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Bridging the Technology Skills Gap
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is Canada's fastest growing sector, fueling economic growth and development across all sectors of the economy. Shortages of well-qualified ICT professionals are viewed as a barrier to growth and innovation by many employers. At the same time, and in spite of the perceived shortage of skilled ICT workers, some groups, such as skilled immigrants and women, are underemployed.
Bridging the Technology Skills Gap: New Evidence-Based Approaches to Leveraging Diversity is a new research project that brings together researchers and industry partners in order to develop evidence based strategies and policies to expand the talent pool and advance inclusion.
Project Activities
- Examine discourses regarding ICT skills shortage and diversity, including definitions and categories in the ICT sector
- Review employment and labour market data, organizational data on employment, and emerging trends in ICT
- Identify systemic, organizational, and individual forces to understand the factors shaping the “skills shortage” and lack of participation by diverse groups
- Engage ICT stakeholders and employers about the hiring needs and barriers they encounter
- Develop new policies, practices and tools to advance inclusion and match job seekers to employers
Investigators, Partners, Research and Resources
Click on the links below to meet the researchers and project partners, find resources and explore the research themes of this project. Each research page has a collection of reports, short articles and video presentations to go in-depth on each subject:
Project Investigators & PartnersPage Description:This research project brings together leading researchers and industry partners to develop new solutions to bridge the technology skills gap and advance inclusion. Please read on to find out more about our team of researchers and partners.
ResourcesPage Description:The list of organizations and programs below are all working in different ways to break down barriers for members of equity-deserving groups in STEM and ICT. The researchers who are part of this project have put together this list of useful resources, however we do not guarantee the content on each page will be relevant to each person.
Innovative approaches to upskilling and reskillingPage Description:here have been numerous calls for innovation in how training and education is delivered and the subjects that are taught. Applying an equity, diversity and inclusion lens to skills training is essential because of Canada’s changing demographics and the lack of inclusion for Indigenous peoples, racialized people, and women in the digital and green economies.
Disruptive technology and the labour marketPage Description:Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Canada’s economy. However, the shortage of skilled workers is one of the most critical issues impacting SMEs’ competitiveness and ability to grow. Eighty percent of businesses in Canada identify shortages of workers with digital skills as a critical issue, and two-thirds say they have trouble hiring the right talent. Other research has questioned whether there is a digital skills gap or the extent of the gap.
Identifying skills needs for the future of workPage Description:Demographic shifts, such as the aging population, macro economic forces, conflict and displacement, digital technology, the push for net-zero, changing norms and values are driving labour market changes at a rapid pace. These changes are fuelling labour and skills shortages as we see existing jobs redefined, new jobs created and others become obsolete.
This project is funded by the Government of Ontario. Opinions, results and conclusions are that of the authors, and no endorsement by Ontario is intended or inferred.
Contact Us
Contact us to find out more about the Bridging the Technology Skills Gap Project:
diversityinstitute@torontomu.ca
