Hoping to fight a critical shortage of skilled workers, the Canadian IT industry is working on changing the idea that jobs in IT are only for the geeks and nerds of this world.
A recent study has predicted that Canada will need 90,000 IT jobs to be filled within the next three to five years. If those roles remain vacant, the country’s economy can lose as much as $10 billion a year.
A new campaign has been put in place to attract young people to the industry, drawing attention to the high salaries and career prospects that IT offers. Despite these advantages, the majority of Canada’s youth does not seem to be attracted to the industry.
"Our biggest challenge with high school kids that are making decisions on what programs to take in university is changing perceptions like the geek factor," commented Craig Boutilier, chairman of the University of Toronto's computer science department, as quoted by The Province.
"That long-held hacker stereotype of somebody sitting in their basement banging on a keyboard is the last thing that computer science and IT is all about. Most of it is about engaging with users and going through the design process rather than just programming,” he added.
The increase in demand for IT workers in Canada is closely followed by a decrease in the number of students enrolling in computer and electrical engineering courses. An example of that can be found in Laval University in Québec, which recently experienced a drop of 70% in the number of students choosing those programs.
The recently created Canadian Coalition of Tomorrow’s ICT Skills, made up of a group of technology companies hoping to attract more people to the industry, has released an action plan that includes, amongst other aspects, school visits, company tours and plans for a lobby to increase the number of technology workers allowed to enter the country.
