Much has changed since March 2020 and in many ways we have all been forced to adapt. One of the greatest impacts of the pandemic is widespread unemployment across Canada and Prince Edward Island. There are many jobs that were lost with some becoming obsolete, while others have been adapted by technology and moved online to digital environments.
The pandemic has accelerated digitalisation and Canada's digital economy. Many companies had to adapt and move their business operations online in order to survive and continue servicing their customers. Further, it is predicted that new digital jobs and careers are expected to be created over the next five years due to the pandemic. The result is there are many digital careers available with a shortage of skilled workers to fill those digital jobs and positions. This means for many people, that if they improve their digital skills and literacy, there is ample opportunity to participate in the digital workforce.
What may surprise you is many people already have the basic skills necessary for some of these digital jobs, while others may have to upskill their digital literacy. If you have a computer or digital device, experience an administrator or working with people in sales and customer service, a background in conducting research, have a love and passion for taking pictures and doing photo editing, enjoy writing short stories, creating content and organizing digital pictures in online photobooks, and are familiar with filling in online forms and data entry, then you may already have the transferrable skills necessary for many digital jobs and careers that exist and are in high demand. It is a matter of understanding this new world of work, the digital and non-cognitive skills that are needed, and how to present, brand and package yourself online so you are able to secure employment or start your own business as a freelance entrepreneur in what is being called the smartphone and gig economy.
It is no secret that many people faced difficult losses as a result of the pandemic, including impacts on careers and the way we work. While losses were experienced, the world of work is changing and we are now being faced with opportunities to embrace new digital careers that tend to pay better than average, that also offer more flexibility than the traditional 9-5 job which allows us to strike a better balance between personal, home, and work life balance.
A great benefit of working in the digital economy is the world is your oyster, literally! You are no longer tied to geographic boundaries when work is done online.
There are many new and exciting opportunities and careers that are emerging as a result of the pandemic. In the coming days ahead, we will be sharing information about these digital careers that open up a whole new world of work that you can do from the comfort of your own home if you so desire.
In our next piece, which will be published this weekend, we will discuss what exactly are digital skills and the digital economy. We will unpack the jargon used in the industry and share it in everyday plane language and explore some of the most popular digital careers and jobs available in PEI and Canada.
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AUTHOR: Nancy Beth Guptill, Dream Launch Grow
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