Study Shows Vast Skills, Labour Shortages Looming for Canada’s Tech Sector

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20 April 2011

March 29, 2011
Canada’s ICT sector, representing the country’s information, communications and technology employment base, is facing alarming skills and labour shortages in the next five years. Today’s release of Outlook for Human Resources in the ICT Labour Market, 2011-2016 by the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) , in partnership with the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) , underscores the shortages, and paints a picture of a new job market for ICT that has radically changed. ICTC also reported that all stakeholders in the sector—industry and education, the associations that represent them, and government—recognize the looming shortages and are poised to act.

The new report underscores that in most regions in Canada and for most ICT occupations, demand will far exceed supply.  Employers will encounter systemic shortages when recruiting for ICT jobs that require five or more years’ experience. The severity of these shortages will increase when employers are seeking to recruit ICT people with leading edge skills such as marketing, accounting and finance competencies.

The results also show a new job market for ICT, one that has radically changed. Industry now needs workers with the leading edge package of skills, for example systems analysis and design combined with marketing, operations management and HR management, or people with particular combinations of domain experience (such as e-health, e-finance and digital media) together with ICT expertise.

Over the next five years, Canadian employers will need to hire an estimated 106,000 ICT workers.

“The potential skills and labour shortage crisis has been identified as one of the most defining issues facing the ICT sector in Canada today, said Bernard Courtois, President and CEO of ITAC. Global job mobility, technological change, demographics, declining enrolments, and shifting investment patterns have combined to create a pending shortfall among skilled ICT workers. “ITAC and other sector stakeholders asked ICTC to help us understand the reasons for these trends and offer regional and occupational forecast,” said Courtois, “and we are now armed with this fresh survey information and ground-breaking analysis by leading Canadian experts to assess current and forecasted trends, and to recommend and implement corrective actions.”

http://www.ictc-ctic.ca

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No way around labour shortage

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Oilpatch companies already struggling to meet their labour needs have received an ominous warning from the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada: they ain’t seen nothing yet.

The council is projecting that the domestic petroleum industry could require as many as 130,000 additional workers by 2020, including 102,000 in Alberta. Even under its most pessimistic of forecasts — with low oil and gas prices and very little capital investment — the council anticipates that another 39,000 workers will be needed, with 33,000 of these Alberta-based.
These conclusions are contained in a Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada report entitled The Decade Ahead: Labour Market Projections and Analysis for Canada’s Oil and Gas Industry to 2020.
“There’s no way around it, Canada’s petroleum industry will struggle to find the workers it needs over the next 10 years,” said Cheryl Knight, the council’s executive director and CEO, in a release.
“Not only will we need to replace thousands of our most skilled and experienced workers, but (we’ll need to) prepare for future growth as well.”
Workers leaving the industry will account for much of the job growth, said the report, with age-related attrition expected to open up 45,800 to 54,000 positions.
Bruce Thiessen, CEO of High Arctic Energy Services Inc., told the Advocate last month that manpower was his Red Deer-based company’s biggest challenge.
“We’ve got equipment sitting at the fence right now that I could have utilized throughout this year, but just couldn’t get to because of the people situation.”
And earlier this year, Essential Energy Services Ltd. CEO Garnet Amundson said labour constraints were holding his company to an equipment utilization rate of about 65 per cent.
“Our industry, with the types of services we provide, should be able to operate up to about an 85 per cent utilization. So there’s about a 20 per cent utilization gap that we would like to fill, but can’t find enough good people.”
Charles Strachey, regional communications manager for Alberta Employment and Immigration, said energy companies are becoming more aggressive in their hunt for workers. One third of the employers booked for an April 6 job fair at his department’s Red Deer office are from that sector.
The Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada report said that approximately 171,000 people worked in the petroleum sector in 2009. Services accounted for more than 80,000 of these, with exploration and production employing 66,000, and the oilsands another 12,000. Workers in the pipeline and offshore sectors made up the balance.
The council’s report anticipates that available jobs in the services sector will increase by between 18,100 and 72,000 by 2020, with exploration and production needs jumping between 7,400 and 36,700, and oilsands positions between 9,000 and 14,900.
The need will be greatest in Alberta, said the report, which ironically could deter prospective workers from moving here.
“History has shown that significant growth in industry activity and resulting labour demand drives up inflation and the cost of living, which in turn can be a deterrent to attracting workers.”
Workers of all types will be needed, said the report, but some vocations will be in greater demand than others. These include oil and gas drilling and services field workers and supervisors; heavy-duty equipment mechanics, industrial electricians, instrumentation technicians and millwrights and machinists; engineers; steam-ticketed operators; geologists and geophysicists; production accountants; drilling co-ordinators and production managers; and landmen and purchasing agents.
The report recommends a number of measures be minimize the impact of the labour crunch. These include the industry communicating its labour needs to government and post-secondary and training institutions; sourcing workers from diverse labour pools; increasing the emphasis on employee retention and training; seeking innovation and technological advancement; and collaborating within the industry.
“Labour supply to ensure sustainable expansion of Canada’s petroleum industry will take diversification, development and collaboration.”
hrichards@reddeeradvocate.com

 

 

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Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management - NOC 1122

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Professionals who provide business services to management are on the list of 29 eligible occupations under the Federal Skilled Worker program.

To find out if you qualify for a Canadian immigration (permanent resident) visa please fill out our free eligibility assessment.

This group includes those who provide services to management such as analyzing the operations, managerial methods or functions of an organization in order to propose, plan and implement improvements, or analyzing advertising needs and developing appropriate advertising plans. They are employed by management consulting firms, advertising agencies and throughout the public and private sectors or are self-employed.

(Description from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada's National Occupation Classification, used by Canadian immigration officers, to assess an applicant's work experience.)

Management consultants perform some or all of the following duties:

• Analyze and provide advice on the managerial methods and organization of a public or private sector establishment
• Conduct research to determine efficiency and effectiveness of managerial policies and programs
• Conduct assessments and propose improvements to methods, systems and procedures in areas such as operations, human resources, records management and communications
• Conduct quality audits and develop quality management and quality assurance standards for ISO (International Organization for Standardization) registration
• Plan the reorganization of the operations of an establishment
• May supervise contracted researchers or clerical staff.

Advertising and promotion consultants perform some or all of the following duties:

• Assess characteristics of products or services to be promoted and advise on the advertising needs of an establishment
• Advise clients on advertising or sales promotion strategies
• Develop and implement advertising campaigns appropriate for print or electronic media.

Why your employment prospects in Canada are excellent:

• This group includes those who provide services to management such as analyzing the operations, managerial methods or functions of an organization in order to propose, plan and implement improvements, or analyzing advertising needs and developing appropriate advertising plans.
• They are employed by management consulting firms, advertising agencies and throughout the public and private sectors or are self-employed.
• The growing trend toward globalization and the evolving technical revolution have forced many companies to hire professionals in these fields in order to stay competitive with changing business practices.
• This occupation is only regulated in Alberta.

Some areas of Canada where your occupation is in demand:

While there is a shortage of Professionals in Occupations in Business Services to Management across Canada, the following cities and provinces listed below have a particularly high demand for this occupation.

British Columbia

• Employment prospects are considered to be good throughout the province.
• While projected new jobs between 2010 and 2015 is predicted at 1,790 and job vacancies due to retirements during the same period is estimated at 2,470.

Manitoba

• Employment prospects are expected to be good in the 2010-2014 period.
• Most employment opportunities will arise as a result of turnover (especially retirements later in the forecast period), and the mobility between companies.
• Jobs in this occupational group are available across the Province, although approximately 77% are located in Winnipeg.

New Brunswick
Fredericton, Woodstock, Grand Falls, Edmundston, New Brunswick:

• Employment prospects are good in these local areas.
• A large government presence, and a number of national, regional, and local firms create considerable consulting opportunities.
• Subcontracting services, such as advertising, is becoming increasingly popular and will be creating more opportunities for advertising account executives and promotion specialists.
• The majority of job opportunities in this occupation will be a result of attrition.
• For consultants, those individuals who have experience or knowledge of new management theories and practices, and those skilled in computerized management tools may have an advantage over others seeking employment in this field.
• For advertising account executives and promotion specialists, job opportunities will be greater for those skilled in utilizing the types of media outlets used to reach a diverse customer base.
• This occupation is classified as "significant" because there is a large percentage of professional occupations in business services to management working within the area and it is a strategically important occupation to the local labour market.

Moncton, Shediac, Sackville, Richibucto, New Brunswick:

• Employment prospects are good in these local areas.
• A large government presence, and a number of national, regional, and local firms create considerable consulting opportunities.
• Subcontracting services, such as advertising, is becoming increasingly popular and will be creating more opportunities for advertising account executives and promotion specialists.
• The majority of job opportunities in this occupation will be a result of attrition.
• Potential employment include: AL-PACK ENTERPRISES LTD, Apropos Marketing Communications Inc., Economical Mutual Insurance Co., Foresight Marketing & Design LTD., Hawk Communications Inc. and Grand & Toy.

Saint John, Sussex, St. Stephen, New Brunswick:

• Employment prospects are good in these local areas.
• Potential employers include: Credico Marketing, Entreprise Saint John, Irving Oil Ltd., NB Milk Marketing, and Charlotte County Development Corporation Inc.

Ontario

• Employment prospects over the next 5 years are considered to be good.
• Consulting and freelance work are areas of growth within this occupation.

Ottawa Region, Ontario:

• Employment opportunities are good for this occupation and will continue to rise.
• Factors contributing to these excellent conditions include changing management concepts and increased productivity as a response to international competition. Corporate structure and work organization methods have also changed, with a corresponding growth in sub-contracting.
• In addition, an aging workforce, anticipated skill shortages and competition for workers have lead to a strong demand by companies for workers in this occupation group.
• According to the most recent census, about one third of people in this occupation in eastern Ontario were over 55 years of age. As a result, a large number of people will be retiring over the next 5 years leaving a significant amount of jobs needed to be filled.
• Potential employers include: Adirondack Information Management, Aramark Canada, Athena Consulting, Dare Human Resources Corporation, Alco Systems Inc., Horizons Renaissance Inc., and Infield Marketing Group 

 Source: canadavisa.com

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