Adam March has been trying to find work in Ottawa’s high-tech sector for more than a year.
A 24-year-old business graduate working on a second degree in information systems, March thought he would have no trouble finding a job right after he graduated.
“I was lined up through the school for four job interviews with computer companies,” says March.
“The school drilled it into my head that a second degree would be in demand . . . I assumed I was going to get a job.”
However, the economy tanked while March was in the interview process.
He says all of the high-tech companies he was applying to put a hiring freeze in place.
“When I applied there were around four positions at each company,” says March. “But when I was going for my interviews, the jobs available went down to one or two, and there were four or five people applying for them.”
March says the reason why he can’t get a job in his field is because he is competing with laid-off employees who already have experience or connections in their field.
Born and raised in Ottawa and now living on Elgin Street, March currently works at The Source trying to pay off his student debt.
According to Statistics Canada's October unemployment numbers, Ottawa-Gatineau’s unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 5.4 per cent, after months of decline.
Furthermore, the report says adult women aged 25 and over and youth aged 15 to 24 accounted for the entire increase.
Although Ottawa-Gatineau’s job market is growing compared with the national economy's 8.6 per cent unemployment rate, the small job gains have been offset by a huge increase of people seeking work in the region.
Last month, 800 new jobs were created in Ottawa, but that increase pales in light of the 3,000 new job seekers who have sparked the increase in the unemployment rate.
The technology sector in Canada continues to be on the decline overall, shedding 1,100 more jobs.
The sector now has 50,800 jobs, the lowest number since May 2005.
Employment in the high-tech sector has declined 29 per cent in two years, and some 20,600 people have lost their jobs.
Jim Irwin, director of engineering at Espial Group Inc., a television software development company in Centretown, says university graduates should be looking for work in growth areas such as mobile, wireless and green technology.
“The job growth is still there,” says Irwin.
“The main thing is for students to be patient, competitive, and willing to work for competitive rates.”
He also says networking is a key skill set. He recommends students attend seminars at the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation that focus on attracting young people to Ottawa’s high tech industries.
Carl Sullivan, program co-ordinator at Youth Employment Services Centretown and East, says in today’s economy, it is important to gain experience anywhere possible, even if it is not an ideal position.
“Every experience can help develop a repertoire of skills. It also gets you an additional reference,” he says.
“Pursue your dreams and passions but be open-minded to exploring opportunities that lie outside your area of formal education or training.”
With 77 per cent of youth who used the service reporting a positive outcome, Sullivan says the program could help many Centretown residents seeking jobs in Ottawa.
The service provides workshops specifically geared to help people find jobs in Ottawa’s volatile information technology sector.
A three-day workshop is held weekly at its east and west-end locations.
A referral to the workshop must be obtained by Northern Lights Vocational Services prior to the workshop date. Information can be found at itoottawa.com.
Sullivan says youth always have a more difficult time finding work, but youth rarely use workshop resources.
“There has to be a starting point and some patience if you want to pursue your interests and passions,” says Sullivan.
March is choosing to widen his options by learning French and pursuing other levels of training. He says he is interested in attending the workshops Ottawa’s employment services have to offer.