On Friday, February 28th, Global Skills Hub’s CEO, Yousuf Khatib spent some time in Ottawa moderating a STEM Recruitment Night Panel alongside Natalie MacArthur, Director Talent Strategy Invest Ottawa, Anshul Singh, Assistant Director, Admissions at CarletonU and Sandipan (Shawn) Halder, Account Executive NuEnergy.ai.

This was an exciting opportunity for us to engage with over 750 STEM students and alumni and high-tech employers eager to hire international and local talent. The event was jam-packed with new cultural experiences for everyone featuring the Ottawa 67s vs. Oshawa Generals hockey game and an Indian classical dance performance.                                      

Canada has steadily worked towards becoming a global leader in tech and it is an exciting time to be part of this transition. Through progressive policies, such as the Global Skills Strategy, cities like Ottawa are able to incrementally build their tech ecosystem by opening their doors to the world's best talent.

The Global Talent Stream was introduced 3 years ago to address the shortage of skilled workers in Canada by allowing companies to easily hire highly qualified international candidates and expedite visa processes. This strategy provided Canada with a competitive edge over our southern neighbors when attracting international tech talent as it is less restrictive and champions diversity in our economy.  

Ottawa is committed to taking advantage of international talent to stimulate its ecosystem and the STEM Recruitment Night is one of many avenues used to build social connections and strengthen ties within the community. A common issue that Ottawa faces with tech talent is brain drain; losing their highly skilled graduates to “flashier” cities like Toronto and San Francisco. The Global Skills Strategy has helped to bridge this resource gap by unlocking the potential of international talent, which brings unique perspectives and brilliant minds into the Canadian workforce.

The STEM Recruitment Night reinforced the potential of diversity in the tech industry and Global Skills Hub is grateful for the role we play in this ecosystem. We are excited to continue this momentum in Ottawa at Tech Day on Parliament Hill, on March 10th and support innovative programs like Coding for Veterans. Following this event, we will also be helping our friends with the launch of Lighthouse Labs on March 12th.

Stayed tuned for more of our adventures and a special shout-out to our CEO, who celebrated his birthday on February 29th over the weekend with our community at his favorite immigrant story restaurant - Lahore Tikka House.