post-secondary programs, and employers need to be willing to invest in “nearly qualified” candidates and make professional development accessible.