IT Professionals Making a Difference; Anne's Challenges/Solutions
Q7: How can ICT professionals get involved in making a difference and how can they make contributions?
A: ICT professionals can volunteer at their local schools, become a mentor to students, and talk about the various careers one can have that involves ICT.
Q8: In your current role, what are the biggest challenges, and their solutions? How does this relate to business?
A:
- Challenge one: Perception. IT careers are technical. Job market is not good.
Solution: Industry needs to speak out to the increasing demand of professionals in all areas. In IT and non-IT organizations technology is prevalent everywhere. There are careers in business operations, program management, sales, technical engineering, marketing, public relations, communications, legal, accounting, Advanced Services, so many to list.
Through the assistance of organizations such as CIPS, the sector councils, Skills Canada organization we hope to get the message out. - Challenge two: Our business partners in Canada are looking for IT tech-savvy students with business acumen and soft skills needed to drive their business.
Solution: They are looking at the students coming out of post secondary institutions with diplomas/degrees and Industry Certifications that they need to hit the ground running. Canadian organizations know that they must invest in people, skills and training. Learning is continual. - Challenge three: Today's students need to be aware that building a career is just that. You build step-by-step. Each position will require different skills that you can develop over time.
Solution: Students should do their research on the type of company they would like to work for. Transferable skills are really important to communicate to the prospective employer. How can you help them solve their problems? - Challenge four: Today we are all facing the fact that a good percentage of our teachers, professors are going to retire soon. We need to assist in building up the profile of Academic Instructors - they are key to promoting learning and the desire to learn.
Solution: Ministers of Education, Boards of Education in each province should promote teaching as an exciting career.