Canada has undoubtedly become one of the favorite destinations for immigrants in the recent past. The benefits of Canadian immigration policies are one of the key drivers to people choosing Canada as their preferred immigration destination. In addition, immigrants are attracted by Canada’s high standard of living, medical benefits, safety and security, stunning geographical locations, and great employment opportunities.
This article will cover the following topics that will help you explore the various career opportunities in Canada:
- Career prospects in Canada
- Top 10 in-demand jobs in Canada in 2021
- How to get the relevant skills for the mentioned jobs?
- Top certifications that give you a competitive edge in Canadian job markets
- How can Simplilearn’s courses and certifications propel your career prospects in Canada?
Career Prospects in Canada
Career prospects in Canada offer great earning opportunities over the next five to ten years, as employers are facing skill shortages. According to CFIB’s latest Help Wanted Survey, there were 430,000 private sector openings that remained unfilled in Q3 2018 because employers were unable to find qualified candidates. Ted Mallett, CFIB’s vice president and chief economist, says, “Businesses will likely respond to these trends by investing more in the capital than labor in 2019, along with redistributing wages to key roles in the company.” The table below shows the vacancies by provinces in Canada,
Provinces |
Vacancy rate |
Change |
Unfilled jobs |
Quebec |
4.10% |
0.10% |
117,700 |
British Columbia |
3.70% |
67,100 |
|
Ontario |
3.30% |
0.10% |
167,900 |
New Brunswick |
2.70% |
6,300 |
|
Manitoba |
2.60% |
11,300 |
|
Nova Scotia |
2.60% |
0.10% |
7,900 |
Alberta |
2.60% |
0.10% |
41,800 |
Saskatchewan |
2.00% |
6,900 |
|
Prince Edward Island |
1.50% |
700 |
|
Newfoundland & Labrador |
1.30% |
-0.10% |
2,100 |
IT was one of the fastest growing career segments in Canada in 2018. It also continues to attract attention in 2021 due to the booming technological landscape, since programming and development skills are particularly in demand. Technology is evolving at an unimaginable pace worldwide, and Canada is well positioned to capitalize on the technology boom, as it has already started to adopt emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Agile delivery, Analytics, Security and Cloud services. The business-friendly policies and economy have already attracted giants such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook to establish delivery centers in Canada. Owing to the quick expansion, Canada’s tech sector earned the title of “the fastest growing industry in the country.” In fact, in 2018, Toronto created more jobs than the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington D.C. combined, which speaks volumes for itself. Toronto has also leaped forward in the ranking of “talent markets”, even beating New York.
The figure above shows that four Canadian cities, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, have started to become North American technology hubs on par with US cities, as per CBRE report in 2018. CBRE measured the growth potential of the market by focusing on the concentration of technological labor as a percentage of total employment.
As you can see from Figure 1.0, the clear winner was Ottawa, which at 11.2 percent is more than three times the United States’ national average of 3.5 percent. Toronto comes in third, at 8.9 percent.
Canada’s IT industry offers some of the most competitive salaries outside of US cities, with an average annual salary of $81,000. Software developers who wish to get the highest Canadian salaries to gravitate to cities like Vancouver, Toronto, or Montreal.
The current political situation in the United States has also made Toronto an attractive location for foreign nationals, creating a rich pool of tech and IT graduates. The lower overhead costs of operating in Canada versus the US also have led many firms to relocate. Canada is currently facing a shortage of technologically skilled professionals and software engineers as it loses many of its sharp, talented college graduates to the attraction of Silicon Valley. However, it makes up for this shortage by bringing in skilled foreign workers from all around the world to keep pace with the market demand.
One can find some of the most competitive salaries in Canada’s IT industry. The average annual salary is $81,750, which is somewhat more than the previous year’s salary of $81,500. The most recent salary information, as per the Canadian Immigration website is shown in Figure 2.0, depicts a peak salary of $129,500 in Calgary, compared to $128,000 in Toronto and $127,500 in Vancouver.
Canada also offers employment-friendly programs like the Global Talent Stream and Global Skills Strategy. Such programs facilitate the work permits to be processed in two weeks for the new immigrants with relevant skills. This means that if you have the relevant technology and IT skills, you will have your pick of the better Canadian employers!!
Top 10 In-demand Jobs in Canada in 2021
As companies across the globe embark on digital transformation initiatives, enterprise-level IT functions must collaborate in more areas of the business sector than ever before, particularly in the areas of strategy and execution. This trend is driven by a desire to enhance the customer experience by creating top of the line products, personalizing services, and eventually generating profits. At the same time, changing trends like this are creating challenges for technology leaders, including an increased number of projects and acute scarcity of technology workers. The supply and demand gap in Canada is increasing at a rapid pace, and according to research by Robert Half Technology, more than half of IT departments in North America are short-staffed or outright understaffed.
Employers may even increase salaries up to 10% for professionals who possess certain in-demand skills and abilities. The below skills are recognized as the most valuable in 2021 Canada. Coding skills stand out as leaders of this particular pack. So if you have a strong technical background, coupled with a passion for coding and the relevant certifications to back you up, you’re in a strong position in the technology job market.
Java |
Machine learning |
Apache Spark |
Microsoft SQL Server |
Artificial intelligence |
PHP |
Augmented reality |
Python |
Blockchain |
R |
Cloud and SaaS skills |
ReactJS and React Native |
Hadoop |
Machine learning |
Ruby on Rails |
Swift |
Virtual reality |
Virtualization (Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware) |
A sample of the most in-demand technological roles in Canada includes:
- Business Intelligence Analysts
- Cloud Architects
- Cloud Systems Engineers
- IT Project Manager
- Data Scientists
- Developers (web, software, mobile)
- DevOps Engineers
- Full-Stack Developers
- IoT Specialists
- Security Professionals (data, information, network, systems, cloud)
How to get the Relevant Skills for the Mentioned Jobs?
The gap between the median salaries of certified and non-certified IT staff is approximately $15,913, or 22 percent. A recent survey was conducted on IT/HR managers to get their views regarding IT certifications and their impact on recruiting decisions.
The key findings are:
- 96% of HR managers use IT certifications as screening or hiring criteria during recruitment
- 66% of IT managers use IT certifications to distinguish between equally qualified candidates
- 72% of IT managers require an IT certification for certain job roles
- 60% of IT managers use IT certifications to gauge a candidate’s expertise
Top Certifications That give you a Competitive Edge in Canadian Job Markets
The hottest top 10 certifications that give you a competitive edge in Canadian job markets are:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Agile and Scrum
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
- IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
- IT Service Management (ITSM)
- Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)
- MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure
When it comes to information security, CISSP tops the charts. CISSP is the oldest and most trusted certifications in IT, as it is built on the accumulated IT security expertise of the past 30 years. Additionally, Cisco’s network certifications are also one of the most sought-after in 2021, as per the Randstad report.
On the other hand, when we talk about showcasing skills of a project manager, then project management professional (PMP) takes the lead as the most sought-after certification. It’s the undisputed gold standard certification offered by the Project Management Institute. Rounding out the list, Microsoft and Amazon’s cloud-based services are immensely popular among businesses and with 1 million+ enterprise customers. Consequently, cloud certifications will continue to be in demand for the foreseeable future. When you look at the big picture, it’s clear that the top IT certifications in 2021 are diverse and cover a wide range of IT skills.
How can Simplilearn’s Courses and Certifications Propel your Career Prospects in Canada?
Simplilearn offers most of the above courses through live in-person study or by virtual classroom at greater depth. The courses not only equip you with the fundamentals of the relevant technical skills but also help you to earn the certifications as well. The course curriculum is developed and updated by more than 2000 renowned domain experts, technology gurus, learning & development specialists, and aligned with over 40 accreditation bodies. It provides the blended learning platform, consisting of online, instructor-led lessons, project work, and 24/7 assistance post-course completion. The curriculum also features hands-on labs to test the theoretical knowledge gained through the courses. These labs provide the students with confidence in clearing the certifications and equip them to eventually be able to apply the knowledge and skills in real-world problems.
Simplilearn’s unique learning and delivery model for in-demand courses and certifications are undoubtedly one of the key differentiators when compared to other online education providers. These courses, followed by earning the respective certifications, will help prepare anyone who is considering migrating to Canada.
So what are you waiting for? Get enrolled in one of the hottest certifications courses that Simplilearn has to offer and make your Canadian dream come true!