Communications of the ACM
Tech Sector Faces 'Serious and Pervasive' Skills Shortage
Canadian companies will need to hire about 106,000 new information and communications technology (ICT) employees over the next five years, but there likely will not be enough qualified applicants to fill those positions, according to an Informational Communications Technology Council report.
"Given the important role played by the ICT sector in Canada's economy — as a generator of economic activity in its own right and as an enabler of connectivity and competitiveness in virtually every other industry — we cannot afford to lose ground due to a lack of necessary human resources," the report says. The report recommends encouraging more post-secondary students to take ICT-related courses, integrating foreign-educated workers into Canada's ICT workforce, shifting post-secondary curriculum toward more cross-disciplinary programs, getting the industry to accept compromises on skill levels, and embracing more diversity in the ICT workforce.
The report also says that employers should provide training opportunities in the form of internships and job-shadowing programs, in addition to providing current employees with chances to learn ICT skills.
From Postmedia News
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