09 April 2008

Canada suffering from IT skills shortage

Canada is currently suffering from a skills shortage in its IT industry because of the dot-com crash of the early 2000s, it has been reported. While the industry has since recovered, Internet companies are finding it hard to recruit people because young students are staying away from the industry after the crash. With the country in the midst of a skills crisis, bringing in new IT skilled workers through Canadian immigration could be more important than ever.

LauraJo Gunter, Dean of the Faculty of Information Arts and Technology at Seneca College, said: "Computers aren't going away and the industry will continue to need people who know how to operate in the information and communication technology world." She added that it is still a "very viable career option". A report from the Conference Board of Canada recently revealed that the country is going to need 90,000 information and communication technology workers within the next five years. While Canadian immigration can supply some of these workers, it is thought more students will need to be persuaded into the profession. The Conference Board of Canada is a not-for-profit organisation.

Canada welcomes new skilled IT professionals: The Canadian Visa Bureau can assist skilled workers interested in Canadian immigration. More information on Canadian visas is available on the website. Anyone applying for a Canadian visa should begin by completing the online Canadian visa application to see if they meet the legislative requirements.