Jobs in Education Canada

With Canada’s economy quickly recovering and continuing to grow since the recession, certain industries are starting to experience labour shortages, which will only continue to get worse.

Many of these shortages are in the industries based on the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). According to a 2012 House of Commons report, “Labour and Skills Shortages in Canada: Addressing Current and Future Challenges, ” the demand for skilled, STEM educated workers will continue to increase.

The fields that will be seeing the greatest demand for new STEM workers are biotechnology, gas and oil, mining, electricity, and the environment. According to the report, the one expected to be hit hardest with shortages is the environmental sector, where it is estimated that 37% of employees are in the STEM professions, who encompass a diverse range of fields in environmental protection, resource conservation and sustainability.

“One-third of all environmental workers today are over the age of 45” said Grant Trump, CEO of the Environmental Careers Organization of Canada, in the House of Commons report. “Some 14% of environmental workers will reach retirement age in the next 10 years, creating 100, 000 vacancies.”

According to the 2013 ECO Canada study, “Careers in Sustainability: Current Job Trends and Future Growth, ” established environmental industries are driving most of the new job growth in Canada’s green economy. The study looked at 658 Canadian organizations, and found that 37 per cent had employees working in environmental or social sustainability, and forecasted that jobs in the field will continue to grow significantly in the next three to five years.

With so many vacancies available and opening up over the next ten years, it raises the question as to why there is a labour shortage in the first place.

“We are seeing a decline in enrolment rates at the undergraduate and master’s levels in our fields compared with a decade ago, ” said Isabella Blain, vice-president of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, in the 2012 House of Commons report.

“Increasingly, Canada is relying on foreign graduate students to carry out the research that happens in our universities, research that will result in discovery and innovation.”

Many young Canadians are simply not motivated to get into the STEM fields, with many under the impression that any scientific jobs will usually require them to spend long hours doing research in a lab somewhere. However, with rapid changes and advances in technology and scientific development in the 21st century, the need for greater diversity in the STEM fields continues to grow.

While education is definitely important in securing many STEM-related jobs, real-world experience is a must. Getting “hands-on” experience through co-ops, internships, and other programs would give students an advantage when entering STEM industries.