OTTAWA, February 9, 2016 – The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) is pleased to announce their newest immigration project, Global Onboarding of Talent to Canada Initiative (GO Talent). Funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, GO Talent is an exciting new initiative that provides employers with early access to global ICT talent on route to Canada as well as pre-departure integration services for internationally educated ICT professionals (IEPs) in their last stages of immigration), ultimately heightening their chance of obtaining ICT positions prior to their arrival to Canada.
GO Talent’s purpose is rooted in the importance of integrating global ICT talent into Canada’s labour market to strengthen the digital economy. ICTC’s Labour Market Outlook finds that over 182,000 ICT positions will need to be filled across all sectors in Canada by 2019 and closing the gap between the demand for and the supply of ICT talent and skills will help accelerate Canada’s digital advantage in an increasingly connected global environment. Canada’s digital economy currently employs 865,000 ICT workers, with a third of those jobs filled by immigrants. Strategically, IEPs will continue to play a key role in the growth of Canada’s digital economy. There are simply not enough Canadian-born workers specializing in relevant fields to fulfill employers’ needs.
ICTC’s GO Talent will connect IEPs with employers and link them to employment opportunities as well as provide labour market orientation, support and referrals, all before they arrive in Canada. The initiative will also help prepare IEPs for the workforce by delivering intensive, skills development training while they are still abroad. Comprehensive training will be supplied through informative training sessions with ICTC staff members, employers and also via tools available on ICTC`s website. The training will provide the steps towards credential recognition.
There is sufficient evidence supporting the demand for global ICT talent in the digital economy, as the overall jobless rate among ICT immigrants is currently 4.4% in Canada’s digital economy, compared to 8.7% in the overall economy. ICTC’s partner employers are frequently requesting support and guidance to access talent globally. This distinctive project provides a direct pathway for employers and newcomers to come together for mutual benefits.
“GO Talent is a great new initiative. In this rapidly growing digital economy, skilled ICT workers are in high demand in Canada and IEPs continue to an important source of talent. ICTC is proud to be launching such a comprehensive program and we are projecting a very high success rate.” says, Namir Anani, President and CEO of ICTC
Over 1000 employers are already engaged through ICTC’s various immigration initiatives. For employers interested in hiring IEPs through GO Talent, there are resources available as well. Some of these resources include virtual career fairs, workshops (available in English and French), and a program that will help employers assess and hire newcomers pre-arrival.GO Talent began on October 1, 2015 and runs until March 2017. To learn more about the initiative or to get involved, contact Stephanie Wilson, Director – Strategic Outreach, at (613)-237-8551 ext.147 or [email protected].
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About ICTC:
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.
