[can.jobs] Hi Tch-TECH in BC

acton@grads.cs.ubc.ca (Donald Acton) (03/07/88)

Recently in this news group there has been some discussion about jobs in the 
computer industry in Canada. In Friday's Vancouver Sun there was a piece 
on the computer industry in BC.  The article is only about BC and is 
based on a Science Council of BC report, however I would imagine that some
of the same trends identified would exist in the rest of Canada. 
The following is a brief summary of some of the points raised in the article.

In 1987 the "technology products industry" was composed of 794 companies 
employing 11,500 engineers, scientists, managers and skilled support staff. 
It is now a billion dollar a year industry. (Although it is not clear 
I assume they are referring to sales.) In 1985 the industry had sales of 
700 million dollars and employed 7,000 people. Current growth rates are in 
the 20 to 50 percent range. It is expected to be the third largest industry
in BC by 1995. Now quoting directly from the report:
    "The information technology industry in BC has reached a size that is 
     of significant value to the BC economy yet there is very little awareness
     of its size and value even among members of the industry."
  
Other findings of the report
   - the industry is growing at rates more than double those of 
     manufacturing and primary industries. 
   - both Canada's and BC's research spending in relation to gross domestic 
     product is well below that of other countries
   - the report calls for BC's primary industries to aggressively apply 
     the new technologies
   - there is a large lack of venture capital firms


Donald Acton