Improving Canada’s Digital Advantage: Building the Digital Talent Pool and Skills for Tomorrow Research Team: Wendy Cukier Shelley Smarz Amelie Baillargeon Tom Rylett Mariam Munawar Cheryl Hsu Charity Hannan Margaret Yap Diversity Institute, Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University About Ryerson’s Diversity Institute Ryerson University’s Diversity Institute undertakes research with respect to diversity in the workplace and its application to improve practices in organizations. The goal of the Institute is to promote new, interdisciplinary knowledge and practice about diversity with respect to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and people with disabilities. The Diversity Institute works in partnership with industry, government, not-for-profits and academics to: - Research existing practices and evaluate programs; - Explore barriers to full participation in the workplace; - Develop fact-based policies and programs to attract, motivate and develop under-represented groups in the workplace; and - Provide customized training to support development of diversity strategies. The Diversity Institute develops strategies that are customized to an organization’s context, stage of development on the diversity continuum and specific needs. Our approach is customized in terms of content and delivery including lectures, simulations and exercised to meet learning objectives. The Diversity Institute has also focused attention on the evaluation of a wide range of approaches including diversity and anti-racism training. Contact Us The Diversity Intitute in Management and Technology Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University 350 Victoria Street. Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3 Website: www.ryerson.ca/diversity Email: [email protected] Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... i The Importance of a Digital Skills Strategy ................................................................... i Definitions of Digital Skills ............................................................................................. i Supply and Demand for Digital Skills ........................................................................... iii Benchmarks to Assess Digital Skills ............................................................................iv Stakeholders ................................................................................................................iv Strategies Related to ICT and Digital Economy Skills ................................................. v Overall Conclusions: Building the Digital Talent Pool and Skills for Tomorrow ............ v Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Overview of the Project ................................................................................................ 1 Digital Skills, the Foundation of Our Digital Strategy ................................................... 1 Project Scope .............................................................................................................. 3 Methodology and Approach ......................................................................................... 3 Definitions of Digital Skills ............................................................................................... 5 Overview ...................................................................................................................... 5 Basic Digital Literacy ................................................................................................... 6 Digital Business/Technology Skills .............................................................................. 8 ‗Deep‘ Technical and Content Skills ............................................................................ 9 Creativity and Content Creation ................................................................................... 9 Innovation and Entrepreneurship ............................................................................... 11 e-Learning Skills ........................................................................................................ 11 Conclusions and Further Research ........................................................................... 12 Supply and Demand for Digital Skills ............................................................................ 14 Overview .................................................................................................................... 14 Digital Divides ............................................................................................................ 14 Specific Skills Gaps ................................................................................................... 16 Temporary Foreign Workers ...................................................................................... 17 Skills Mismatch .......................................................................................................... 17 Conclusions and Further Research ........................................................................... 18 Benchmarks to Assess Digital Skills.............................................................................. 20 Overview .................................................................................................................... 20 Measurement of Digital Literacy ................................................................................ 20 Measurement of Business (MoT)/Technology Skills .................................................. 21 Measurement of ―Deep Technology‖ Skills ................................................................ 22 Other Skill Measurements ......................................................................................... 23 Conclusions and Further Research ........................................................................... 23 Stakeholders ................................................................................................................. 24 Overview .................................................................................................................... 24 Governments ............................................................................................................. 24 Education (K-12 and beyond) .................................................................................... 24 Business and Employers ........................................................................................... 24 Other Stakeholders .................................................................................................... 25 Quebec ...................................................................................................................... 25 Defining Roles and Responsibilities........................................................................... 25 Conclusions and Further Research ........................................................................... 27 Strategies Related to ICT and Digital Economy Skills ................................................... 29 Overview .................................................................................................................... 29 Factors Affecting the Development of Digital Skills.................................................... 30 Initiatives to Promote the Development of Digital Skills ............................................. 31 Recommendations from Canadian Stakeholders ...................................................... 32 Conclusions and Further Research ........................................................................... 37 Overall Conclusions: Building the Digital Talent Pool and Skills for Tomorrow ............. 38 References .................................................................................................................... 39 Appendix 1: ICT and Digital Skills Strategies by Country .............................................. 50 Appendix 2: Academic Definitions of Digital Skills ......................................................... 52 Appendix 3: ST2L Indicators .......................................................................................... 55 Executive Summary The Importance of a Digital Skills Strategy Digital skills are the foundation of a world-class digital economy. For more than two decades, there has been a great deal of discussion of Canada‘s critical skills shortage, skill mismatches, and the digital divide. Canada‘s last comprehensive digital strategy, developed by the Information Highway Advisory Council (IHAC), was instituted over a decade ago (IHAC, 1998). Given the rapid pace of change in technology – and the skills needed to use this technology – Canada requires a new digital strategy. Digital skills are, arguably, the foundation upon which the other pillars of a national digital strategy are built. While the development of physical infrastructure is an important priority, advanced countries also recognize the need to develop their human skills infrastructure. This ensures the population is able to take full advantage of the physical infrastructure, access the government services and consume digital products and services. Digital skills are critical to companies developing infrastructure, companies requiring skilled workers to achieve their business objectives, companies creating new products and services, as well as small companies