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| Subject: Desperately seeking Dilbert - interesting |
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Desperately seeking Dilberts
Companies are checking out foreign job fairs to find up to 10,000 new workers
Brian Morton
Vancouver Sun
Thursday, February 07, 2008
B.C.´s technology industry is going to need a lot of new staff in the coming months, according to the TechTalentBC study released Wednesday. An engineer with a degree from MIT, such as the iconic cube dweller and comic-strip star Dilbert, would be in particularly high demand.
B.C.´s technology industry is ramping up efforts to recruit new workers with about 10,000 tech jobs up for grabs in the province this year.
A primary target, at least in the short term, is international technology students at U.S. universities who can´t stay in that country after they graduate, but want to live and work in North America.
"Over 100 students came to our workshop in Chicago [in November] and we had very good interest," said Pascal Spothelfer, president of the B.C. Technology Industry Association [BCTIA], in an interview. "The universities want to work with us on this because they want to find well-paying jobs for their graduates.
"These people are ready for the picking for us and they´re a very attractive target group for us."
Spothelfer said they´re not looking for temporary foreign workers: the BCTIA wants talented high-tech workers who want to immigrate to Canada and bring their skills to B.C. for the long term. "Ideally, we want to bring them in and get them to stay. It´s not a temporary thing.
"Our forecast shows there´s demand for 10,000 new jobs [in 2008]."
According to a new BCTIA report, the industry´s talent shortage is growing, requiring more aggressive action than when the shortage was first identified in 2006.
Spothelfer said the technology industry is tackling the problem on several fronts. In April, a number of B.C. tech employers will participate in three recruiting forums in California in partnership with the provincial government. He said the industry also has to put efforts into retraining, supporting enrollment in technical programs and ensuring high school students see the industry as an exciting and well-paid career option.
According to the release, almost 400 technology companies participated in the annual TechTalentBC Labour Demand Study, funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education.
The study concluded that there is increased demand for workers who deal with the public, in particular over 700 sales and sales management positions and over 950 customer service positions. As well, there is a need for about 1,000 software engineers and over 500 project managers. The study also saw an increased demand for multi-media developers, a high-growth group.
Spothelfer said the demand in those areas indicates that there´s a lot more to working in the technology industry than a job in a lab, although "there are plenty of opportunities in those areas, too."
According to the study, while most companies recognize that much of the talent is going to come from immigration, over 77 per cent of respondents were not aware of the B.C. Provincial Nominee Program, a program that offers accelerated immigration for qualified skilled workers and experienced entrepreneurs who want to settle in B.C.
To help address that, BCTIA is working with the provincial government to deliver a series of educational workshops in the upcoming months.
Chris Kraft, vice-president of product management for Sophos Inc. -- a global computer security company -- said in an interview that he is currently looking for a product marketing manager, but expects it will take two or three months to fill it.
Kraft said it´s a high-paying position -- "for a person with years of experience and proven success, it´s well over six digits" -- but requires a special expertise because it requires someone who can play dual roles, with one foot in marketing and one foot in technology. "I´ve resigned myself to the fact that it will take up to three months to get a suitable candidate. The skill set is really hard to find, people with that blend of talent and experience."
Kraft said it´s a tight market generally in technology right now and that many people are entertaining multiple offers. "We have to be sharp. They know their skill sets are in high demand."
The study also found that an increasing number of women, persons with disabilities, aboriginal people and seniors are being hired in non-traditional technical roles, particularly new media, life sciences and sustainable technologies.
In many difficult hiring positions, a number of employers indicated they would accept people who are willing to learn rather than looking for the specific skills and experience. The most desirable skills sought by employers include the ability to collaborate with others.
As well, the study found, the quality of work-life balance is increasingly important in attracting and retaining employees -- particularly a convenient work location and close proximity to home. Recreational amenities and a good corporate culture including a commitment to sound environmental practices were also listed as important.
The study noted that "sole entrepreneurs" now comprise over 8,000 companies in the B.C. technology industry and that many are expected to hire employees in the future, providing "the seed for the next generation of technology companies."
The BCTIA is a not-for-profit, member-funded organization that represents start-ups and established companies.
bmorton@png.canwest.com
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Desperately seeking Dilberts
B.C.´s technology industry is going to need a lot of new staff in the coming months, according to the TechTalentBC study released Wednesday.
An engineer with a degree from MIT, such as the iconic cube dweller and comic-strip star Dilbert, would be in particularly high demand. The following figures put the problem in perspective.
10,000
Number of net new jobs expected to be created between September 2007 and the same month this year.
+36%
The forecast increase in net new software engineering jobs in that same time period.
15.1%
The forecast increase in net new tech jobs in the above time period.
69,900
Current number of tech jobs in B.C.
Here are the Top 9 highest-demand tech jobs in B.C., with the number of new jobs forecast for each.
Executive management 240
Sales management 230
Sales reps 480
Marketing 300
Product management 180
Project management 550
Technical management 450
Technical customer service 675
Software engineer 1,000
Total 4,105
? The Vancouver Sun 2008
[07-02-2008,16:28]
[**.155.160.37]
Sharon |
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