The Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists is voicing concern over what they view as an extreme mismatch of skills that is hurting employers in the technology sector.
Speaking at the organization’s conference this month in Winnipeg, CCTT Chief Executive Isidore LeBlond said that worker shortages are being felt across 14 technology sectors with little relief in sight.
“The skills mismatch means we’re constantly being questioned by employers looking for the next worker – the worker with the right skill set,” said LeBlond, speaking to an audience of employers, educators and government representatives. “We want to make sure we’re teaching the right (skills).”
A recent report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce echoes these concerns, but says that recent immigration policy changes by the government are a sign that Canada is looking at effective strategies. In the past decade alone, Canada has imported approximately 5 percent of its own workforce in an attempt to address the issue.
However, as LeBlond and other experts have stated, immigration is not the only solution to the problem. Canadian stakeholders must do more to raise awareness about what skills are most needed domestically, and attract more young people, aboriginals, and women into those trades.
The trades that are anticipated to have the highest shortages in the coming years include petroleum and mining workers, as well as Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) workers.
Source: Ottawa Citizen