White Paper

Using an internet-based search, the study examined the career outcomes of 2,310 doctoral students who graduated from Ontario universities in 2009. The study found that half of the PhDs are working in postsecondary education and more than a third are working in business, industry and other fields outside of the academy. Half are employed in Ontario while the remainder are evenly divided between the rest of Canada, the United States and other countries.

The overarching aim of this twelve-month project, funded by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was to develop industry understanding of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) and assess the support needed by employers to better engage in WIL. Data gathered in a survey of Western Australian employers and industry focus groups prompted the establishment of a WIL Advisory Service (WAS). The service was founded by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA) to broker relationships between employers and universities, and provide support to improve WIL outcomes. In this study, student and employer users of WAS were asked to evaluate the support provided, to measure its success, and to assist in identifying strategies to improve WIL for all stakeholders. Key findings from the project were: Employer Understanding of WIL -The majority of respondents had very little or no understanding of WIL offerings at the various Business Schools in WA; and - Employers most commonly accessed information on WIL via academics that coordinate WIL programs or through pre-established contact(s) within the university.

Gaps in Canada's Employment Insurance program are already leaving too many workers behind as gig work, part-time jobs and self-employment grow. EI needs to be modernized now to support Canadians as they transition to an economy and labour market disrupted by technology and automation.

The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) is a not-for-profit national centre of expertise for the digital economy. Through trusted research, innovative talent solutions, and practical policy advice, ICTC fosters innovative and globally competitive Canadian industries empowered by a talented and diverse digital workforce. The authors of this report made all reasonable efforts to ensure accuracy and fair reflection of the diverse perspectives gathered during their consultations. The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada.

The purpose of Digital Talent: Road to 2020 and Beyond is to provide practical recommendations that will position Canada's talent as a comparative advantage in the increasingly global and rapidly evolving digital landscape. This strategy is unique in that it targets both the œvertical ICT industry and the œhorizontal adopters of ICT and digital technologies, both of which depend on a strong, vibrant digitally-savvy workforce. This strategy is not intended to supplant digital strategies developed by provincial governments (such as British Columbia's technology strategy) or other associations representing sub-sectors of the ICT vertical (such as the Entertainment Software Association of Canada's talent strategy). Rather, it supports and reinforces the elements of those other strategies that we believe should be prioritized at a national level

The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) is pleased to present the Digital Economy Annual Review 2016, exploring broad trends over the past year in Canada's digital economy with respect to economic impact, labour market, technology adoption, and more. The report utilizes historical data starting 2001 through 2015 and estimated data for 2016 based on January 2016 - June 2016 results. Skilled Canadians are the foundation of economic growth in today's globalized digital economy. The latest innovations in ICTs - in particular the internet of things (IOT) as well as Social, Mobile, Analytics, Apps, and Cloud (SMAAC) - have the potential to significantly heighten Canada's competitive advantage. Over the next few years, the adoption of smart and connected technologies will continue to reshape all sectors of our economy including manufacturing, natural resources, financial services, health, transportation, and more. Looking ahead, the technological subsectors that are primed to grow the fastest and make the largest economic contributions to the Canadian economy over the next few years include Analytics, Informatics and Social Networks, Automation and Robotics, High Performance Computing, FinTech, e-Commerce, Virtual Construction, and Connected Cars. The confluence of these interconnected technologies is creating unprecedented volume and depth of data - widely known as big data - that is increasingly being used by companies large and small to transform products and services to reach new clients, achieve scale, and grow. With all sectors of the Canadian economy adopting more technologies, we will see an increased hiring requirement in Canada for ICT talent. As more retirement occurs in the top-heavy ICT workforce, knowledge retention and a leadership vacuum are two critical challenges facing Canada's digital economy that must be planned for and addressed in the coming years. Interested readers are encouraged to review ICTC's related recent research exploring the long term labour market outlook, talent solutions, and the adoption of digital technology by Canadian enterprises of all sizes. These studies provide insights at the municipal level to assist employers, policymakers, educators, and the like in making optimal contributions to the digital economy with appropriate policies and training to ensure jobseekers have the right skills, and employers the human capital they need.

Building on our January 2017 report on automation, McKinsey Global Institute’s latest report, Jobs lost, jobs gained: Workforce transitions in a time of automation (PDF–5MB), assesses the number and types of jobs that might be created under different scenarios through 2030 and compares that to the jobs that could be lost to automation. The results reveal a rich mosaic of potential shifts in occupations in the years ahead, with important implications for workforce skills and wages. Our key finding is that while there may be enough work to maintain full employment to 2030 under most scenarios, the transitions will be very challenging—matching or even exceeding the scale of shifts out of agriculture and manufacturing we have seen in the past. What impact will automation have on work? What are possible scenarios for employment growth? Will there be enough work in the future? What will automation mean for skills and wages? How do we manage the upcoming workforce transitions?

Continuous innovation and improvements in technology need to be synchronous with the required number of skilled ICT professionals for the digital economy to grow sustainably. To better understand the supply-side dynamics of ICT talent, this study concentrates on (i) the supply flow of ICT talent from Canada’s post-secondary education stream, and (ii) strategies outlining the way forward to enable better decision making by all stakeholders for a more productive, innovative, and globally competitive Canadian economy. In addition, availability of gender disaggregated enrolment and graduation data allows us to gain a better understanding of talent supply by gender.This study begins with an outline of its analytical framework. The next section provides in an-depth overview of ICT supply from Canada’s post-secondary education stream. The gender perspective and other important considerations are explored in the following two sections. In a final section of the paper, the findings of this study are summarized in the context of a discussion about strategies to stimulate the Canadian economy with required skilled ICT talent.

This discussion paper summarizes the key issues and questions that crop up in debates about digital literacy, and sets out our initial thinking on the need for digital knowledge and skills, what digital literacy comprises, and a framework for understanding digital skills. To inform this discussion paper, BII+E conducted an in-depth literature review and jurisdictional scan. We also spoke to policymakers, program delivery experts, and industry experts across the country about the importance of digital skills, trends in education and training, and the challenges associated with equipping the present and future workforce with the skills to participate in an increasingly digital economy. This discussion paper will be used to test our definition of digital literacy and our framework for understanding digital skills from across sectors. It will also inform consultations with experts on the next steps in our research agenda. In future phases of work, we will more closely examine data related to digital skills supply and demand across Canadian occupations and industries; map current digital literacy-focused programs and policies in Canada; and develop actionable recommendations to address existing barriers and take hold of opportunities to equitably develop digital literacy in Canada.