I believe that Canada is facing a crucial need to boost its efforts in attracting digital skills. According to the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), there’s a projection that digital Canada will need around 250,000 more jobs in the digital economy by 2025 (making a total of 2.3 million digital workers.)
Now, if this prediction holds true, it would mean that about 11% of all jobs in Canada would be in the digital sector.
Of course, the digital economy presents a significant opportunity for Canada to take a leading role. However, to achieve this, the country needs to make preparations.
Firstly, it requires a well-trained, highly skilled, and diverse workforce.
Secondly, there’s a need to implement efficient immigration programs that can attract top talent from around the world to Canada.
To become a significant player in the digital economy, digital Canada needs to act fast!
Trying to address the digital gap (in talent)
It’s not like the governments have done anything in this regard. I think the efforts made to bridge the digital talent gap in Canada are notable, particularly with initiatives like the proposal for visas allowing skilled tech workers to enter the country without a job offer.
These steps are aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the tech sector and expanding the available talent pool.
Moreover, the government’s ongoing efforts to attract “digital nomads” and facilitate longer work permits for startup staff demonstrate a commitment to addressing this issue.
In July of this year (2023), IRCC launched a one-time, specialty-occupation, open work permit initiative, which reached its goal of 10,000 applications within 24 hours.
However, in my view, these measures might only bring in a relatively small number of the digital experts needed to fill the gap.
The competition for skilled digital workers, both nationally and internationally, is incredibly fierce (to say the least.)
While digital Canada has shown progress in attracting tech talent, notably with the implementation of its tech talent strategy, I don’t believe it’s sufficient to meet the overall demand.
One significant challenge lies in the difficulty government entities face when competing with private companies to attract these highly sought-after individuals.
This fierce competition poses a significant hurdle for Canada to successfully bring in the volume of digital talent required to meet the growing demand in the sector.
So, while these initiatives are commendable and represent positive steps forward, I think that more comprehensive strategies and measures might be necessary to address the digital talent gap in digital Canada effectively.
It’s more urgent than the public sector thinks
In my articles, I’ve consistently highlighted that citizens nowadays possess an increasing level of technological literacy. They expect government services to offer a seamless digital experience that mirrors their interactions with private sector products and services.
This concern is not merely my personal opinion. Ottawa is already grappling with an estimated 30% shortage in its IT positions, facing limitations in attracting new talent to government roles.
Also, although Canada’s public service agencies made strides during the pandemic in leveraging digital technologies for better service delivery, the country still trails global leaders. The United Nations’ 2022 e-government survey revealed a slip in Canada’s ranking from 28th in 2020 to 32nd in 2022.
Considering the fast pace of technological advancement, the rising digital expectations of consumers, and the continuous innovation within industries, successive Privy Council clerks and federal department chief information officers have (rightly so) consistently emphasized the crucial need for increased and improved digital capabilities within the government.
Moreover, there’s a substantial gap between government and industry investments in technology.
For instance, research conducted by Accenture revealed that 49% of global public sector respondents intended to make significant investments in data solutions over the next three years, whereas the figure stood at 71% across all industries.
Governments that delay similar investments risk widening the technology and skills gap between their institutions and the private sector.
Consequently, Canada’s public sector must place a strong emphasis on investing in its existing digital talent, enhancing skills, and fostering digital literacy to sustain its workforce for the future.
Final thoughts on this matter
As we step into 2024, the priorities for an effective and modern government have never been more crucial.
Three key aspects take center stage not only for digital Canada but also for most digital governments:
- competitiveness,
- attracting global investment,
- and devising and implementing smart public policies.
The government needs to make sure its workers have the right skills all across its digital team. This is very important to make sure the government is ready for the future.
Nowadays, lots of governments and businesses are all chasing after a small group of people who are really good at digital stuff. To get these people, we need to try lots of different ways.
While there’s no simple solution or easy answer, one impactful step is to significantly increase investments in digital skills.
