Women’s roles in the digital economy are changing and shifting every day. As the workforce transitions towards Information and Communications Technology (ICT) enabled positions, the demographic makeup of the workforce is changing, leaving Canada’s technological labour market appearing significantly different from a decade ago. And while Canada’s workforce has been adapting to the workplace digital transformations, women still find themselves vastly outnumbered in ICT professions.Why don’t these numbers correlate with the rest of Canada’s shifting demographics, and what does this fact mean for businesses in the upcoming years in terms of their workforce?
While understanding the changing workforce is a part of creating a sustainable environment for companies and employees alike, it is crucial to a company’s longevity to be able to accurately foresee and utilize these changing workplace demographics. For workforce planning professionals, policy analysts, and any other group looking to hire new talent, being knowledgeable, informed and responsive to the labour market is essential in meeting the demand for skilled talent. ICTC would like to help you and your business become as well equipped as possible for the changing digital economy.
Did you know that…?
- The case for women’s advancement and inclusion in the workplace is extremely strong. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) estimates that closing the labour force gender gap, with respect to participation rates, in the overall economy by 2032 could boost annual Canadian GDP by 4%. McKinsey & Company research shows that gender diverse companies are 15% more likely to outperform their peers. Additionally, a 2012 Credit Suisse report found that the average return on equity (ROE) for companies with at least one woman on the board over a 6 year period was 16%, which was 4 percentage points higher than companies with no women on their boards.
- Strategic businesses understand their consumers, which is increasingly represented by women who have a strong buying power. According to the Boston Consulting Group, globally in 2013, women controlled $29 trillion of consumer spending, this is predicted to increase to 40 trillion by 2018. In Canada alone, women control 68% of household spending.
ICTC would like to invite you to the “Women in the Digital Economy” webinar, presented on February 18, 2016, 12:00pm-1:00pm part of the Labour Market Intelligence webinar series. Responsible for a number of successful programs helping bridge women into ICT sectors, ICTC has created this webinar to shed valuable insight into the ongoing needs of the Canadian economy, and present research conducted by ICTC domain experts, outlining the changing roles and representation of women in the economy.
This webinar will look at Canada’s digital economy (both present and future), and will shed light on questions that will benefit your organization, such as:
- How can Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) data provide insight on women in the digital economy, and how can this information be used in your organization?
- What does the supply of women in the technology sector look like in the coming years? What does this mean for your business?
- How does the representation of Women in the ICT workforce compare to the rest of the Canadian sectors?
- What can we do to try and bridge the gap for women into the field? How do more women in the workforce help Canada’s digital economy?
These queries and more will be highlighted during this webinar, and will provide you with valuable insight into the ICT sector’s future, and how to best leverage this information in your organization. The webinar will include a question and answer period, encouraging discussion and inquiries regarding women in the digital economy, as well as offer suggestions as to possible directions for further research. Come be a part of a healthy dialogue between other industry professionals, all offering their own perspectives and experiences with the subject.
To register for this webinar, click here, and be sure to visit ICTC’s Women in Technology website to learn more about LMI, as well as other webinars, digital summits and events that ICTC has to offer.