Non classifié(e)

La majorité des cadres supérieurs canadiens (81 %) ont de la difficulté à trouver des candidats possédant les compétences adéquates pour pourvoir les postes vacants et 78 % conviennent qu’il existe un écart de compétences dans leur secteur d’activité respectif, mais peu d’entre eux ont fait appel à l’expertise de professionnels du développement de carrière pour relever les défis du recrutement et du maintien en poste, selon une enquête nationale récemment menée par Environics pour le CERIC*.

Pour Le développement de carrière en milieu de travail : Sondage des entreprises canadiennes, le CERIC a sondé 500 cadres supérieurs canadiens dans plus de 11 secteurs d’activité, notamment les services, la vente au détail, l’accueil, la construction et la fabrication. Le sondage met au jour l’opinion actuelle des organisations canadiennes concernant les lacunes en matière de compétences et de talents sur le marché du travail; l’embauche de membres issus de groupes sous-représentés dans le cadre de stratégies pour favoriser l’équité, la diversité et l’inclusion, ainsi que l’importance d’investir dans le développement de carrière. Les résultats du sondage du CERIC sont également comparés avec ceux de 2013 afin d’assurer le suivi des changements survenus au cours des huit dernières années.

Principaux défis pour les entreprises canadiennes

Dans ce contexte pandémique fluide et l’incertitude sous-jacente, la difficulté de trouver de jeunes talents qualifiés s’est accentuée au cours des huit dernières années. Les cinq principaux défis auxquels font face les employeurs sont les suivants :

1. une pénurie de main-d’œuvre qualifiée (75 % contre 68 % en 2013);
2. la recherche de jeunes travailleurs (66 % contre 51 % en 2013);
3. les problèmes liés à la chaîne d’approvisionnement (70 %);
4. l’état général de l’économie (69 % contre 77 % en 2013);
5. la réglementation et la bureaucratie (52 % contre 63 % en 2013).

Tandis que les employeurs de l’Ontario étaient les moins susceptibles de faire face à une pénurie de main-d’œuvre qualifiée en 2013, ils sont maintenant les plus sujets à être touchés par cette difficulté, suivis par ceux du Québec et des Prairies.

Recrutement et maintien en poste des talents

Quatre-vingt-un pour cent des cadres supérieurs canadiens ont de la difficulté à trouver des candidats possédant les compétences adéquates pour pourvoir les postes vacants dans leur entreprise – contre 70 % en 2013. Les éléments suivants présentent également une difficulté :

• la recherche de candidats fiables ayant une bonne éthique de travail (29 %);
• un marché du travail compétitif au sein de leur secteur d’activité respectif (23 %).

Tandis que l’importance du curriculum vitæ n’a pas beaucoup changé depuis 2013, les cadres supérieurs trouvent que l’empreinte en ligne d’un employé potentiel est de plus en plus importante (63 % contre 52 % en 2013).

Malgré l’importance croissante de l’équité, de la diversité et de l’inclusion, on constate seulement une légère augmentation de la proportion des cadres supérieurs qui s’efforcent de personnaliser leurs méthodes de recrutement pour attirer et atteindre des membres de groupes sous-représentés (51 % contre 46 % en 2013).

Regard concret sur les compétences générales

Les cadres supérieurs qui éprouvent plus de difficultés à conserver leurs employés (72 %) constatent plus souvent un écart de compétences dans leur secteur d’activité (42 %) et trouvent qu’il est de plus en plus difficile de recruter des candidats possédant les compétences générales qu’ils jugent importantes (40 %). Si une attitude positive (29%) et de bonnes aptitudes à communiquer (22%) continuent d’être considérées comme les deux compétences générales les plus importantes pour les employeurs potentiels, l’importance de la fiabilité a quant à elle augmenté de plus de 100 % depuis 2013.

Le sondage a révélé que les cadres supérieurs sont plus susceptibles d’embaucher une personne appropriée possédant des compétences générales et de lui offrir une formation (78 %).

Investir dans le développement de carrière pour combler l’écart de compétences

Tandis que 73 % des employeurs interrogés reconnaissent leur responsabilité d’offrir des programmes de gestion de carrière à leurs employés, seuls 27 % d’entre eux le font et 45 % ne connaissaient pas le rôle des professionnels du développement de carrière avant de répondre à ce sondage.

« Les cadres supérieurs canadiens ont l’occasion unique d’aider leurs employés à prendre en charge leur carrière, et ce, en investissant dans des stratégies de développement axées sur la détermination de leurs points forts et d’objectifs de carrière précis qui peuvent accroître leur satisfaction au travail, dit André Raymond, CRHA, Université Laval et président du conseil d’administration.

Les résultats de ce sondage seront dévoilés lors d’un débat d’experts de l’industrie lors du congrès Cannexus du CERIC, le 24 janvier à 13 h 15 (heure de l’Est).

*Du 18 novembre au 17 décembre 2021, Environics a mené un sondage téléphonique national auprès d’employés de niveau supérieur de 501 entreprises canadiennes choisies au hasard dans tout le pays. La marge d’erreur est de ± 4,4 points de pourcentage, au niveau de confiance standard de 95 %.

What occupations and skills are most at risk with automation – and which will remain in demand

By Trudy Parsons 

A report released by the World Economic Forum – Future of Jobs Report – shares a popular estimate, claiming 65% of children who are just entering primary school will work in new job types that do not yet exist. Imagine how this world of work will evolve for these young people who have grown up in a world where smart technology has been an integral part of their lives. Now consider the impact and implications for workers who have a long history of being active in the labour market. What adjustments will they need to make to ensure ongoing and active employment? New skills, new knowledge, and adaptable behaviours will be the foundation on which workers will propel into the future of work. So, let’s consider what that might look like in 2025 and beyond.

Automation, the human worker’s assistant?

Automation can assist human workers, allowing them to focus on more strategic and creative tasks as well as tasks that never existed before – tasks that will be created in an automated future. According to The Talented Mr. Robot – Impact of Automation on Canada’s Workforce, a report by the Brookfield Institute, 42% of the Canadian labour force is at a high risk of being affected by automation over the next 10-20 years. Jobs that are most at risk include routine work (physical and cognitive) such as retail salespeople, administrative assistants, food counter attendants, cashiers, and transport truck drivers. We see this today. Your next order at McDonald’s will be through its automated kiosks, while a visit to Lowe’s may introduce you to OSHbot, a retail service robot that can guide you to the item you are looking for and even help staff with inventory scanning.

While routine, methodical tasks will be replaced through automation, it is important to note that automation has not yet mastered the human mind. Jobs that fall into the routine stream will go by the wayside, while those that require creativity, negotiation, persuasion and care for others will be less impacted. The Brookfield Institute report offers insight into Canadian occupations and the probability of being affected by automation.

The occupations at a high risk of being affected by automation with the most employees are:

• Retail salespersons, 92% probability of automation and more than 656,000 employees,
• Administrative assistants, 96% probability of automation and nearly 329,000 employees,
• Food counter attendants and kitchen helpers, 91.5% probability of automation and nearly 313,000 employees,
• Cashiers, 97% probability of automation and nearly 309,000 employees, and
• Transport truck drivers, 79% probability of automation and nearly 262,000 employees.

Those offering lower risk of impact due to automation include:

• Retail and wholesale trade managers, 20.5% probability of automation and more than 363,000 employees,
• Registered nurses (psychiatric included), 0.9% probability of automation and more than 291,000 employees,
• Elementary and kindergarten teachers, 0.4% probability of automation and more than 271,000 employees,
• Early childhood educators and assistants, 0.7% probability of automation and nearly 188,000 employees, and
• Secondary school teachers, 0.8% probability of automation and nearly 174,000 employees.

When we think about the differences in these occupations, we reflect on those at lower risk requiring cognitive skills, people management, and creativity. In looking to the future and thinking about the skills that will be foundational to remain competitive in the labour market, we need to consider the importance of adaptability and resiliency.

According to Fast Company, the top six skills areas for the future of work include:

• Technology and computational thinking
• Caregiving
• Social intelligence & new media literacy
• Lifelong learning
• Adaptability & business acumen

The reality is our work and its demand for skills and knowledge has evolved throughout history, and this evolution will only continue. We can’t predict the future with certainty, nor can we know today all the job options that will be available for the graduating class of 2025. What we do know is that career pathways will continue along a spectrum that requires exploration, consideration, and a realization that change is inevitable and we will need to adapt, be resilient, and never lose our desire to learn.

AUTHOR BIO

Trudy Parsons is the Executive Vice President with MDB Insight, a national economic development consultancy that promotes the alignment of economic and workforce planning to create stronger pathways to employment. She brings over 20 years of experience working with local community to strengthen the connection between people and jobs.

REFERENCES

Brookfield Institute. (2016). The Talented Mr. Robot: The Impact of Automation on Canada’s Workforce. Toronto: Lamb, Creig. Retrieved from http://brookfieldinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/TalentedMrRobot_BIIE-1.pdf

Harvard University. (2017, May 25). Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Commencement Address. | Harvard Commencement 2017. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmYv8XGl-YU&feature=youtu.be.

Moran, Gwen. (2016, March 31). These Will Be The Top Jobs In 2025 (And The Skills You’ll Need To Get Them). Fast Company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/3058422/these-will-be-the-top-jobs-in-2025-and-the-skills-youll-need-to-get-them

World Economic Forum. (2016). The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Retrieved from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs.pdf

Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Commencement Address | Harvard Commencement 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmYv8XGl-YU&feature=youtu.be; Retrieved 11-23-17

As new technology is applied to automating jobs, workers will have to adapt at a pace of change that we’ve never seen before

By Jeremy Auger

Remember all the hubbub about elevator operators losing their jobs? Of course, you don’t. Yet, despite the lack of fanfare, “elevator operator” is the sole job classification that was eliminated from the US Census primarily due to automation [1]. As we contemplate jobs disappearing with the rise of the machines, a look back at the story of the elevator operator might provide a glimpse into the future of work.

For the uninitiated, elevators used to be “driven” by a dedicated operator, who made sure the car stopped smoothly at the right floor. While automation was possible in the early 20^th century, riders demonstrated some resistance to self-driving elevators. A strike of elevator operators in New York City in 1945, however, left a million and a half office workers hiking up flights of stairs to get to their high-rise offices [2]. That opened up people’s willingness to accept automated elevators – and began the path to the eventual demise of the elevator operator.

So, automation and its impact on the workforce has been happening for a long time. What’s changing are the types of jobs impacted – and the speed of the change.

Automation is not new, but it’s being implemented faster than before

The emergence of artificial intelligence means that it’s becoming possible to automate far more than just elevators. According to an Oxford University study, as much as 47% of US employment could be automated within the next decade or so.[3] A study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which looked at tasks instead of job classifications, predicts that the number of jobs that are totally automatable across 21 OECD countries is actually relatively low –  just 9%. However, the study predicts that a more likely scenario is for machines to take over some tasks within existing jobs, freeing human workers to take on new and more complex – and higher value – tasks.[4]

The bottom line – many of our jobs will be impacted, one way or another, by increasing automation. Some jobs will be taken over entirely by machines, following the path of the elevator operator. Others will find elements of their jobs automated. Workers will be expected to shift their time and effort to higher-value activities – many of which may be new and will require additional training.

What’s truly new, though, is the pace of this change.

When elevator operators were phased out, there weren’t protests in the streets or op-eds in the papers – because the process happened slowly. Elevators are expensive, so automation happened as buildings were updated or new buildings were built. The elimination of elevator operators happened over decades, allowing some operators to simply retire without being replaced while others shifted into other customer service activities.

Given the pace of technological adoption, today’s workers likely won’t have this luxury of time to adapt to changes.

Technology changes at a rapid pace

Think about how quickly smartphones became ubiquitous. The first iPhone launched in 2007; a decade later one billion iPhones have been sold [5].

Or, think about how quickly the notion of automated driving has gone from science fiction to a fast-emerging technology. Some of that advancement started in 2004, when the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) offered a $1 million prize for the first team to create a vehicle that could autonomously drive a 150-mile route through the Mojave Desert. In the first year, over 100 teams competed. None successfully finished [6]. Yet, it started research efforts that quickly progressed. Jump forward to 2016 and Waymo – the part of Google dedicated to developing automated driving technology – had vehicles driving in autonomous mode a total of 635,868 miles over 12 months; and that’s just in California [7]. Technological change that once took a generation now happens over the span of a decade – or faster.

As new technology is applied to automating jobs – and elements of jobs – workers will have to continually adapt. They’ll need access to training to enable them to take on higher-value activities. The trouble is that today’s education system isn’t ready for this massive influx of life-long learners who need to quickly gain the skills required to progress in their careers.

We’re seeing this begin to happen. As workers realize they need to update their skills, the number of non-traditional students, defined as students older than 25 and often working while going to school, is growing. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 42% of all college students will be over the age of 25 by 2020 [8]. These students need a more flexible approach that allows them to focus their limited time on acquiring the new skills they need, not reviewing knowledge they already have.  Meeting that need will require a new approach that makes education accessible to a lot more people.

Evolve the education system to better prepare the workforce

Minnesota’s Riverland Community College is an early example of what this might look like. The school piloted on online-based FlexPace program to allow working adults to rapidly earn their business degree while balancing the demands of work, life and school. The program breaks a traditional two-year program into short, six-week courses that can be taken one at a time. FlexPace students can complete a full business associate’s degree in as little as two years and nine months while managing their other responsibilities. Opening up their business program to non-traditional students has led to a 115% increase in enrolment [9].

Ironically, programs like FlexPace are possible because of advances in technology that allow students to access learning at their convenience, progressing at their own pace, while enjoying an engaging, effective learning experience.

Of course, one pilot in Minnesota is just the beginning. But it points a way forward: leveraging technology tools to enable non-traditional students – which will soon include many of us – to access the training they need to take on the tasks that machines can’t!

AUTHOR BIO

Jeremy Auger is Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder at D2L, a Canadian technology company dedicated to help transform the way the world learns by enabling educators to build engaging, accessible digital learning experiences. He is directly responsible for D2L’s company strategy development, intellectual property strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and government relations.

REFERENCES

[1] How Computer Automation Affects Occupations: Technology, Jobs, and Skills, pg. 5

[2] Remembering When Driverless Elevators Drew Skepticism, NPR

[3] The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation? Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael A. Osborne, pg. 44.

[4] Arntz, M., t. Gregory and U. Zierahn (2016), “The Risk of Automation for Jobs in OECD Countries: A Comparative Analysis”, OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 189, OECD Publishing, Paris.

[5] Apple has sold over 1 billion iPhones, The Verge, July 27, 2016

[6] DARPA Grand Challenge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA_Grand_Challenge

[7] Waymo’s self-driving cars are performing way better, Business Insider, February 1, 2017

[8] Weise, Michelle R. “Got Skills? Why Online Competency-Based Education Is the Disruptive Innovation for Higher Education”

[9] D2L Customer Story: Riverland Community College is providing working adults with flexible and personalized education options