Public sector places high value on IT skills
As an information technology professional for 15 years, Andrea Tait knows what it takes to succeed in both the private and public sectors. Currently a project lead on an Ontario-wide health care IT project, she says public service sector work is something that brings a different type of job satisfaction.
“It’s a really good place to learn,” Tait says, “which makes it perfect for younger people especially. You get exposure to a broad variety of roles and can gain a good foothold in the IT industry.”
She says that in the public sector, and especially in health care, “you get to work on solving real world problems that matter. Where else can you play a role in informing and shaping policy?”
Tait started out as a certified network engineer installing networks, a job that few women would even consider in 1998. “I did it because the job prospects were good,” she says.
She very quickly realized she was better on the people side, so she transitioned to IT training, change management and implementation.
“I discovered that it wasn’t so much that I loved technology,” she says. “I just loved what it could do.”
When Tait took on her first health care IT project 11 years ago, she says she was hooked. “That’s because supporting people is such a fundamental part of it and those involved are very committed.”
What does it take to thrive in an IT role in the public sector? Tait says collaboration and resilience are top of the list.
“It’s much more about engagement and finding compromises to suit all the people at the table, including non-technical folks. And you have to be able to take a few on the chin.”
Angela Lianos, director of the diagnostic imaging program at ehealth Ontario, confirms that having a lot more stakeholders to deal with makes IT both challenging and interesting.
“It’s exciting to be able to work with others and play a role in something that will have a positive effect on the system,” she says.
The demand for skills is consistently high across the board, says Wendy Kennah, director of recruiting for Procom Consultants Inc. in Toronto, a firm that specializes in contract IT recruitment for the public sector.