This month marks another Canada Day—happy birthday, Canada!
Still spry and youthful at age 157, the vast nation of Canada continues to see active change throughout the economy as rapid advancements in technology and other powerful forces impact the story arc of local talent.
As a publication dedicated to covering the intersection of tech and talent in Canada, below we offer our observations on today’s most relevant trends, sourced straight from the experts.
Enthusiasm, Reticence Toward A.I.
Thomson Reuters recently released their annual “Future of Professionals” report, which shows a trend of optimism among the laptop class in Canada.
“Professionals no longer need to speculate on the potential for AI to impact their work,” posits Steve Hacker, chief executive of Thomson Reuters, “as they are now witnessing its effects firsthand.”
Respondents predicted that AI carries the potential to save workers up to 12 hours per week within the next five years. This timesaving potential represents a productivity boost equivalent to adding an extra colleague for every 10 team members on staff, according to TR, which last year announced a $100 million annual investment into AI.
“With professionals predicting that AI will save them up to 200 hours in the next year, the potential economic impact is significant,” says Hasker.
Overall, 77% of professionals now predict AI will have a high or transformational impact on their work over the next five years, according to the survey of more than 2,000 professionals, up 10% year-over-year. A similar percentage anticipate an increase in innovation at their company, the report found.
There’s also the case of how AI is transforming hiring practices in Canada, as illustrated in an exclusive interview with the Senior Advisor of Public Safety Information Management at Sterling, Chuck Walker.
Broadly speaking, the Future of Professionals report highlights an “overwhelming sense of enthusiasm” for AI among knowledge workers, balanced with “a healthy amount of reticence among professionals to fully adopt AI.”
A majority of workers anticipate improved work-life balance through the adoption of AI, among other benefits, though more than one-third have yet to apply AI technology in their work. Among the reasons cited by those still sitting on the sidelines, 35% remain unsure what type of work the technology can be used for while 28% are unsure how to access it. Other concerns include the accuracy of AI outputs and the security of data.
Are Politics Becoming a Problem?
Canadians don’t usually complain about anything—other than the weather, of course. But that trend has changed recently, particularly when it comes to politics.
For examples, technology entrepreneurs across Canada continue to stomp their feet over this year’s federal budget, which has been criticized at length for unduly stifling innovation—at a time, no less, when Canada is already grappling with severe brain drain and other crippling concerns.
Big names, such as the leaders behind Canadian tech titan Shopify, have been decidedly outspoken against the budget’s increased capital gains tax, which has been called a tax on innovation. They’re hardly alone in their complaints.
“While other countries strategically support their tech sectors, Canada is on the verge of losing its footing in the high-stakes game of global tech innovation,” posited Alistair Vigier in a recent op-ed. “Why is Canada complicating things when we are already the least productive country in the G7?”
Vigier is the founder of Vancouver-born Clearway Law, a company specializing in law firm client qualification software. He warns that Canada’s risk-averse approach to entrepreneurship “has dried up the venture capital that new companies desperately need to get off the ground.”
It’s a big problem, he notes, because other countries are actively more business-friendly, attracting firms and their employees, while Canada pushes them away. Canada’s decision to increase the capital gains inclusion rate “ignores the global battle for resources, where countries compete to offer the best business conditions.”
Startups success hails from attracting and nurturing talent and investment in the global economy. In this regard, Canada “has become a textbook example of what not to do,” according to Vigier.
Cyber Safety Concerns Stem from Talent Void
The trend of Canada needing (a lot) more cybersecurity professionals continues to be a significant issue, especially as major Canadian brands continue to suffer from serious cyber assaults.
Projections estimate that, by 2040, 40% more cybersecurity professionals will be required to meet rising global demand. Whew.
In response, global cybersecurity firm Check Point last year announced the expansion of its SecureAcademy Program in Canada to provide students with essential cybersecurity skills, learning resources, and hands-on training exercises.
Operating across universities and colleges, including the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Willis College, and the University of Calgary, Check Point’s SecureAcademy delivers a curriculum that encompasses topics such as threat prevention, network security, cloud security, mobile security, and security management—all in order to equip the next generation of Canadian professionals working in the field.
This month, SecureAcademy introduced a new grant initiative to enhance SecureAcademy’s offering. The grant is designed to provide educational institutions and nonprofit organizations with essential resources to upgrade their cybersecurity training programs.
The SecureAcademy Grant will provide existing and new SecureAcademy partners with an annual grant worth up to $60,000 in the form of a “a comprehensive suite of benefits,” according to a statement from Check Point, including cybersecurity curriculum e-books, certification training for educators, discounts on Infinity Global Services, and access to experts.
Other organizations helping to fuel the cybersecurity talent pipeline in Canada include Lighthouse Labs, which runs the Cybersecurity Bootcamp Program since 2021, as well as universities like uOttawa and international giants such as Google.
