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Determinants of science and technology skills: Overview of the study
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Introduction
Science and technology (S&T) skills have been central to many discussions about Canada's future economic development, where the ability to produce, market and consume new goods and services is expected to play an even more important role than in the past. Innovation requires research and development (R&D), which in turn requires skilled workers such as scientists, engineers and technicians. A skilled domestic market of literate and knowledgeable consumers will contribute to the successful marketing of this innovation.
The federal government has made a commitment to increase its investment in R&D with the aim of making Canada one of the top five countries for R&D performance by 2010 (Governor General of Canada 2001). The government is also taking action to retain our 'best and brightest' researchers and technicians and to attract new ones from abroad (Minister of Finance 2000). Central to these issues is the need for a better understanding of how S&T skills are formed, why students decide to pursue S&T careers, and how people with S&T skills move between occupations and countries.
Statistics Canada's two innovation surveys consistently identify lack of qualified personnel as a significant barrier to innovation. In the 1996 Survey of Innovation (Services Industry), the services sector identified lack of qualified personnel as the sixth in importance of 13 barriers (Statistics Canada 1999a).
Similarly, the Survey of Innovation, Advanced Technologies and Practices in the Construction and Related Industries shows a shortage of skilled workers to be the most prominent obstacle to using new and better building products, building systems and construction equipment. Forty-four percent of Canadian construction and related firms identified this as a major obstacle during 1999. The shortages identified were most likely in the skilled trades. Other human resource- related obstacles included lack of in-house expertise (21%), inability to train workers in the required...