A study of the skills required by the Canadian photonics industry

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive and up-to-date portrait of the skills desired by the Canadian photonics industry. To accomplish this, we investigate Canadian job postings on popular employment websites in the fields of optics and photonics to characterize clusters of skills in high demand. We supplement this investigation with an analysis of responses to a questionnaire distributed to over 300 companies with Canadian operations. We present the resulting information in a manner to support evidence-based policy decisions, such as recommendations for improvements to educational programs to better meet the training needs conveyed by the Canadian photonics industry.