Settling for More: Matching Newcomers to Alberta’s Tech Sector

​The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) would like to invite business leaders and newcomers throughout the province for a mix and mingle event on November 29th at 3 pm MT. This event will host presentations from Albertan newcomers, ERIEC: Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council, and Kudos' Director of People, Anette Ceraficki. Join us for an opportunity to engage with industry leaders and international talent with the goal of forging new relationships, uncovering opportunities, and advancing Alberta's talent supply.

​While Alberta’s overall economy has faced recent hurdles, its digital economy is rapidly growing, offering high-quality employment opportunities. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Alberta’s digital economy remained highly resilient, seeing continued demand for talent. From February 2020 to August 2021, employment in Alberta’s digital economy grew by 9.4%, compared to a decline of 0.7% in the overall economy. Moreover, this trend is expected to not just continue, but accelerate. Recent ICTC research finds that the demand for talent in Alberta’s digital economy will reach 203,000 by 2025.

​Yet, despite this opportunity, a major barrier exists: a lack of skilled talent available to meet employment demand. Skilled talent can be found through numerous supply groups, including new graduates, workforce transitioners, and newcomers. Each year, Alberta greets large numbers of internationally educated immigrants with skills and experience suited to the digital economy. Unfortunately, this talent is often underutilized, limiting both Alberta’s digital economy and newcomers themselves. This report investigates how best to enhance newcomer participation in Alberta’s digital economy and leverage their skills and lived experience to support future growth and shared prosperity.

​​This mix and mingle event will provide:

• ​Presentations from a local newcomer, a regional support organization, and an Albertan based tech company

• ​The opportunity to engage with local talent on current industry needs

• ​​Ask local employers questions about what makes a great hire for them

​​ICTC is pleased to introduce you to our esteemed subject matter expert who will be joining the discussion on November 29th :

​ANETTE CERAFICKI

​Anette is the Director of People at Kudos, which provides recognition and performance software for companies committed to building and maintaining strong employee cultures. Anette's career in human resources has primarily been at growing tech companies, with a focus on helping people thrive at work, as well as building strong teams and communities. When not at work, Anette enjoys the great outdoors in and around Calgary.

​ADAEZE (ADA) OPENE

​I believe that learning and innovation go hand in hand. Do not think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow!

​My name is Adaeze (Ada) Opene, a Nigerian immigrant and a Geology graduate from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri with over a decade of technical expertise in increasing production through optimization of various data and high technology tools in the oil and gas industry.

​I am presently an IT Project Management student with the University of Calgary Continuing Education through EDGEUP and looking forward to a smooth transition into IT Project Management role and other related roles.

​As a dedicated professional to the end user, I consider myself to be a complex problem solver, very passionate and a strong believer in the power of positive thinking to improve work efficiency.

​In my personal life, I have found great benefits in implementing wellness measures through taking long walks, hiking, meditation and a very close knit with my family.

​EFE DICKSON FOMAH

​Efe Fomah is a professional reservoir geologist, Petrophysicst and Geophysicst with 19+ years in the upstream oil and gas sector working in various capacities from oilfield analytics, data acquisition, interpretation, modeling and simulation. He is currently enrolled as an Information Technology Project Management student in the Calgary Economic Development (CED) funded Edge Up 2.0 program, delivered in partnership with the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) and the , University of Calgary Continuing Education. This is in line with his desire to transition from his traditional oil and gas roles into the growth oriented digital economy.

​Efe’s keen professional interests include IT project management, data analytics, numerical simulation, Predictive analytics, Geoinformatics and geographical information systems. His personal interests include trail hiking, mixed martial arts, Japanese anime and video games.

​ERIEC

​Established in 2008, Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council (ERIEC) is dedicated to ensuring immigrants are welcomed and participate in the Edmonton economy to their full potential.

​ERIEC's programs support building a diverse community. We work with a network of stakeholders that include businesses, immigrant service providers, the skilled professionals new to our community, Edmonton employers, and the three orders of government.

​ERIEC’s mentorship and networking programs support career and economic integration for new immigrants to Canada. ERIEC is the bridge between employers’ labour needs and globally trained new residents so that these new residents can find work in their professions.

​Our mentorship and networking programs offer a range of services and methods that help immigrants to build their local network and understand the Canadian workplace culture. We connect Edmonton employers with the global talent and help them develop intercultural and leadership skills in their current team.