In a recent report released by CBRE, Oshawa has been ranked as one of the top 5 markets for tech talent growth across Canada.
Oshawa was placed 14th overall in the 2020 Scoring Canadian Tech Talent report, and joins Toronto (No. 1) as the only two GTA cities included in the top 20 rankings, said a city statement.
CBRE Research analyzed 20 of Canada’s leading cities to create a scorecard that ranks each city’s tech talent offering. The scorecard used 13 metrics to measure each market’s depth, vitality and attractiveness to tech employers and employees.
Oshawa was noted in the report as punching above its weight with tech jobs over the past five years. According to the report, Oshawa benefitted from its proximity to the Toronto-Waterloo Innovation Corridor.
Real estate costs, tech employment growth and quality of labour were listed as Oshawa’s top performing drivers. Additionally, the scorecard cited the following Oshawa market highlights:
- A- score for quality of labour
- 36.6% tech talent growth (total percentage change over five years)
- 9,700 tech workers
- 5.1% tech concentration (tech employment as percentage of total employment)
- 34.5% growth of tech degrees between 2014-2018
“Oshawa’s leadership in emerging tech fields complements a deep talent pool of 25,000 post-secondary students in our community at Durham College, Ontario Tech University and Trent University Durham GTA.,” said Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter.
“Oshawa’s tech sector continues to generate a lot of interest, particularly Durham College’s AI Hub and Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation, Ontario Tech University and the ACE Climatic Wind Tunnel, and as a Regional Technology Development Site (RTDS) for Ontario’s autonomous vehicle innovation network (AVIN). Combine those assets with GM Canada’s new McLaughlin Advanced Technology Track for autonomous vehicles/software and it’s clear to see why Oshawa has become recognized for tech growth,” he added.
“Our post-secondary partners have helped grow our city’s tech talent considerably. Their vision and programming, as well as continuous investments in tech are positioning Oshawa as a leading market for tech talent and attracting tech companies to our city,” said Councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri, Chair, Development Services Committee.