12017 BIPT Sector Profi le: Information and Communications Technology Sector BIPT.Ca

Information and Communications Technology Industries in BC and Metro Vancouver Information and Communication Technology (ICT) indus-tries are the backbone of the global digital economy and a key driver of growth in a knowledge-based economy. There are many different definitions of ICT industries. In general, the ICT sector encompasses firms engaged in the development and delivery of computer hardware and software, wireless tech-nology, motion picture and video produc-tion, surveying and mapping, scientific and technical consulting, communica-tions technology (including networks), and research and development.

BC’s ICT industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in the province. More than 7,000 companies employed over 100,000 professionals in 20151. BC is also home to world-class research facilities and top-ranked universities,

and has developed service specializa-tions in industries such as these2:

• Broadband, satellite, and fibre- optic applications

• Software and app development • Design and engineering • Hardware manufacturing • Networks and data

A large proportion of ICT employers are small companies, and an unusually large proportion of their ICT employees are full time. The demand for top ICT tal-ent continues to grow and has resulted in expanding career options for ICT pro-fessionals, placing competitive pressure on employers seeking talent.

Immigrants and the Information and Communications Technology Sector

1 http://www.hqvancouver.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/201605-01-HQ_ICT-V2.pdf 2 http://www.britishcolumbia.ca/TradeBCPortal/media/Marketing/bc-ict-wireless-mit.pdf

Computer and related high tech business made up 38% of BC’s high tech business.

(continued on p. 2)

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The ICT Sector in BurnabyThe City of Burnaby recog-nizes the ICT sector as one of its signature industries, with a large cluster of firms and jobs. These existing strengths, combined with a well-developed post-second-ary education sector, will give the city an edge in attracting additional companies. BCIT and SFU not only produce new graduates in the field of Information and communica-tions technology but also act as engines for research and development.

Burnaby is home to operations of several established global industry leaders, including IBM, Electronic Arts, Ericsson and Telus.

22017 BIPT Sector Profi le: Information and Communications Technology Sector BIPT.Ca

3 https://www.boardoftrade.com/scorecard2016/files/Full%20Report%20-%20Greater%20Vancouver%20Economic%20Scorecard%202016.pdf

(The ITC Sector in Burnaby continued from p. 1)

Notable ICT Employers in BurnabyOrganization

Alpha Technologies Ltd.Creation Technologies Inc.

Electronic ArtsEricsson

Glentel Inc. IBM Canada Ltd.

Kodak Graphic Communications GroupMicrosemi

Photon ControlQuartech Systems Ltd.

Rogers CommunicationsSnaptech Marketing and Communications

Squirrel Systems Spectrum Signal Processing

Telus CorporationTeraSpan

Traction on Demand The Active Network

WebTech Wireless Inc.

Websitehttp://www.alpha.ca/web2/company/careershttp://www.careers.creationtech.com/http://www.ea.com/ca/jobswww.ericsson.com http://glentelcareers.com/http://www-03.ibm.com/employment/ca/en/http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/careers/index.jhtmlwww.microsemi.comwww.photon-control.com http://www.quartech.com/Pages/Opportunities.aspxhttp://www.rogers.com/web/Careers.portalhttp://www.snaptech.com/careers/index.asphttp://www.squirrelsystems.com/Company/Careershttp://www.spectrumsignal.com/category/about-spectrum/careers/http://about.telus.com/community/english/careerswww.teraspan.com/ http://www.tractionondemand.com/ http://www.activenetwork.com/about-us/careers.htmhttp://www.webtechwireless.com/en/company/careers/

The outlook is very bright. Metro Vancouver is home to most of BC’s ICT sector, and employment is growing rapidly. The Greater Van-couver Economic Scorecard shows ICT employment between 2011 and 2014 increased 8.4%, from 49,800 in 2011 to 58,200 in 20143. Subse-quent surveys suggest that, if anything, growth has accelerated since.

Immigrants and the ICT Sector The Information and Communications Technol-ogy Council projects that by 2019 BC will need to fill the following ICT positions, mostly in Metro Vancouver.

• 4,430 computer programmers and interactive media developers

• 2,330 software engineers• 2,020 user support technicians• 1,750 database analysts and

data administrators• 1,380 graphic designers and illustrators• 1,380 computer and information

systems managers• 1,220 information systems analysts

and consultants• 1,180 computer and network operators

and web technicians• 1,100 web designers and developers• 1,020 electrical and electronics engineering

technologists and technicians

Canada’s largest defense company: MDa

Canada’s largest cleantech company: Westport

World’s largest machine-to-machine wireless

company: sierra Wireless

Canada’s largest social media man-agement company: Hootsuite

The first commercial quantum computing company: D-Wave

And major offices of global leaders like amazon, Best Buy, Boeing, Disney, Electronic arts, Microsoft, IBM, McKesson, sam-sung, schneider Electric, sony Imageworks and saP

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Metro Vancouver is home to:

(continued on p. 3)

32017 BIPT Sector Profi le: Information and Communications Technology Sector BIPT.Ca

Job openings in bC

(2015-2025)

9,140

7,810

4,050

4,320

3,760

2,940

2,880

2,590

1,970

1,890

1,780

1,470

1,380

1,120

oCCupation Information systems analysts and consultants

Computer programmers and interactive media developers

Computer and information systems managers

Software engineers and designers

Computer network technicians

Graphic designers and illustrators

User support technicians

Web designers and developers

Electrical and electronics engineers

Mechanical engineers

Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians

Telecommunications installation and repair workers

Computer engineers

Engineering managers

Occupations and Forecasted Job Opening to 2025

provinCial median hourly wage

$36.06/hr

$35.00/hr

$43.27/hr

$39.42/hr

$27.40/hr

$22.00/hr

$25.00/hr

$24.04/hr

$40.00/hr

$35.40/hr

$27.00/hr

$32.00/hr

$41.03/hr

$45.67/hr

4 http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/regional-planning/PlanningPublications/LabourForcebyIndustryNHS2011.pdf

Metro Vancouver

VancouverSurreyBurnabyRichmondCoquitlam

Labour Force and Jobs in Selected Municipalities and Industry Sectors, 2011 NHS4

1,273,335 349,145245,640120,28599,91069,720

labour ForCe (workers) Jobs (employments)Job to

workers ratio

total labour ForCe population aged 15 years and over

(Five municipalities with greatest labour force)

region

Note: The ITC sector is not directly measured, so figures are for the overlapping sectors of Info, Culture and Recreation, and Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

% muniCipal share oF labour ForCe 100.0% 27.5%19.2%9.4%7.8%5.5%

inFo, Culture and reCre-ation 45,020 16,6405,0655,2653,1102,435

proFes-sional, sCientiFiC and teChniCal serviCes 120,590 43,85514,53512,2909,2306,015

total Jobs 1,030,125 352,385139,150120,890109,94538,885

% muniCipal share oF Job 100.0% 34.21%13.51%11.74%10.67%3.77%

Jobs inFo, Culture and reC-reation 35,255 15,3752,2459,6802,625705

Jobs proFes-sional, sCientiFiC and teChniCal serviCes 106,030 52,6658,59012,5508,9402,210

inFo, Cul-ture and reCre-ation 0.8

0.90.41.80.80.3

proF. and teCh. 0.9

1.20.61.01.00.4

Skilled immigrants are key talent pools for the ICT sector. At a national level, in 2016 40% of the ICT workforce was born outside of Canada, compared to 28% in 2001. ICT employs a far greater proportion of immigrants than does the overall economy, where less than 27% of all jobs are held by immi-grants. Unemployment amongst ICT immigrant professionals is consistently low at 2.7% and has remained relatively steady for the past four years. In contrast, the unemployment rate among immigrants in the overall Canadian labour market is 7.7%.

An influx of skilled immigrants will continue to be a key con-tributor to BC’s ICT labour force. An Information and Com-munications Technology Council report indicated insufficient

youth opting for ICT careers even as the number of ICT profes-sionals aged 55 and above has nearly quadrupled in the last 15 years. BC also has a low level of talent availability and lags other provinces in granting engineering and sciences degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and is well be-low the OECD average in granting technical doctoral degrees.

Burnaby’s immigrants are well represented in ICT sectors. Census 2011 shows Burnaby immigrants accounted for 57.5% of workers in the sector compared to 53.8% of the labour force overall. The share of recent immigrants in this sector was also comparable to the corresponding figures of Burnaby’s total labour force.

(Immigrants and the ICT Sector continued from p. 2)

42017 BIPT Sector Profi le: Information and Communications Technology Sector BIPT.Ca

Burnaby Immigrant Programs and Services Burnaby has numerous employment programs and services for immi-grants and refugees. A complete listing of currently available and free programs and services can be found on BIPT’s Inventory of Resources for Immigrants (bipt.ca). Select Employ-ment under categories and browse through the various programs to find one that meets your needs.

OrganizationApplied Science Technologists

& Technicians of BC Association of Consulting

Engineering Companies BCIC (BC Innovation Council)

BCTECH Association Government of BC - Industry Sectors

Information and Communications Technology Council

Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC

T-Net British Columbia Vancouver Enterprise Forum

Websitehttp://www.asttbc.org/

http://www.acec.ca/

http://bcic.ca/ http://www.wearebctech.com/http://www.britishcolumbia.ca/export/industry-sectors/technology/information-and-communications-technology-and-wire/http://www.ictc-ctic.ca/

http://www.apeg.bc.ca/ http://www.bctechnology.com/ http://www.vef.org/

Regulatory Bodies and Professional Associations

OrganizationWelcomeBC Job Profiles for Immigrants

WorkBC Career Profile

Skilled Immigrants InfoCentre – Vancouver Public Library

National Occupational Classification 2016

Websitehttps://www.welcomebc.ca/Work-or-Study-in-B-C/Job-profiles-for-immigrants https://www.workbc.ca/careers/ http://pwp.vpl.ca/siic/ http://noc.esdc.gc.ca/English/noc/wel-come.aspx?ver=16

Occupational Guides and Profiles

Useful Links and Resources