Most jobs require a ‘mash-up’ of many different skills
The Canadian Coalition for Tomorrow's ICT Skills (CCICT) has launched CareerMash, a spectrum of outreach initiatives designed to challenge and change perceptions about technology-related careers.
Over one million people work in tech-related jobs, roughly seven per cent of the workforce, and it's growing, said CCICT.
Although businesses depend on technology to remain competitive, they have face growing challenges finding the people with the right skills to innovate and implement technology-based solutions, CCICT said. And not enough young people, and particularly not enough girls, are choosing the tech-related careers that meet the needs of employers.
People know about traditional tech jobs, like programming, but few know that the growth is in jobs with a "mashed-up" skill set that combines technology with business, media, medical research, among other things, said CCICT.
"Today's tech career mash-ups are far more interesting, fun, cool creative and social than many people think", said David Ticoll, CCICT's executive director. "When we dispel the myth of boring desk-bound tech jobs, more young people — including young women — will opt for today's exciting tech-related opportunities.”
The centerpiece of CareerMash is a new website (www.CareerMash.ca) that informs young people about tech-related career opportunities. The website includes multimedia profiles of young tech leaders, innovators, builders and problem-solvers, combined with learning pathways and daily news feeds.
CareerMash volunteers will also be giving presentations to Ontario high school students across the Greater Toronto Area and the Waterloo Region as living examples of today's tech careers.
CCICT and its members — banks, retailers, manufacturers, IT, consulting and telecom firms — are partnering with the federal, Ontario and Quebec governments, as well as a number of leading industry organizations for the CareerMash initiative.
