Digital Occupation Pathways: From Vulnerable Jobs to Rapid-Growth Careers
In this impact paper, we examine the feasibility of transitioning workers from occupations susceptible to automation to rapidly growing jobs in the digital economy. We define this shift as a transition from high-risk, low-mobility (HRLM) occupations to rapid-growth digital occupations.
To whom are pathways to rapid-growth occupations in the digital economy open? Digital occupations are often specialized in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Due to the nature of these jobs, how long will upskilling take? And which Canadian provinces have the highest transition potential to the digital economy?
Read this impact paper to get our full analysis.
Key findings
Career pathways to rapid-growth occupations in the digital economy are open to all workers whose roles are at high risk of automation and who have limited career mobility. We refer to these vulnerable occupations as high-risk, low-mobility (HRLM) occupations.
Digital occupations are often specialized in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Due to the nature of these positions, upskilling from HRLM jobs to digital economy occupations will often require one to three years of training.
Only 22 of 92 HRLM occupations (such as accountants, administrative assistants, dental technologists) have at least one transition pathway available to them with six months of training. But the number of HRLM occupations with at least one desirable transition increases to 79 with one year of training.