ICTC partners with the Alberta Ministry of Labour and Calgary Economic Development to map the supply and demand for digital talent in Alberta’s high growth sectors
The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), in partnership with the Government of Alberta and Calgary Economic Development, is leading a comprehensive study seeking to understand the balance of supply and demand for digital occupations across Alberta’s high-growth sectors.
Alberta’s economy is showing signs of a healthy rebound from the recent economic downturn due in part to its efforts to diversify and invest in rapidly growing industries such as information and communications technology (ICT).
In order to further this economic recovery, Alberta’s high growth sectors need to be accurately defined, and future growth trajectories identified. At the same time, the top digital jobs that enable the growth of those sectors must also be uncovered and analyzed, including granular analyses of regional needs, and skill requirements. This is crucial to the ability to not only understand current employment needs, but to forecast employment demand in the future.
“Our government has the backs of working Albertans. This is why as our economy continues to recover, we are focused on getting Albertans back to work. As a government we have worked hard to diversify our economy, and this project is one way we are investing in the digital industry to strengthen the diversification of our economy and connect Albertans to the jobs of the future. By doing this we are also creating initiatives that will help strengthen Alberta’s tech sector and will support the continued economic diversification that is underway.” – Christina Gray, Minister of Labour, Alberta
ICTC will forecast Alberta’s digital employment demand for 2018-2023. This will be coupled with a provincial analysis of supply – both in terms of availability and quality – from various streams, including post-secondary institutions, immigration and others. Entitled Enabling a Digital Future for Alberta, ICTC, the Alberta Ministry of Labour and Calgary Economic Development are working to understand the gap in Alberta for digitally-skilled talent across high-growth sectors, and provide labour market insights and pathways to employment for job seekers.
ICTC has over 25 years of subject matter expertise in forward-looking technology research, economic analysis, and labour market demand & supply forecasts for the digital economy.
“We are delighted to embark on this granular evaluation of the digital labour market in Alberta and connecting job seekers with fast growth digital industries, as well as paving the way for positioning Alberta’s digital talent as a strategic advantage in a global economy.” Said Namir Anani, President and CEO of ICTC
The Enabling a Digital Future for Alberta project, through consultation and engagement with employers, will uncover not only which digital jobs are in demand across high-growth sectors in Alberta, but will also highlight the critical skills needed for those jobs, and the availability and quality of supply in the province to fill them. This kind of granular understanding is an essential first step in facilitating the economic diversification and strength of the Alberta economy, as technology increasingly permeates all sectors.
For more information on this initiative, please contact Alexandra Cutean, ICTC’s Director of Research & Policy at a.cutean[@]ictc-ctic.ca.
The Province of Alberta is working in partnership with the Government of Canada to provide employment support programs and services.