Ditching the Degree: A Shift in Canadian Workforce Requirements

Written By: Hannah Macready

Growing up in Northern BC, Deanna Wampler, a citizen of the Haida Nation, was no stranger to the barriers Indigenous youth faced when seeking out post-secondary education. Funding was often available through bands or nations, but it often wasn’t enough to cover a four-year degree.

Missing out on a degree means missing out on employment later down the line, a reality that has led to low rates of higher education access for Canada’s underrepresented communities.

Wampler was lucky enough to have family support, and, after completing a commerce degree from Royal Roads University, has gone on to build a successful social media consulting firm. Today, she teaches aspiring entrepreneurs how to take advantage of social media.

Still, she sees university requirements as a barrier, especially for her Indigenous friends, students, and community members. “I’m often working with people who see jobs they want to apply for, but the degree requirement shuts them out,” she says.

“I have so many amazing and talented friends from the North who don’t have strong financial backing, or families who understand how post secondary education works …” she continued. “But there are more ways to build a career than just getting a four year degree.”

Thankfully, some companies are beginning to look beyond standard bachelor’s degree requirements, and instead opening their talent searches up to more skills-based hiring—which is on the rise. Accenture, one of the world’s largest technology consulting firms, started an “earn and learn” apprenticeship program in 2016.

Through the program, apprentices gain real-world experience and receive a salary while undergoing training. At the end of the year-long program, there is even an opportunity for retention within the company.

Brent Chaters, Managing Director at Accenture Canada, says the program has been a great boon in Accenture’s diversity and inclusion efforts. Not to mention their talent resourcing efforts. “[The apprenticeship program] has given us access to talent that historically has been hard to find,” he says. “We’ve also gotten access to a better talent pool, which helps us deploy and deliver better solutions for our clients.”

Other companies, such as IBM, Google, and Okta have followed suit, dropping degree requirements for many skilled positions and instead supporting internal training measures, online certificate programs, and mentorship.

Beyond deliverables, Chaters sees increasing diversity as a necessary asset to Canada’s economic growth. “If we want our GDP to grow, that comes from job opportunities,” he says. Getting more Canadians into more skilled roles, then, is essential. “It's not just good for us as individuals but for the country too.”

The Government of Canada has also been investing in more skills-based training and work integrated learning programs. This includes the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS), the Future Skills Centre, and the Skills for Success Program. Though, one government analyst, who asked not to be named, says that while good policy is a start, employers need to be incentivized to take on diverse groups.

“There are two ways that the government could induce employer uptake of diversity groups,” they say. “One is to provide them with an enhanced wage subsidy for onboarding interns that are from underserved communities.” This, however, still presents challenges. Even with a wage subsidy, there may be transportation or childcare barriers that can make it difficult for interns to participate in the program.

The other option, they say, is through programs like Innovative Work Integrated Learning (IWIL). This program allows delivery agents to create small projects with a range of supports and accommodations tailored to the student's lifestyle and accessibility needs. This includes things like flexible work hours, facilitated daycare, shorter project cycles, and even the use of avatars for individuals with anxiety or neurodiversity challenges to complete group work.

Other alternative upskilling measures, such as microcredentials, skill badging, and apprenticeship programs like those offered by Accenture, are also being explored. Ultimately, the goal is to create a more inclusive workforce and increase opportunities for all Canadians, regardless of their background or degree requirements.

To understand the future of work, all Deanna Wampler needs to do is look to her fifteen year old daughter. The next generation, she says, will have more options when it comes to building a career. “Youth right now see the world so much differently than when I did,” Wampler says. "They're not just thinking about getting a degree or going straight into the workforce after high school. They're looking for different paths and opportunities that align with their interests and skills."