Information and Communications Technology Council

Information and Communications Technology Council
Name	Information and Communications Technology Council
Type	Not-for-profit policy and research organization
Founded	1992
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Region served	Canada
Leader title	President and CEO

Information and Communications Technology Council The Information and Communications Technology Council is a Canadian not-for-profit policy and research organization based in Ottawa that focuses on workforce development, skills forecasting, and digital policy in the Canada technology sector. The Council engages with stakeholders across Parliament of Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, and private-sector firms such as BlackBerry Limited, Shopify, Bell Canada, Telus, and Rogers Communications to align labour-market strategies with emerging technologies. It collaborates with educational institutions like the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, University of Waterloo, and Carleton University, while informing policy discussions involving Prime Minister of Canada offices, Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia provincial ministries, and Indigenous organizations. The Council's work intersects with international bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Telecommunication Union, World Economic Forum, United Nations, and European Commission.

History

Founded in 1992 amidst a period shaped by the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations and the rise of companies like Nortel Networks, the organization emerged as a response to shifting labour needs in Canadian information technology ecosystems, influenced by events such as the Dot-com bubble and policy debates within the House of Commons of Canada. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s it engaged with stakeholders including Industry Canada officials, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission commissioners, and technology employers like Sierra Wireless and Celestica to address skills shortages highlighted during the 2008–2009 financial crisis. In the 2010s its agenda expanded to include digital economy themes championed at forums like the G20 summit and reports from the World Bank, responding to advances by firms such as Google, Amazon (company), Microsoft, and Facebook. Recent years saw interactions with federal initiatives led by ministers from Liberal Party of Canada cabinets and collaborations addressing issues raised at conferences like CANSEC and Collision.

Mandate and Objectives

The Council's mandate concentrates on skills forecasting, labour-market analytics, policy advice, and digital-skills training, aiming to inform decisions by actors such as the Governor General of Canada's office, cabinet ministers in Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and provincial labour ministries. Objectives include producing evidence used by organizations like the Business Council of Canada, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Conference Board of Canada, Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and colleges such as Humber College and Seneca College to design programs responsive to technologies from companies including IBM, Cisco Systems, and Oracle Corporation. It also targets inclusivity priorities relevant to groups represented by Assembly of First Nations, Métis National Council, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and advocacy entities like Women in Communications and Technology.

Organizational Structure

Governance comprises a board of directors drawn from corporations such as TD Bank Group, Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, and technology firms including Accenture, Deloitte, and KPMG Canada, alongside academic representatives from institutions like York University and Queen's University. Executive leadership typically liaises with policymakers from Privy Council Office and program directors coordinate research units that relate to technical domains shaped by innovations from NVIDIA, Intel, AMD, ARM Ltd., and standards processes in bodies like Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and Internet Engineering Task Force. Regional offices and advisory councils connect to provincial capitals including Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs span apprenticeship models, digital-skills bootcamps, and upskilling initiatives similar in scope to efforts by Microsoft Philanthropies, Google.org, and IBM SkillsBuild, often developed in partnership with employers such as SAP SE and Siemens. Initiatives address priority areas like artificial intelligence workforce readiness influenced by research from OpenAI and DeepMind, cybersecurity pipelines informed by forums like RSA Conference, and telecommunications skills tied to 5G rollouts championed by Ericsson and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.. Targeted projects support cohorts from underrepresented communities associated with networks like Canadian Women in Technology and veterans groups linked to Veterans Affairs Canada.

Research and Publications

The Council publishes labour-market forecasts, skills taxonomies, and policy briefs drawing on methodologies used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and analysts at the Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation, and McKinsey & Company. Reports frequently cite trends observed at industry events such as CES, SXSW, and Interop, and examine implications of technologies developed by Tesla, Inc., Palantir Technologies, and Snowflake Inc.. Research outputs aim to inform decision-makers in institutions like the Bank of Canada, Canada Infrastructure Bank, and provincial economic development agencies.

Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement

The Council maintains partnerships with postsecondary networks including the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, apprenticeship delivery partners like SkilledTradesBC, international agencies such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and private partners including LinkedIn and Indeed (company). Stakeholder engagement involves consultations with labour organizations like the Canadian Labour Congress, employer groups such as the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, and community institutions including urban municipalities like City of Ottawa and City of Toronto.

Funding and Governance

Funding sources combine project grants from federal departments like Employment and Social Development Canada, contributions from corporate sponsors including Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud, and project-based philanthropy aligned with foundations such as the Thomson Reuters Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Governance adheres to nonprofit regulatory frameworks overseen by Canada Revenue Agency charity registration rules and board stewardship practices common to organizations like United Way Centraide Canada and Canada's Technology Triangle.

Category:Technology policy organizations in Canada