The State of Tech Report
Workforce Windsor-Essex recently released a report outlining
The State of Tech in Windsor-Essex.
The report addresses the tech brain drain that has led to the relocation of local tech talent. The tech sector provides essential support to the region, but who is telling the narrative.
The Big Picture
It is estimated that about 98% of businesses in Canada are small and medium size enterprises, with about 74% having less than 10 employees. That means, most businesses depend upon external vendor partners to provide essential services and government to stimulate innovative growth. The 2% large corporations tend to control the marketing narrative, which has created a perception of diversity and inclusion. The report identifies the primary barrier to economic growth is in the lack of a local connected hub. Innovation without collaboration limits creativity and community participation.
The Challenge
Diversity and Inclusion is an action and not just good intentions. That is, the Tech Sector Report has overlooked the largest untapped talent pool hidden within the disability community. Also, the report indicates that local graduates have tech talent, but overlooks the lack of understanding in how people use assistive technologies. The report recommends that employers connect more closely with local educational institutions, but overlooks the importance of connecting with the local disability community. So, the prevailing marketing narrative “accommodating is the right thing to do” is misleading, disrespectful and costly for small business.
Solution
The tech economy report highlights the fact that the local community must become more integrated through a concentrated hub that can identify local resources, educational opportunities and greater small business supports. The collective voice of small business can be a powerful advocate for the Ontario goal of full inclusion and equality. Business development and entrepreneur associations must advocate on behalf of their members for greater integration of the AODA four prosperity principles; Dignity, Independence, Integration and Equality. Integrating, not just accommodating, the needs of people into the design and development of technology, will strengthen the local infrastructure and position Windsor-Essex with a competitive edge in the global economy.
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