The information technology industry has room to grow in Windsor, according to a new report.
Workforce Windsor Essex unveiled the findings of the report Thursday at Red Piston, a web and game design firm in the Walkerville area.
The report focuses on what is classified as the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. It lists a series of eight challenges facing ICT firms in the area and potential solutions. It also identifies the number of people in Windsor-Essex who are employed in the sector, but more importantly, the need to keep professionals in the area to help these businesses grow.
The report says over 3,000 people are employed in ICT in Windsor-Essex, a number that has not changed much in the last few years. It also shows that nine out of ten ICT firms surveyed have specialty positions that are hard to fill.
Doug Sartori, board president for Workforce Windsor Essex, said the number of young ICT professionals looking for work elsewhere needs to be addressed.
"One of the early findings in the survey was that one out of two students enrolled in the ICT programs at the [St. Clair] College and the University of [Windsor] plan to leave the region to start their careers," said Sartori. "This challenge is magnified when students struggle to name the ICT companies in the region."
To address that issue, an ICT leadership table was set up last year. Workforce Windsor Essex produced introductory videos profiling six local ICT companies, with one of them being Red Piston.
Ali Al-Aasm, Red Piston's co-founder, said the report is an eye-opener and they are confident ICT companies in the region will rise to the occasion.
"What's great about a report like this is that for businesses like us, you get the metrics, it's quantifiable," said Al-Aasm. "You see that, 'Oh yes, they were right. There is a little bit of an issue, and we can fix that.'"
Another issue raised in the survey is the need to employ more women in the ICT sector, with 79% of all those employed in the field being male. The report suggests that girls and young women should be fully encouraged to learn about ICT, and employers should do more to provide a friendly, inclusive workplace where women can take leadership positions.
Workforce Windsor Essex's website has the complete report available, along with the eight challenges listed.