According to a report published last year by the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), Canada needs 182,000 new workers in the Information Technology (IT) sector by 2019. Fortunately for Canadian employers and international workers alike, over the past year Canada’s Express Entry immigration system has helped to address this labour shortage.
Critically, provinces across Canada have recognized their need for skilled IT personnel and have used their Express Entry-aligned (PNP) streams to select IT workers specifically. These provincial efforts are in addition to the federal government’s objective of inviting more Express Entry candidates based on their strong human Capital factors. As a result, the number of candidates with IT work experience being invited to apply has increased over time.
Provinces looking for IT workers
Certain provinces, using their enhanced PNP streams, are explicitly seeking out IT workers in the Express Entry pool.
Ontario
On June 28, the government of Ontario made an announcement that it was seeking Information and Communications Technology (ICT) professionals. While one of the usual requirements of the HCP stream is that candidates must have a CRS score of 400 or above, the announcement clarified that for these ICT occupation-specific searches, Ontario lowered the required minimum CRS score below 400. Candidates with work experience in any of the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes were eligible to receive a NOI, even if they scored less than 400 points under the CRS.
• NOC 0131: Telecommunication Carriers Managers
• NOC 0213: Computer and Information Systems Managers
• NOC 2133: Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• NOC 2147: Computer Engineers (Except Software Engineers and Designers)
• NOC 2171: Information Systems Analysts and Consultants
• NOC 2172: Database Analysts and Data Administrators
• NOC 2173: Software Engineers and Designers
• NOC 2174: Computer Programmers and Interactive Media Developers
• NOC 2175: Web Designers and Developers
• NOC 2241: Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• NOC 2281: Computer Network Technicians
• NOC 2282: User Support Technicians
• NOC 2283: Systems Testing Technicians
• NOC 5224: Broadcast Technicians
• NOC 5241: Graphic Designers and Illustrators
‘By 2019, cumulative hiring requirements for ICT talent are expected to be over 52,700 in the greater Toronto area, over 9,700 in Ottawa-Gatineau, over 3,800 in the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo region, and over 9,900 in rest of Ontario.’
Consequently, it may be the case that Ontario uses the HCP stream again to prioritize IT workers.
Nova Scotia
Halifax, the capital and largest city in Nova Scotia, was recently titled Canada fifth biggest Tec city by CTV News. This is no mean feat, considering that Halifax is the 13th largest metropolitan area in Canada.
Of the 16 occupations on Nova Scotia’s list of required jobs through Express Entry selection , four are IT occupations as follow :
• NOC 2171: Information systems analysts and consultants • NOC 2174: Computer programmers and interactive media development • NOC 2281: Computer network technicians • NOC 2282: User support technicians
Saskatchewan
Earlier this month, the government of Saskatchewan began to let nominees and other stakeholders know that a New Tech Careers is now available . Saskatchewan’s Labour demand for 2016 to 2020 shows that salaries in IT professions are expected to be high.
New Brunswick
This time last year New Brunswick, located in Atlantic Canada, was inviting certain IT professionals New Brunswick was looking for newcomers in the following occupations:
• NOC 2171: Information systems analysts and consultants
• NOC 2172: Database analysts and data administrators
• NOC 2174: Computer programmers and interactive media developers
• NOC 2175: Web designers and developers
• NOC 2281: Computer network technicians
Though this category stopped receiving applications on July 15, 2016, it may reopen in the future, either with the above list of occupations or with some other variation.
Express Entry Changes Benefit IT Candidates
When IRCC released its year-end report for 2016, statistics showed that invited candidates by profession had shifted towards higher-skilled professions, principally in IT.
Moreover, so far 2017 has seen more candidates invited than ever before. At the time of writing, a total of 54,487 ITAs have been issued this year. This number more than triples the 15,286 ITAs issued over the first half of 2016, and far surpasses the total number issued in the whole of last year.
