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The following statement was issued today by Judy Foote, Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology. It was also read in the House of Assembly: The Information Technology Human Resource Development Strategy Committee today released its final report entitled "Information Technology - Closing the Human Resources Gap in Newfoundland and Labrador." The committee that reported on this important issue is a partnership of interested parties including Operation ONLINE Inc., Human Resources Development Canada, the Newfoundland and Labrador Alliance of Technical Industries (NATI), the Canadian Information Processing Committee (CIPS) Viking Chapter, industry and educational stakeholders, and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The committee was established to address changes in the IT sector, particularly as they relate to human resource issues and requirements. The report provides us with valuable information that enables us to make changes now that will benefit our people in the future. It also provides us with insight on where our province is today in terms of IT growth. We have 230 IT firms operating in the province today, employing approximately 6,000 of our people in the information technology sector in our province. I am pleased to say that this represents a 30 per cent increase over the past year. This study highlights the need for us to adapt to the rapid changes in the information technology sector, particularly with the high demand for, and shortage of, qualified and experienced workers. What the study found was that there is a significant gap between the skills possessed by entry-level employees in the IT sector and those desired by IT employers. A second, and equally important find, as my colleagues will appreciate, is the need for experienced employees and a need to improve specific skills and knowledge areas. We take these findings seriously and have taken steps to close the technology gap this study determined. The first step is the introduction of an industry development strategy put forth by Operation ONLINE. My department is committed to working with Operation ONLINE, the Department of Education, industry and the other stakeholders to meet the challenges in the growing IT sector. This morning, my colleague the Minister of Education announced that we have formed a new Provincial Education and Training Advisory Committee for reviewing existing and new Information Technology programs offered by training institutes. These are steps that we believe will help us to effectively develop the information technology sector in our province and assist our efforts in diversifying our economy. 1998 05 27 4:20 p.m.
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