In a context where “9 out of 10 jobs will require digital skills” by 2030, “70% of medium and large Canadian organizations find that hiring skilled digital workers is somewhat or very difficult”.
This is what reveals a report published Tuesday by Deloitte, at the end of a vast study on “digital equity”, the results of which the firm has been gradually revealing for a year. The company surveyed 804 Canadian executives, conducted 13 interviews and consulted various publications as well as its own advisors.
“Digital technologies represent enormous potential for economic growth, but not all organizations are well equipped or trained,” summarizes Jaimie Boyd, national leader of the Digital Government group at Deloitte Canada.
“We found, as part of our study, that the problem was bigger than we imagined. Among the most recurring challenges are the high costs of software, the lack of knowledge of employees and, above all, the difficulty in finding workers [maîtrisant] the appropriate digital tools,” adds Mme Boyd.
Increased problems in the region
Quebec is the Canadian province with “the largest percentage of leaders (18%) […] stating that hiring workers with basic digital skills is a big challenge,” according to Deloitte, although it does not specify why.
The report also states that “many rural and remote areas of Canada still face significant connectivity challenges” to the Internet. “In 2021, only 62% of households in rural and remote areas had access to the federal government’s minimum Internet speed target of 50 megabits per second for downloads and 10 megabits for uploads (known as minimum speeds 50/ 10 Mbps). »
Indigenous communities are particularly affected by this problem, as the number of Indigenous business owners grows more and more rapidly. “Approximately 60% of Indigenous people in Canada live primarily in rural areas, compared to a third (33%) of non-Indigenous people. »
Recommended strategies
The firm offers two main recommendations to facilitate the digital shift of all local businesses. It first calls on the government to create a “digital investment strategy that clearly links digital investments to business objectives, thereby enabling employers to fully participate in the digital economy. »
We must also address, from a political point of view, the increase in cyberattacks
Deloitte also encourages business participation in “conferences, trade shows, summits and seminars to help employers fill gaps in their knowledge of digital solutions and stay up to date on digital tools available in the market.”
” Of course, [la transition numérique] is the responsibility of each company, but there are broader issues when it comes to advanced skills. There are systemic considerations that must be addressed at the level of the House of Commons and community associations,” maintains M.me Boyd.
“We also need to address, from a political point of view, the increase in cyberattacks,” she adds. This is why we must adopt a global approach. It is not the dentist from Moose Jaw or Charlevoix who alone will be able to solve the problems affecting the entire country. »