Today, digital transformation continues to radically change the face of business in Canada. Digital disruption is being felt in banking, media, transportation, manufacturing, health, retail, and many other sectors. The accelerated wave of business transformation, however, comes against a backdrop of powerful technological, economic, privacy-related, security-related, and environmental global trends that are all contributing to a new realm of economic prospects.
During the period from 2011 to 2016, the Canadian digital economy experienced a steady labour growth of around 2.38%, compared to that of 1.17% for the rest of the economy. The overall digital labour force now amounts to around 1,389,000 professionals, and is reflective of the health of this economy and the expanding range of occupations in this space. The competition and lead-time to staff critical positions, however, remain a challenge for many businesses in Canada and especially for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). ICTC’s Labour Market Outlook 2017–2021 highlights an acute digital talent demand of around 216,000 by 2021. Addressing this challenge with particular focus on youth will be an important priority for the next number of years.
