Advance your career by staying on top of the latest job trends

People are changing jobs and jobs are changing. The essential nature of work itself is evolving. As globalization and technology advance, we continue to transition to a knowledge economy. So, even though job vacancies are on the rise, employers are having difficulty filling the gaps with skilled candidates.

A top study on Canadian job trends for 2022 and beyond noted:

…with employers in many industries struggling to fill open positions, qualified candidates have a good chance at landing the jobs they want most.¹ 

> 43% of Canadian workers are considering a new job in 2022.² 

> Companies across Canada are facing difficulties filling vacant positions. 4 out of 5 (84%) of Canadian companies expect to face hiring challenges in 2022. 1/3 of companies cited the talent pool not being up to par with their needs.³ 

> Employment and Social Development Canada has published job projections up to 2028. They forecast that employment growth will occur for occupations with a larger amount of interpersonal and non-routine tasks, where automation and technological progress are complementary to the work. In other words, growth will occur for highly-skilled occupations.⁴

All this data leads to the same observation. Canada is experiencing a “skills mismatch” problem. There are plenty of job openings and plenty of people looking for work, but those people looking don’t usually have the skills required for the available jobs. As technology advances and our population ages, this problem may increase in the years ahead.

According to Parisa Mahboubi, a senior policy analyst at the C.D. Howe Institute and author of the study on skills mismatch in Canada:

Taking into account a broader set of skills such as information and communications technology (ICT), interpersonal, decision-making and physical skills, the majority of Canadians (92%) considered themselves as being skills mismatched for their jobs.⁵ 

The CD Howe study also highlights the importance of “skills development and lifelong learning” for today’s market.

The increased chances of success for those who acquire in-demand skills and credentials can be found across all industries and occupations.

Join the exploding Data & Technology field

New technologies are prompting changes across all fields and industries. As the world becomes increasingly digital, tech jobs continue to be in demand. The most in-demand IT and tech jobs require credentials and experience relevant to data and security, project development and e-commerce.

Top skills and positions include:

• Developer/programmer
• IT project manager
• Business analyst
• Cloud Architect
• Network Engineer
• Security analyst/architect
• Quality assurance analyst
• Business system analyst

In addition, as more jobs and tasks become digitalized, technical data-based skills are needed across all industries.⁶ 

Programs to explore: Data Analytics, Data Science, Big Data Programming & Architecture, Open Source Intelligence

How to get ahead in Business

The business world is exciting, challenging and offers room for advancement and healthy financial rewards. Which skills and positions are in top demand?

Following the recent global public health crisis, Canada is gearing up to get back to business. However, competition is greater than ever as consumers are accustomed to buying online.

Skills in customer service, sales and administration are needed to promote and manage companies, while skills in project management, scheduling, budgeting and accounting are in demand to help Canadian businesses be competitive.⁷ 

Programs to explore: Business Administration, Accounting, Payroll, Project Management, Privacy Management, Human Resources Management

Digital jobs continue to grow

2022 will likely see a dramatic increase in the demand for digital marketers as businesses and brands prepare for the future. According to LinkedIn, digital skills are the most in-demand, yet there is a large gap between the number of businesses searching for digital skills and the skills in the marketplace.⁸

Top skills and positions include:

• Digital Marketing Specialist
• Digital Marketing Specialist
• Digital Account Executive
• Social Media Manager
• Digital Marketing Manager

Forbes recommends that marketers should upskill to stay relevant, while business leaders should put digital upskill plans in place for their organizations.⁹

Programs to explore: Marketing, Digital Marketing, Creative, Critical & Design Thinking

Healthcare has never been hotter

Healthcare is facing the greatest employment challenges of any industry. These challenges will only continue to grow as we attempt to meet the requirements of our aging population. The public health crisis increased the use of virtual care and telemedicine, creating a need for healthcare professionals to have specialized technical and communication skills. Employers are now looking for professionals that can attend to all the facets of care, including patient scheduling, health information and data management, as well as specializations within the healthcare field.

Top skills and positions include:

• Registered and licensed practical nurses
• Medical administrative assistants
• Medical laboratory technicians
• Healthcare managers

The most in-demand skills include clinical, administrative and support skills.¹⁰ 

Programs to explore: Health Analytics, Health Informatics, Health Information Fundamentals, Applied Clinical Research, Professional Addiction Studies, Nursing Concepts in Continence Care

Whether you’re looking to launch a new career path or advance in your current profession, learning which jobs and skills will be most in demand in the coming years can help you plan the upskilling you’ll need to succeed.

Learn more:

1 Randstad – Job Trends to Watch

2 Benefits Canada

3 Express Employment Professionals – Canada Employed

4 Employment and Social Development Canada

5 CD Howe – Why Canada’s Skills Mismatch is Cause for Concern

6 Randstad – Best IT and Tech Jobs

7 Randstad – Top 10 skills

8 LinkedIn

9 Forbes

10 Randstad – Best Healthcare Jobs