A new report released Tuesday says in each of the next five years Canadian companies will need to hire about 17,000 information and technology workers.

Right now, we can't meet the need and the report says "the tech sector will face alarming skills and labour shortages."

All regions of the country will face systemic shortages. The report was prepared by Ottawa-based Information and Communications Technology Association (ICTC), which works to focus attention on the ongoing skills shortage in tech.

In addition to a shortage of people, those who are available often don't have the right skills. Employers want tech skills and an ability to "understand the business of their companies such as marketing and operations."

ICTC believes the job market is undergoing "a radical change in skill sets."

Recent graduates of co-op programs will generally find work. However, graduates of traditional ICT programs and foreign-trained workers will have a much harder time finding work.

As for solutions, the report sticks to the suggestions made three years ago when the last report was filed.

  • More emphasis on college and university tech programs especially with co-op placements;
  • doing more to integrate foreign workers;
  • going after more women, aboriginal and other non-traditional workers.

The tech industry has admitted in the past it's done a poor job of promoting itself as a top career choice and young people have looked elsewhere.

It has also been unable to keep women in the workforce because the industry cannot deal with their work-life balance. Currently, 75 per cent of tech workers are men.

Finally, the report says all indicators point to resurgence in spending on technology, but more than 40 per cent of that spending will be in the Asia-Pacific region.

Canadian firms must be active in that area and they need to have the employees to support that effort.