{"id":7373,"date":"2018-08-23T10:42:28","date_gmt":"2018-08-23T14:42:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.brainstation.io\/?p=7373"},"modified":"2021-01-29T09:22:41","modified_gmt":"2021-01-29T14:22:41","slug":"torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills","title":{"rendered":"Toronto’s Tech Boom Increasing Demand for Data Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As we’ve written about, Toronto’s<\/span> <\/span>tech scene is <\/a>booming, despite a shortage of local talent and a widening digital skills gap. With no signs of a slow down, demand for one particular skill set <\/span>is rising to the fore: data. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlmost every single digital job that we get requires some level of data skills,\u201d said Andrew Carlson, Digital Talent Recruiter at <\/span>Planet4iT<\/span> in Toronto. \u201c<\/span>That is probably still the biggest shortage we see on a day-to-day basis; companies are looking for people who understand how to validate their work using data in order to help drive a business outcome.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what\u2019s driving this search for data-savvy professionals? Here are five reasons why Toronto’s tech boom is increasing the demand for data skills. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The City is Changing \u2013 Fast<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It might have felt like Toronto\u2019s tech transformation happened overnight, but it\u2019s been <\/span>years in the making<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the initial burst of growth, experts say, data professionals weren\u2019t always top-of-mind for companies looking to establish a digital presence. As those digital strategies have matured, however, the need for people who truly understand data has grown rapidly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the same international CBRE report that found that Toronto was North America\u2019s fastest-growing tech hub also reported an 81.7 percent growth in employment in the city for the job category that includes data professionals.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have noticed a large increase for a few years now in demand for data skills,\u201d said Amanda Magnanelli, Marketing and Content Strategist for the Toronto head-hunting firm <\/span>Boost Agents Inc<\/span>. \u201cRight now it\u2019s really interesting because even design roles or UX roles are requiring an analytic approach.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Few companies in Toronto were necessarily prepared for the sudden shift in demand for data professionals.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe need for those type of data roles grew pretty quickly, and it wasn\u2019t something (recruiters) were really expecting,\u201d Carlson said.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demand for Data Crosses Industry Borders<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Across the spectrum, companies pretty much universally want more data \u2013 and need people who can parse it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canada\u2019s data analytics market is expected to generate roughly $1.8 billion annually in revenue according to a <\/span>recent report<\/span><\/a> from the Information and Communications Technology Council, with direct employment in the big data market expected to exceed 43,000 jobs by 2020 \u2013 making it one of the four highest-demand sectors in tech. Meanwhile, another <\/span>report<\/span><\/a> from the ICTC reported that 55 percent of Canada\u2019s big data vendors are based in Ontario.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt used to be that data science jobs were a little more niche,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cNow, the type of data roles we get, they\u2019re across all lines of business, and within all depths of the organizations as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data Skills are a Priority, Even in Less Technical Roles<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although there\u2019s an obvious need for Data Scientists, Data Architects, and Data Analysts, it\u2019s increasingly common to find an expectation for competency with data in other roles as well.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those working in marketing, communications, social media, journalism, or content management \u2013 essentially anyone carrying out a digital strategy \u2013 <\/span>an understanding of data is increasingly becoming a necessity.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toronto Companies are Paying a Premium for Data Skills<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Overall, it\u2019s a great time to be a data professional. Indeed <\/span>recently ranked<\/span><\/a> data scientist and operations consultant as the number five and six best jobs in Canada, noting that the \u201ctwo positions highlight the importance of big data in the business world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe bigger the role data continues to play, the more opportunity there will be for people who specialize in putting this data to use,\u201d the report read.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locally, Data Scientists are particularly sought-after.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe growth factor in data science over the last four years has been almost exponential,\u201d Carlson said. \u201cWhen we started, one out of 10 data jobs were in data science \u2013 now it\u2019s at least 50 to 60 percent.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there’s evidence that companies are willing to pay a premium to snag top talent. Data Analysts, for example, are paid <\/span>19 percent<\/span><\/a> more than the national average, while Data Architects make <\/span>$115,612 per year<\/span><\/a>, 10 percent above the Canadian average.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demand Will Be Met \u2013 One Way or the Other<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thus far, Americans and others from outside the immediate area have been some of the major benefactors of Toronto\u2019s tech talent crunch. CBRE\u2019s study found that Toronto was by far the leader in \u201cBrain Gain,\u201d which meant that more of our talent came from outside the city than any other market in the analysis.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A LinkedIn <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> in 2017 found that U.S. job seekers looking for work outside their country clicked on Canadian jobs 12 percent of the time \u2013 a number that leapt to 30 percent in the tech realm. And Toronto specifically accounted for 46 percent of all clicks for Canadian tech jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the U.S. has its own data-skill <\/span>crunch<\/span><\/a> to worry about, with an IBM study recently finding that the demand for data professionals there is expected to grow 39 percent.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, newcomers to the field will have to step in to fill the void in Toronto. Even those with no background in data can now become proficient quickly with an intensive short-term certification program or course. <\/span>BrainStation, for example, offers <\/span>part-time<\/span><\/a> Data Science and <\/span>Data Analytics courses<\/span><\/a>, as well as a full-time Data Science program, designed to help people dive right into a career in data. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With the Toronto tech boom, and an ongoing shortage of local talent, companies are increasingly struggling to talent in one area: data.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":7386,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[343,84],"tags":[332,331,405,238],"yoast_head":"\nToronto's Tech Boom Increasing Demand for Data Skills | BrainStation\u00ae Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Toronto\u2019s tech industry may be booming, but companies are struggling to find talent in one area. Find out why there's never been higher demand for data skills.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Toronto's Tech Boom Increasing Demand for Data Skills | BrainStation\u00ae Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Toronto\u2019s tech industry may be booming, but companies are struggling to find talent in one area. Find out why there's never been higher demand for data skills.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BrainStation\u00ae Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-08-23T14:42:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-01-29T14:22:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Monteiro_DATA_BOOM_Final.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1160\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"BrainStation\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"BrainStation\u00ae Blog\",\"description\":\"The Digital Learning Company\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Monteiro_DATA_BOOM_Final.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Monteiro_DATA_BOOM_Final.png\",\"width\":1160,\"height\":400},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills\",\"name\":\"Toronto's Tech Boom Increasing Demand for Data Skills | BrainStation\u00ae Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-08-23T14:42:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-01-29T14:22:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11\"},\"description\":\"Toronto\u2019s tech industry may be booming, but companies are struggling to find talent in one area. Find out why there's never been higher demand for data skills.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Toronto’s Tech Boom Increasing Demand for Data Skills\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11\",\"name\":\"BrainStation\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"BrainStation\"},\"description\":\"BrainStation is a global leader in digital skills training, empowering businesses and brands to succeed in the digital age. Established in 2012, BrainStation has worked with over 250 instructors from the most innovative companies, developing cutting-edge, real-world digital education that has empowered more than 50,000 professionals and some of the largest corporations in the world.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/author\/brainstation\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Toronto's Tech Boom Increasing Demand for Data Skills | BrainStation\u00ae Blog","description":"Toronto\u2019s tech industry may be booming, but companies are struggling to find talent in one area. Find out why there's never been higher demand for data skills.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Toronto's Tech Boom Increasing Demand for Data Skills | BrainStation\u00ae Blog","og_description":"Toronto\u2019s tech industry may be booming, but companies are struggling to find talent in one area. Find out why there's never been higher demand for data skills.","og_url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills","og_site_name":"BrainStation\u00ae Blog","article_published_time":"2018-08-23T14:42:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-01-29T14:22:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1160,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Monteiro_DATA_BOOM_Final.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"BrainStation","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/","name":"BrainStation\u00ae Blog","description":"The Digital Learning Company","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Monteiro_DATA_BOOM_Final.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/d2re7sjnpekmig.cloudfront.net\/prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Monteiro_DATA_BOOM_Final.png","width":1160,"height":400},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills#webpage","url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills","name":"Toronto's Tech Boom Increasing Demand for Data Skills | BrainStation\u00ae Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2018-08-23T14:42:28+00:00","dateModified":"2021-01-29T14:22:41+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11"},"description":"Toronto\u2019s tech industry may be booming, but companies are struggling to find talent in one area. Find out why there's never been higher demand for data skills.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/torontos-tech-boom-increasing-demand-for-data-skills#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Toronto’s Tech Boom Increasing Demand for Data Skills"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f37983a6c4da6cf5dd422481ac8cf11","name":"BrainStation","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80c14b8388838ae1453aec36606b232d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"BrainStation"},"description":"BrainStation is a global leader in digital skills training, empowering businesses and brands to succeed in the digital age. Established in 2012, BrainStation has worked with over 250 instructors from the most innovative companies, developing cutting-edge, real-world digital education that has empowered more than 50,000 professionals and some of the largest corporations in the world.","url":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/author\/brainstation"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7373"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7373"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12703,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7373\/revisions\/12703"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}