Skills in Demand by Industry

Top 10 Skills in Demand by Industry

The skills and credentials employers look for the most vary by industry. The charts below list skills and certifications relevant to each industry.

To view skills in demand by occupational group visit our occupation page. For other industry trends check out the Industries/Occupations page.

Accommodation and Food Services

This sector is made up of businesses that provide short-term lodging and complementary services to travellers and vacationers. Facilities include hotels, motels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, housekeeping cottages and cabins, recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds, hunting and fishing camps and various types of recreation and adventure camps. It also includes businesses that prepare meals, snacks and drinks to customer orders.

Accommodation and Food Services. Skills: flexibility, fast-paced setting, teamwork, customer service, communication, work under pressure, English language, interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and organizational skills. Certifications: WHMIS, food safety certification, driver’s licence, smart serve, first aid, cook certification, CPR certification, food and beverage server certification, Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Administrative Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services

This sector includes two different types of businesses: those that support the day-to-day operations of other organizations and companies involved in waste management. The first type includes activities like administration, hiring and placing workers, preparing documents, taking orders from clients, collecting payments for claims, arranging travel, providing security and surveillance, cleaning buildings, and packaging and labelling products. Waste management companies collect, treat, and dispose of waste material, operate material recovery facilities, and remediate polluted sites and clean septic tanks.

Administrative Support, Waste Management and Remediation. Skills: communication, customer service, flexibility, interpersonal skills, English language, attention to detail, teamwork, fast-paced setting, decision-making, self-motivated. Certifications: driver’s licence, first aid, CPR certification, possession and acquisition licence (PAL) – restricted firearms, security guard licence, WHMIS, air brake endorsement, Canadian Securities Course (CSC), Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP), and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA).

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

This sector is made up of businesses that grow crops, raise animals, harvest timber, harvest fish and other animals from their natural habitats, and provide related support activities.

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting. Skills: teamwork, problem solving, American Sign Language (ASL), analytical skills, occupational health and safety, attention to detail, English language, flexibility, decision-making, farm tractors. Certifications: first aid and WHMIS.

Arts, Entertainment and Recreation

This sector includes organizations that operate facilities or provide services to meet the cultural, entertainment and recreational interests of their clients. They produce, promote or participate in live performances, events or exhibits intended for public viewing or preserve and exhibit objects and sites of historic, cultural or educational interest. Others provide the artistic, creative and technical skills necessary for the production of artistic products and live performances. Organizations that operate facilities or provide services that allow patrons to participate in sports or recreational activities or pursue amusement, hobbies and leisure-time interests are included in this sector.

Arts, Entertainment and Recreation. Skills: communication, customer service, sales, flexibility, problem solving, time management, interpersonal skills, leadership, teamwork, organizational skills. Certifications: CPR certification, first aid, WHMIS, Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP)

Construction

This sector is made up of companies that build, repair and renovate buildings and engineering works, and that subdivide and develop land. The sector is divided into three sub-sectors: building construction, heavy and civil engineering construction, and specialty trade contractors.

Construction. Skills: teamwork, communication, interpersonal skills, customer service, English language, flexibility, attention to detail, problem solving, organizational skills, fast-paced setting. Certifications: driver’s licence, WHMIS, Red Seal, plumber certification, 3rd level apprentice, 4th level apprentice, 2nd level apprentice, first aid, 1st level apprentice, 5th level apprentice.

Educational Services

Included in this sector are institutions that provide instruction and training in a wide variety of subjects. This instruction is provided by schools, colleges, universities, and training centres.

Educational Services. Skills: communication, interpersonal skills, teamwork, planning, Microsoft Office, leadership, supervisory, problem solving, customer service, and English language. Certifications: WHMIS, first aid, provincial teaching certification, driver’s licence, CPR certification, non-violent crisis intervention (NVCI) certification, air brake endorsement, red seal, chartered professional accountant (CPA), project management professional (PMP).

Finance and Insurance

This sector includes companies that are involved in financial transactions or facilitate financial transactions. Financial intermediators raise money by taking deposits and/or issuing securities, and in the process incur liabilities that they use to make loans and/or purchase securities. They put themselves at risk by channeling money from lenders to borrowers. Other companies in this group pool risk by underwriting annuities and insurance. They collect fees, build up reserves, invest those reserves, and make contractual payments.

Finance and Insurance. Skills: teamwork, customer service, communication, planning, flexibility, leadership, fast-paced setting, organizational skills, sales, and analytical skills. Certifications: Canadian securities course (CSC), driver’s licence, chartered insurance professional (CIP), certified financial planner (CFP), chartered professional accountant (CPA), certified financial analyst (CFA), investment funds institute of Canada (IFIC) accreditation , six sigma, and project management professional (PMP).

Health Care and Social Assistance

This sector includes organizations that provide health care diagnosis and treatment, residential care for medical and social reasons, and provide social assistance like counselling, welfare, child protection, community housing and food services, vocational rehabilitation, and child care.

Health Care and Social Assistance. Skills: communication, French language, business intelligence, interpersonal skills, leadership, teamwork, planning, flexibility, problem solving, and decision making. Certifications: registered nurse, CPR certification, registered practical nurse, driver’s licence, basic cardiac life support (BCLS) certification, first aid, advanced cardiac life support, WHMIS, trauma nursing critical care course (TNCC), and Canadian triage and acuity scale certification (CTAS).

Information and Cultural Industries

This sector includes companies that produce and distribute information and cultural products. Companies that transmit or distribute these products or provide equipment and expertise for processing data are also included. The main sections of this sector are publishing, motion picture and sound recording, broadcasting, telecommunications, and data processing and hosting services industries.

Information and Cultural Industries. Skills: teamwork, English language, communication, French language, bilingual, flexibility, fast-paced setting, sales, Microsoft Excel, and customer service. Certifications: driver’s licence, chartered professional accountant (CPA), project management professional (PMP), certified information systems security professional (CISSP), smart serve, accredited shopping centre manager (ASM), machinist certification, commercial vehicle operator’s registration (CVOR) certification, air brake endorsement, and WHMIS.

Manufacturing

This sector includes companies that manufacture new products. These products may be ready to be used, or semi-finished to be used in further manufacturing. Related activities like assembling component parts of manufactured goods, blending materials, and finishing manufactured products by dyeing, heat treating, plating and similar tasks are included in this sector. Manufacturing companies are known by a variety of names like plants, factories, or mills.

Manufacturing. Skills: communication, teamwork, English language, attention to detail, customer service, fast-paced setting, leadership, flexibility, interpersonal skills, and Microsoft Office. Certifications: driver’s licence, red seal, WHMIS, project management professional (PMP), air brake endorsement, six sigma, forklift operator certification, professional engineer, first aid, and industrial mechanic (millwright) certification.

Mining, Quarrying and Oil and Gas Extraction

This sector is made up of businesses that extract natural minerals like coal and ores, petroleum, and natural gas. The term mining is used broadly to include quarrying, well operations, milling, and other preparation done at the mine site or as part of mining activity. Included in this sector are companies involved in mineral exploration, development of mineral properties, and mining operations.

Mining, Quarrying and Oil and Gas. Skills: communication, teamwork, decision-making, leadership, planning, interpersonal skills, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, organizational skills, problem solving. Certifications: first aid, driver’s licence, chartered professional accountant (CPA).

Other Services 

This sector includes businesses that repair or maintain motor vehicles, machinery, equipment and other products to make sure they work efficiently. Others in this sector provide personal care services, funeral services, laundry services, pet care, and photo finishing services. Those that organize religious activities, support various causes through grant-making, advocating various social causes, and promoting social and political causes, and promoting and defending the interests of their members are included in this sector.

Other Services. Skills: teamwork, customer service, communication, fast-paced setting, attention to detail, flexibility, interpersonal skills, English language, organizational skills, and leadership. Certifications: driver’s licence, hairstylist’s licence, barber licence, red seal, 4th level apprentice, 3rd level apprentice, automotive service technician certification, 2nd level apprentice, esthetics licence, and 1st level apprentice.

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

This sector is made up of companies where the “product” is the knowledge and skills of these workers. The types of businesses in this sector include legal services, accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services, architecture and engineering services, specialized design services, computer systems design and related services, management, scientific and technical consulting services, scientific research and development, and advertising, public relations and related services.

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services. Skills: communication, teamwork, leadership, customer service, flexibility, planning, fast-paced setting, interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and English language. Certifications: driver’s licence, chartered professional accountant (CPA), project management professional (PMP), red seal, certified information systems security professional (CISSP), professional engineer, WHMIS, powerline technician certification, international financial reporting standards (IFRS), and certified engineering technologist (CET)

Public Administration

This sector includes government organizations.

Public Administration. Skills: communication, teamwork, customer service, business intelligence, interpersonal skills, planning, leadership, organizational skills, decision-making, occupational health and safety. Certifications: driver’s licence, WHMIS, first aid, CPR certification, chartered professional accountant (CPA), red seal, air brake endorsement, project management professional (PMP), power engineer, and six sigma.

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

This sector includes companies that rent, lease or otherwise allow the use of assets. Companies that manage real estate for others, sell, rent or buy real estate for others, and appraise real estate are included.

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing. Skills: communication, customer service, teamwork, English language, decision-making, fast-paced setting, organizational skills, attention to detail, Microsoft Office, and problem solving. Certifications: driver’s licence, red seal, electrician certification, and international financial reporting standards (IFRS).

Retail Trade

This sector includes businesses that retail merchandise and provide services related to the sale of merchandise. Retailers generally sell small quantities of products to the general public. There are two main types of retailers: store and non-store. Store retailers have fixed locations. Non-store locations include retailers like online, mail-order, door-to-door sales, in-home demonstrations, home-delivery and vending machines.

Retail Trade. Skills: customer service, fast-paced setting, communication, flexibility, teamwork, decision-making, leadership, occupational health and safety, organizational skills, attention to detail. Certifications: driver’s licence, pharmacy practice licence, WHMIS, chartered professional accountant (CPA), meat cutter certification, fall arrest protection training course, security guard licence, first aid, project management professional (PMP), and certified information systems security professional (CISSP).

Transportation and Warehousing

This sector includes businesses that transport passengers and goods, warehouse and store goods, and provide services to these businesses. Transportation methods include road (trucking, transit, and ground passenger), rail, water, air and pipeline. National post office and courier companies are included in this sector. Many businesses in this sector are structured as networks with activities, workers, and physical locations distributed over a large geographic area.

Transportation and Warehousing. Skills: customer service, English language, leadership, teamwork, communication, flexibility, attention to detail, self-motivated, fast-paced setting, and budgeting. Certifications: driver’s licence, commercial vehicle operator’s registration (CVOR) certification, air brake endorsement, WHMIS, AZ class licence, forklift operator certification, first aid, defensive driving course, red seal, and truck and coach service licence.

Wholesale Trade

The wholesale trade industry includes companies that wholesale merchandise and provide services related to the sale of merchandise. Wholesaling is typically a middle step in goods distribution and normally operates from warehouses or offices. Wholesalers sell merchandise in large quantities to retailers, businesses, and institutions.

Wholesale Trade. Skills: customer service, attention to detail, communication, English language, fast-paced setting, teamwork, Microsoft Office, forklifts, organizational skills, flexibility. Certifications: driver’s licence, forklift operator certification, first aid, WHMIS, air brake endorsement, aircraft maintenance engineer licence, chartered professional accountant (CPA), project management professional (PMP), power engineer, and six sigma.

Source: Vicinity Jobs. Skills and Certifications by 2 Digit NAICS Industry. August 26, 2020 – August 25, 2021.

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