As Kanata North tech firms prepare to showcase their companies to a flurry of job-seekers next week, Techopia Live sat down with Veronica Farmer, director of operations with the Kanata North Business Association, to learn about how the hunt for talent is changing in the tech park.
The Brookstreet Hotel will host more than 80 Kanata North companies on April 2 for the KNBA’s annual Discover TechNATA career fair. Farmer says they’re expecting roughly 2,500 job-seekers to filter through the fair that day, with “every square inch” of the hotel’s ballrooms and exhibition space booked for the tech park’s companies.
“It is an enormous opportunity for the companies in Kanata North who are looking for talent to be connected to bright minds who are looking for job opportunities in the park,” Farmer told Techopia Live.
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While finding enough talent to grow has been a well-documented concern for companies across Ottawa, the needs are evolving in Kanata North. Farmer notes that sectors beyond the tech park’s traditional telecom roots, such as autonomous vehicles, cybersecurity and clean tech, are putting fresh demands on the local companies to attract top-tier talent.
With hundreds of companies in the area all vying for the same skilled workers, competition for talent becomes a natural side-effect of a growing local economy. Farmer said the wider region needs to be proactive to supply local firms with the talent they need.
Partnerships with post-secondary institutions are crucial to feed students to companies through co-op placements, as well as to build out curricula that align with industry demand. Beyond that, Farmer noted that Kanata North companies need to be on the same page as external recruiters and benefits providers to present a united front on the reasons talent should consider working and living in Ottawa.
“It’s really a community effort to make sure … we can attract that talent and engage with them,” Farmer said.
To hear more from Techopia sponsor KRP Properties about how companies can use their real estate to attract talent, watch the video above.
