At the end of 2022, Statistics Canada issued a study stating that there is a skills gap in Canada’s STEM labour force. This vacuum is caused by the increasing rate of retirement, as well as the rising technology and automation of enterprises and daily life. STEM jobs have emerged as foundations of Canada’s changing economy. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services had 56,915 job openings in Canada at the end of 2022 Q4. Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia had the highest demand for specialists in these sectors, demonstrating their advanced and innovative industries. One of the components of the 2023 Federal Budget is to invest $20 billion to support the building of major clean electricity and growth infrastructure projects, which in turn leads to an increase in demand for workers in the tech sector. Canada’s AI sector is also growing, which has caused an increase in demand for tech workers. The Global AI index shows that Canada is ranked fourth for its global competitiveness in IV innovation, implementation and investment. Further, many STEM occupations offer a competitive salary compared to other sectors. In 2021, the average compensation for this sector was $90,252, which is well above Canada’s average of $69,311. In addition, at the end of 2022 Q4, the average wage in the STEM sector was $35.80, which was more than double in other sectors like accommodation and food services.
Eligibility
To be eligible under the new category for STEM professionals, you must:
Meet the eligibility criteria of one of the Express Entry programs (the Federal Skilled Worker Program, or Canadian Experience Class, or Federal Skilled Trades Program) Have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 6 months of continuous work experience in one of the listed occupations Meet all of the other requirements in the instructions for the round and comply with all of the additional requirements outlined in the round of guidelines.
| Occupation | NOC CODE |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronics engineers | 21310 |
| Architects | 21200 |
| Architecture and science managers | 20011 |
| Business systems specialists | 21221 |
| Civil Engineers | 21300 |
| Computer and information systems managers | 20012 |
| Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) | 21311 |
| Computer systems developers and programmers | 21230 |
| Cybersecurity specialists | 21220 |
| Data scientists | 21211 |
| Database analysts and data administrators | 21223 |
| Electrical and electronics engineers | 21310 |
| Engineering managers | 20010 |
| Industrial and manufacturing engineers | 21321 |
| Information systems specialists | 21222 |
| Land surveyors | 21203 |
| Landscape Architects | 21201 |
| Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries | 21210 |
| Metallurgical and materials engineers | 21322 |
| Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers | 41400 |
| Software developers and programmers | 21232 |
| Software engineers and designers | 21231 |
| Urban and land use planners | 21202 |
| Web designers | 21233 |
| Web developers and programmers | 21234 |