Happy holidays! I am in sixth form doing mostly science subjects and hoping to go to university next year. I am not sure what to study, but I’m doing some research about studying in Canada and came across your name, so I decided to write you. What are the kinds of jobs that are in demand since COVID? Are science jobs in demand? I know the prospects here are not so great, so I am looking for options in Canada as I would like to eventually live there. Hope that you will respond to me. Thank you.
–A.Y.
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Dear A.Y.,
I like that you are doing research while in high school. It is always good to have a plan for your future. Canada, like the rest of the world, has been severely hit by the pandemic, economically. Approximately three million jobs have been lost, and employers struggle to find innovative ways to continue with business.
The Innovation Economy Council published a recent article entitled Magnetic North: How Canada Holds its Own in the Global Race for Innovation Talent, which stated that although the Canadian economy has been “deeply scarred”, the economy is resilient, and there has been an increase in jobs in the STEM sector and, therefore, you should be looking at studies in this area.
STEM WORKERS
Do you know what are STEM jobs? This acronym is for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The jobs that require studies in these areas are the ones that were in demand during the pandemic and are the ones that are paving the way for Canada’s innovative future.
If your studies are in science, technology, engineering, or math, you could land one of the coveted jobs as a lab technician, nurse, doctor, clinical researcher, computer programmer, software engineer and designer, web developer, computer and information systems manager, producer, technical director, creative director, artistic director, project manager, mathematician, statistician, logistician, actuary, electrical engineer, petroleum engineer, forester, physicist, medical scientist, data scientist, animal scientist, software engineer, biomedical engineer, conservation scientist, life scientist, geoscientist, to name a few.
STUDY IN CANADA
If you are interested in studying in Canada, the key is to ensure that you can matriculate at the school of your choice. STEM studies are highly competitive, so you will need to ensure that you have strong grades.
Additionally, you should be prepared to have approximately CAD$20,000 available for each year of study. So if you are doing a four-year programme as an international student, you should be budgeting for approximately CAD$80,000. You will need to be able to satisfy the immigration authorities that you and your family are able to afford the tuition and living expenses. When you apply to the school, they usually give you an estimate of costs to complete your studies. Therefore, good grades and finances should be in place before looking to study in Canada.
If you find that you are not able to afford studying in Canada, you may take the option of studying in your home country then going to Canada as either a temporary foreign worker, then transitioning to permanent residence, or applying directly under the Express Entry System to become a permanent resident. With the right education and talent, there are many options to get to Canada quickly for STEM workers. The Express Entry System could take you approximately six months to be granted permanent residence in Canada, or you could get a work permit in as little as two-four weeks under the global talent stream.
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GLOBAL TALENT STREAM
STEM workers worldwide can have their application for temporary residency in Canada fast-tracked under the Global Talent Stream (GTS). This programme helps Canadian employers attract highly skilled individuals from around the world, and applications can be processed in a matter of weeks. The key is to have a valid job offer from an employer who already has a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) report that demonstrates that your prospective employer has exhausted all possibilities of finding the required talent in Canada.
The Global Talent Stream is part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and is designed to help innovative companies in Canada attract unique and specialised talent with the help of government via the department of Employment and Social Development Canada. It is also intended for companies in Canada that need to fill an in-demand highly skilled position. There is a list of Global Talent Occupations on the government’s website. The list of jobs that are in demand due to labour shortages is updated on a regular basis.
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REMOTE WORK
As you evaluate the changing global market and how you can find a place in it, you will note that the pandemic has accelerated the trend of remote workers. The Innovation Economy Council report highlighted that “large and small companies alike now realise that workers can be productive from virtually anywhere with a good Internet connection. That could be home, another city, even another country. Companies also know they might be able to pay people less in lower-cost locations.”
Post-pandemic realities are that there could be opportunities for high-skilled STEM workers to work for Canadian companies without leaving their home country. Individuals thinking of immigration and Canadian employers are now evaluating factors such as cost of living, congestion, political division, tighter immigration rules, and even environmental factors to chart the best course for the future.
Thank you for your question. I am glad that you are also doing that analysis now. You and your family should consider consulting with a Canadian immigration lawyer to get more information about the requirements for studying in Canada, temporary foreign worker programmes, and the routes to living permanently in Canada.
Deidre Powell is a lawyer, mediator, and notary public in Ottawa, Ontario. Connect with her via www.deidrepowell.com or via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. You may also call 613-695-8777.
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