Loading....
x
SUSANNA KELLEY
WATERLOO,
Ont.
-
When
most
people
think
BlackBerry
they
think
of
the
booming
high-tech
company
Research
In
Motion
Ltd.
making
billions
-
an
outfit
with
thousands
of
employees,
easily
bankrolling
a
millionaires'
row
in
its
hometown
of
Waterloo
in
southwestern
Ontario.
And indeed, in Canada's so-called Technology Triangle - the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge - as many as 2,000 high-paying, high-tech jobs are going begging.
But in a startling juxtaposition, the region is also registering an unemployment rate of 9.2 per cent, higher than the national average of 8.6 per cent.
And even here, there are homeless living on the streets.
The number of unemployed has nearly doubled compared to this time last year, with 26,000 people out of jobs now compared to 14,500 in 2008.
But while the jobless numbers rise, there are 1,500 to 2,000 jobs open every day at the approximately 550 high-tech companies that inhabit the Technology Triangle.
Why the glaring discrepancy?
Though 30,000 people work in the industry, community leaders believe they may have a classic skills mismatch on their hands.
Many of those available, well-paying, high-tech jobs are highly specialized or require significant experience, or both, says Iain Klugman, CEO of Communitech, a 600-member, high-tech industry association.
Salaries ranged from $50,000 to more than $177,000 in 2008, but the qualifications are steep.
"It's not just about smart people, its about smart people with some very specific skills, abilities and experience," Klugman said.
"Filter tuning is a very specific kind of area that is not a common skill, working in optics and optical engineering is a very specific skill, software space is a very specific skill.
"So that's really the problem."
Ken Seiling, chairman of the regional municipality of Waterloo which includes five of the seven municipalities in the Statistics Canada measurement, said there are a number of factors pushing up the unemployment rate.
"Our manufacturing sector has been hit pretty hard over the last couple of years and so there are a lot of people who have lost their jobs as a result of that," Seiling said.
next page]
And indeed, in Canada's so-called Technology Triangle - the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge - as many as 2,000 high-paying, high-tech jobs are going begging.
But in a startling juxtaposition, the region is also registering an unemployment rate of 9.2 per cent, higher than the national average of 8.6 per cent.
And even here, there are homeless living on the streets.
The number of unemployed has nearly doubled compared to this time last year, with 26,000 people out of jobs now compared to 14,500 in 2008.
But while the jobless numbers rise, there are 1,500 to 2,000 jobs open every day at the approximately 550 high-tech companies that inhabit the Technology Triangle.
Why the glaring discrepancy?
Though 30,000 people work in the industry, community leaders believe they may have a classic skills mismatch on their hands.
Many of those available, well-paying, high-tech jobs are highly specialized or require significant experience, or both, says Iain Klugman, CEO of Communitech, a 600-member, high-tech industry association.
Salaries ranged from $50,000 to more than $177,000 in 2008, but the qualifications are steep.
"It's not just about smart people, its about smart people with some very specific skills, abilities and experience," Klugman said.
"Filter tuning is a very specific kind of area that is not a common skill, working in optics and optical engineering is a very specific skill, software space is a very specific skill.
"So that's really the problem."
Ken Seiling, chairman of the regional municipality of Waterloo which includes five of the seven municipalities in the Statistics Canada measurement, said there are a number of factors pushing up the unemployment rate.
"Our manufacturing sector has been hit pretty hard over the last couple of years and so there are a lot of people who have lost their jobs as a result of that," Seiling said.
next page]
News from ©The Canadian Press, 2009
more canada stories
Teen accused of posting Facebook hit list agrees to plead guilty for no jail time
VANCOUVER, B.C. - A B.C. teenager intends to plead guilty to posting a hit list on Facebook targeting 117 of his peers and teachers because it's a charge the Crown could prove, his lawyer said Friday.
Gilles-Andre Gosselin pleads guilty in sponsorship scandal
OTTAWA - Gilles-Andre Gosselin, a key player in the federal sponsorship scandal, pleaded guilty Friday to several charges related to fraud totalling $655,276.
B.C. university student takes top award at global entrepreneur competition
VANCOUVER, B.C. - A British Columbia student who founded one of the world's largest Internet song lyric websites has taken the top prize at a global entrepreneur contest.
Canadian stamp sells for more than a quarter of a million at New York auction
NEW YORK - A 12 pence Canadian stamp more than a century old has sold for US$260,000 at a New York auction, the highest price ever paid for a single Canadian stamp.
Nearly a third of the members of Parliament are on Twitter bandwagon
OTTAWA - Members of Parliament are scrambling to climb aboard the Twitter bandwagon - and getting elbowed by controversial, satirical and even phoney postings.
editor's picks
Nearly a third of the members of Parliament are on Twitter bandwagon
OTTAWA - Members of Parliament are scrambling to climb aboard the Twitter bandwagon - and getting elbowed by controversial, satirical and even phoney postings.
U.S. volunteers strive to save Santa letter service after Postal Service puts it on ice
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A group of volunteer Santa Claus "elves" in Alaska's frigid interior is determined to save a popular holiday letter service featuring the North Pole's most beloved icon.
Egypt, Algeria in a growing diplomatic row caused by their bitter soccer rivalry
CAIRO, Egypt - Egypt on Thursday recalled its ambassador to Algeria for consultations as part of a growing diplomatic row caused by a bitter soccer rivalry between the two Arab nations that has sparked violence among fans.
EU heads into new era with unknowns named to new president, foreign policy jobs
BRUSSELS - The EU says it has solved an old problem for Washington.
Finance minister proposes code of conduct for credit-and debit-card companies
OTTAWA - Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is proposing a voluntary code of conduct for credit-and debit-card companies that he says will "level the playing field" for consumers and small businesses alike.
Copyright 2001-2009, Free Daily News Group Inc.