Canada faces digital and STEM skills shortage, says CD Howe Institute report

The CD Howe Institute, a Toronto-based policy research agency, has released findings examining Canada’s digital and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills gaps.

Governments at all levels need to attract and retain immigrants with digital talent, and employers need to invest in upskilling or reskilling their workforce, the study said. Rapid digitization, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, is leading to a skills shortage as companies reshape their operations and change how people work and live.

The report underscores the importance of defining these skills shortages and talent gaps, but they vary from company to company, so the digital skills companies need and what their employees provide are aligned. states that it usually occurs when there is no or insufficient Skills shortages are difficult to address because acquiring professional digital skills is difficult and time consuming, the report adds.

The report states that to effectively attract digital talent, federal and state governments should reform immigration processes to retain international students in STEM fields, and that temporary and permanent immigration programs should appropriately increase the supply of newcomers. However, it said it needs to provide coordinated support for a successful integration. into the job market. In addition, steps should be taken to strengthen the language skills of skilled migrants and to address barriers to recognizing foreign qualifications and experience.

In addition, the study says governments should urgently take the following steps within education systems to develop digital talent:

• Provide adequate resources for teachers of STEM subjects
• Modernize curriculum and expand digital learning, AI, and data science courses
• Increase enrollment and graduates in STEM fields
• Bridging the Gender Gap by Advising Female Students on STEM Study and Career Choices
  
• Encourage minorities to pursue STEM education
• Implement job-integrated learning opportunities, such as co-op programs in the ICT field
• Increase access to certification programs
• Prevention of brain drain due to retention of new graduates

Finally, the report notes that to expand the pool of digital talent, employers need to attract workers with higher wages and on-the-job training opportunities, prioritizing skills and informal training options over degrees. suggests that there is

However, while wage increases will only have a short-term effect if there is a sufficient supply of workers with the right skills, they may create incentives to increase the supply of digital skills in the future. the report points out.