Telecommunications

The telecommunications sector is primarily engaged in operating, maintaining and providing access to facilities for the transmission of voice, data, text, sound and video. It also includes companies that provide services through the use of telecommunication devices (i.e. call centres).

IDP Survey Results

Each year, SREDA conducts an industry development program survey. The survey is intended to maintain product information on industrial companies operating within the Saskatoon region and assess specific industry sectors' prospects for growth and labour market needs.

A potential 13 companies were contacted for the industry survey and 12 participated, which represents a 92 per cent response rate.

Labour

The telecommunications industry has seen a steady decline in labour availability since 2004. The addition of several new call centres in the last two years has created an increased labour demand in this sector. According to survey respondents, the availability is of concern; it is stemming growth in this sector.

Labour shortages are occurring in the telecommunications industry, with 45 per cent of respondents indicating difficulty filling the following positions:

Administrative Personnel
Programmers
Trades People
Unskilled Labour

The quality of labour was ranked high by all of the respondents in the survey. One hundred percent of managers replied that labour-management relations, employee work ethic and employee skill level were either excellent or good.

Sales and Growth

Revenues remain steady or rising for 89 per cent of respondents in the telecommunications sector. This stability has created optimism for growth over the next year.

With the optimistic climate in the telecommunications industry, expansion plans are in the works for 17 per cent of the respondents.