Province aims to boost tech training
Panel to find ways to increase supply of skilled workers
The provincial government has asked a newly-appointed panel to suggest ways to update Alberta’s post-secondary and skills-training systems for a technology-driven future.
The Talent Advisory Council on Technology — composed of members from the tech field, industry, post-secondary institutions and government — has been tasked with coming up with recommendations to ensure Alberta’s education and training programs are producing employees that can obtain good, high-quality jobs in a changing economy.
Cheryl Oates, spokeswoman for the government, said the province is working with post-secondary institutions and industry partners to develop, train and graduate highly skilled workers in key high-tech areas that could have huge potential for Alberta’s industry — such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, health innovation, big data, and clean and renewable technology. She said the government’s own projections predict shortages of computer and information systems professionals by 2025, as well as software designers, programmers, developers and more.
The talent advisory council will be asked to examine not just Alberta’s major post-secondary course offerings, but all of the short-term skills training on offer in the province. The council will also make recommendations about the allocation of 2,800 new post-secondary tech learning spaces, created earlier this year with the passage of the government’s Growth and Diversification Act.
“This could mean the creation of new programs or the expansion of existing programs,” Oates said in an email. “Short-term skills training, diplomas, certificates, degrees and graduate degrees may all be impacted, if the need exists.”
Oates added post-secondary enrolment in tech-related fields is increasing at a faster pace (up 8.4 per cent over four years) than overall enrolment growth (up 4.7 per cent over four years). Disciplines such as computer programming, computing science and software engineering have seen the largest increases, between 30 and 50 per cent over four years.
Brad Zumwalt — a Calgary-based venture capitalist and CEO of Zinc Ventures — will co-chair the new advisory council. He said he has witnessed promising tech startups in Alberta struggle to find the talent they need as they grow businesses.
“Are we providing the training opportunities that our talent needs year-in and year-out, so that when we have a startup business that gets hold and starts growing and turns into a scaling business, that it has the ability to add qualified team members as fast as it’s ready to hire them?” Zumwalt said. “It’s another piece of fundamental infrastructure that we always have to keep investing in and making better so our Alberta companies can be competitive.”
The Talent Advisory Council on Technology will continue to meet until February 2019. The council is expected to submit a final report to the government by next spring.