The panorama of post-secondary education opportunities in Canada reflects the changing needs of both the global economy and local priorities.
High school grads still considering their career options should bear in mind research that suggests that Canadians may hold about 15 jobs and more than one career in a lifetime.
According to a variety of sources in both academia and commerce, the frontrunners in career-related post-secondary courses are business administration, computer science, engineering, health sciences, environmental studies, data science, arts and humanities and education.
That, in turn, requires a little self-check before jumping in: “Am I a ‘people person’ or someone who prefers to be given a task and be left alone to accomplish it?”
Or am I a little of both?
High school grads looking for a career that is less people-oriented and focuses more on mathematics and data analysis might investigate a career opportunity like manager of data and analytics for any number of organizations, which involves everything from data collection to analysis and interpretation.
A study by the McKinsey Global Institute indicates that data-driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire customers and 19 times more likely to be profitable. The demand for data scientists in Canada has surged by 50% over the last two years, as reported by the Digital Talent Ecosystem.
Demand for skilled professionals in computer science and IT continues to soar. Courses in this field cover areas such as software development, cyber security, artificial intelligence and data analytics.
Data from Universities Canada indicates that computer science and IT programs have seen a 30% increase in enrolment over the past three years, while the Information and Communications Technology Council projects that by 2025, there will be a need for more than 250,000 IT professionals in Canada.
Engineering, chemical, mechanical, industrial, even aeronautical fields may not be for everyone but Stats Canada and the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers quote projections to 2025 and beyond that identify demand for 14 different engineering occupations, including civil, mechanical, electrical and electronic engineers as well as computer engineers.
For grads who are more “people-oriented,” the Health Sciences Association of B.C., which represents more than 130 professions, lists a variety of well-paid career options, including physiotherapist, medical radiation technologist, hospital pharmacist, respiratory therapist and hospital social worker.
Then there are a broad range of career opportunities for outdoor-oriented grads offered by Environment and Climate Change Canada, a branch of the federal government that predicts weather and environmental conditions, works to prevent and manage pollution and promotes examples of clean growth for a sustainable environment.
Environment Canada employs more than 7,600 people in a broad range of fields, including biology, chemistry, climatology, communications, engineering, environmental sciences, human resources, hydrology, informatics, law, law enforcement, library science, meteorology, policy, and more.
Then there are careers in the arts.
A report from the Conference Board of Canada entitled “Valuing Culture” examines the role of Canada’s creative economy in attracting business and investment.
The report estimates that the economic footprint of Canada’s culture sector was $84.6 billion in 2007 and has grown exponentially since then, with culture-sector employment now exceeding 1.1 million jobs.
And finally, I’d be remiss if I did not include the range of career opportunities in the education and teaching sector.
Much like doctors, nurses and vets, teaching is a true vocation. Teachers, in my own experience, get job satisfaction unmatched by most professions.
But there is a caveat. I always tell young teacher trainees: “Once you graduate and find a job, you’ll have five years to discover if you really are a teacher. If you are, nothing else will matter for the next 30 or so years. If you suspect that this is not for you, then please, please find something for which you are better suited.”
Geoff Johnson is a former superintendent of schools
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