220,000 workers needed: That’s how vast Canada’s tech skills gap could be by 2020, according to Canadian government and industry experts.
If that gap isn’t closed, many tech companies will be forced to look for opportunities outside the country, Waveform CEO Kirk Simpson recently told CBC News.
“If we can find the talent somewhere else, we might open a second location in the U.S. market or in a European market,” he said. “And those jobs will not go to Canadians.”
Teaching young people to code and harness the power of cognitive computing could be the solution. Cognitive is, “beyond doubt,” our future, says Tanmay Bakshi, a 13-year-old developer, coding advocate and IBM Cloud champion.
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“If we can get the youth involved in this technology, we’ll be creating more job opportunities for them. They’ll have (a better) chance of getting a better job in the AI field.”
13-year-old #dev and honourary @IBMcloud advisor @TajyMany on what excites him about #cognitive tech cc: @IBMCloudCA #BCTech #BCTECHSummit pic.twitter.com/k1xj1FlYrO
— TechPortfolio (@TechPortfolio) March 17, 2017
Bakshi is certainly doing his part.
He hopes to personally assist 100,000 aspiring coders through keynotes speeches, his YouTube channel and his new book Hello Swift: iOS Programming for Kids and Other Beginners.
Frequently Asked Questions
How large could Canada's tech skills gap become?
According to Canadian government and industry experts cited in 2017, Canada's tech skills gap could reach 220,000 workers by 2020 if nothing is done to close it.
What could happen if Canada does not close its tech skills gap?
Waveform CEO Kirk Simpson told CBC News that many tech companies would be forced to look outside the country, possibly opening locations in the U.S. or Europe, and that those jobs would not go to Canadians.
What solution does the article propose for the skills gap?
The article suggests that teaching young people to code and to harness the power of cognitive computing could be the solution to Canada's tech skills gap.
Who is Tanmay Bakshi?
Tanmay Bakshi was a 13-year-old developer, coding advocate and IBM Cloud champion in 2017. Bakshi said cognitive technology is beyond doubt the future and that involving youth would create more job opportunities for them in AI.
How is Tanmay Bakshi helping young coders?
Bakshi hoped to personally assist 100,000 aspiring coders through keynote speeches, a YouTube channel and a book called Hello Swift: iOS Programming for Kids and Other Beginners.