Bridging the Gap: Integrating Emerging Tech Talent into the Workforce
Millenilink CEO and Founder Sabe Mpofu at TECHNATION’s #FutureWave2024 Conference
When it comes to tech, there are a lot of bridges to cross when recruiting the right talent – whether that’s finding the right technical skills, soft skills, or character traits.
So how does one close the gap with the right people and skill sets? That’s why we were at TECHNATION Canada’s FutureWave conference discussing the future of the tech workforce and how staying one step ahead is critical to success.
At the panel discussion, Bridging the Gap: Navigating the Transition from Theoretical Knowledge to Practical Skills in the Tech Sector, our founder and CEO, Sabe Mpofu, was invited to share his thoughts on recruitment, skill building, the essentials to advancing a promising career, and where he sees the information, communications and technology (ICT) industry in the future.
Sabe sat alongside other industry leaders:
Sukhvinder Auluck - Director, Kyndryl
Vanessa Herrick - Vice President, Strategic Communications and Engagement, NPower Canada
Sandra Gabriele - Vice-Provost, Innovation in Teaching & Learning, Concordia University
Rashim Katyal - Career Ready Program Coordinator, TECHNATION (Facilitator)
TECHNATION is Canada’s premier incubator for tech businesses and events, connecting its members to address industry-wide issues and support the development of Canada’s technology sector.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the knowledge that was shared by Sabe - you can watch the full discussion on YouTube!
Current and Future Technology Industry Demands in Canada
With lightning fast advancements in AI, industry needs to ensure that they have the right talent to meet the pace of productivity; an area the Bank of Canada has recently declared an emergency. This will become a new standard expected by consumers; companies and organizations that are readily embracing new technology will see heightened levels of growth and success.
All industries will need creative solutions to meet the growing demand for technical talent.
We can find bright, untapped talent in many underrepresented populations. These demographics show up with brilliantly different transferable skills in areas such as problem-solving, communication and social skills, critical thinking, and creativity.
They have a hunger and vigour to adapt to current and emerging challenges. As Vanessa Herrick profoundly said, “Equity-seeking groups…[had to adapt] to everybody else’s expectations their whole lives. Those people are going to be fantastically successful in an environment that changes.”
Adaptability is a must for organizations to experience long-term success. Hiring individuals that exhibit this characteristic only makes sense.
Millenilink CEO and Founder Sabe Mpofu at TECHNATION’s #FutureWave2024 Conference
Collaboration Between Tech Industry and Academia
Real world experience is increasingly cited as a job prerequisite for most technology roles, including entry-level jobs. Newcomers to Canada, students, and mid-career professionals transferring to new fields require better learning environments that allow them to balance, as stated by Rashim Katyal, “the academic rigor of theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience.”
Many academic institutions don’t have the connections to set students up adequately post-graduation. Partnerships with industry (including recruitment agencies) have to be in place to nurture diverse talent beyond the classroom. Internships and co-ops allow students to work in real world scenarios, giving them valuable experience and employers the seasoned talent they’re looking for. This is what Sabe likes to call Socializing The Theory.
Academic and learning institutions need to rethink how they evaluate and attract talent to their programs. The traditional model of the classroom is flawed; in the rapidly changing ICT landscape, we must consider academic/industry partnerships as part of the curriculum design.
A change in academia not only offers various teaching styles for learning diversity but also helps underrepresented populations achieve their career goals, and Canadians enjoy high quality of everyday services as more individuals fill important jobs.
Without addressing this systemic issue, we are critically stifling the potential growth of emerging talent, and companies miss out on the opportunity to have broadened expertise and sustainably solve for the future.
You’re hiring a person, not a skillset.
Vanessa Herrick, NPower Canada
Dismantling Myths About Building Talent Pipelines
Sabe is creating a paradigm shift, "We think of these things as organizational problems. But these are human problems and we need to break it down to a human level in terms of how we solve it.
By inviting opportunities for a diverse workforce of skilled and well-rounded talent, we are really inviting a diverse array of perspectives to problem solve. Sukhvinder can attest that some of the strongest talent he has hired, come from underrepresented groups, having successfully brought on interns from these groups in the past.
“They’re smart individuals. You know [newcomers and international students] came here for a reason, right? I know it’s a social bias that [industry] shies away from them. But if a person doesn’t have North American experience, is that really relevant in 2024? I don’t think so.”
Millenilink CEO and Founder Sabe Mpofu at TECHNATION’s #FutureWave2024 Conference
Key Takeaways
Meet the changing market… FAST!
Technology is non-negotiable for every industry, however the return on your technology investment is only as good as the people and processes that enable it. Invest in strengthening your tech talent pipelines and you’ll be ready to meet and overcome any challenge facing your industry.
Diversity is more than a moral dilemma. It's a business imperative.
A diverse range of perspectives allows us to tackle a diverse range of problems. No single person can understand every scenario or customer demographic. Talent can come from anywhere: newcomers, new graduates, non-technical domain experts, and mid-career professionals.
Keep Tech Human!
When undertaking a digital transformation three factors must be involved: People, Process, and Technology. With the rising popularity of AI, it's easy to try and create a 100% automated response to the problem you are solving. But all businesses deal with people and human-centred design of our processes and technology is where we will find our biggest successes.
Millenilink partners with TECHNATION to help burgeoning Canadian talent find the right companies and organizations to support their growth. Both Millenilink and TECHNATION are working towards making this nation’s future brighter with cutting edge technology and resources.
If you’re interested in fostering the next generation of tech talent, check out TECHNATION’s Career Ready subsidy program.
Ready to find the right talent? Reach out to us at Millenilink!
Leveraging your relationship with a recruitment agency can help you build a stronger team and achieve better business outcomes. If you’re in Canada or the US and looking for a specialized tech industry recruiting partner, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch to request a consultation.