With Canada’s population aging, the health care field is changing—and so are the skills necessary to succeed
(Sue Ogrocki/AP)
Janette Smith has had a long and varied career in the sector, initially training as a clinical nurse, but abandoning the effort when she ended up “hiding in the bathroom so I wouldn’t have to do catheters.” She went on to work as a health promotion officer for the Region of Peel, and 27 years later finds herself as its Commissioner of Health.
Smith sees one of the biggest changes in the sector as the shift towards geriatric care. “We’re having to adjust to an aging population that is living longer and getting chronic diseases,” she explains. “We also haven’t thought that much about customer service, and how we go about doing something, instead of just its outcomes. We’re starting to look at that differently now.”
Brian Golden is the Sandra Rotman Chair in Health Sector Strategy at the University of Toronto and The University Health Network; his work includes research into area of strategic change and implementation in the sector. When it comes to the future of the sector, Golden foresees a move towards health and business integration. “I think what we’ll see more of is positions based on performance and experience improvement—more positions outside of the traditional brick and mortar hospitals,” he says.
Golden says that where health care funding used to have little to do with performance or volume, things are changing. “What’s happened is attempting to have funding be attached to quality and volume of services. Now strategy matters—hospitals have to decide what programs they’re good at. Now all of a sudden, you need financial skills, you need management skills.”
Smith’s advice for those considering a career in the sector? “Do your homework and figure out what your passion is,” she says. “Think about some interesting combinations—there are some really interesting cross-degree programs now that will make you more marketable as a hire.”
* Demand Outlook is the estimated demand for employees in that category by 2021:
➚ = more than 1 job per job seeker
➙ = about 1 job per job seeker
➘ = less than 1 job per job seeker
| Job Rank | Job Title | Median Salary | Wage Growth | 5-year employment growth | Outlook* | Job listings by Indeed™ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Pharmacist | $99,840 | 9% | 38% | ➚ | Search Pharmacist job listings |
| 19 | Health & Community Service Manager | $104,541 | 9% | -10% | ➚ | Search Health & Community Service job listings |
| 21 | Nurse Practioner | $74,880 | 13% | -21% | ➚ | Search Nurse Practitioner job listings |
| 22 | Occupational Therapist | $78,395 | 18% | 32% | ➚ | Search Occupational Therapist job listings |
| 27 | Health & Occupation Inspector | $72,800 | 9% | 22% | ➚ | Search Health & Occupation Inspector job listings |
| 48 | Registered Nurse | $74,880 | 6% | 14% | ➚ | Search Registered Nurse job listings |
| 53 | Psychologist | $79,997 | 10% | -3% | ➚ | Search Psychologist job listings |
| 58 | Health Care Manager | $89,440 | 12% | -4% | ➙ | Search Health Care Manager job listings |
| 59 | Executive Director, Health Services | $90,397 | 21% | -28% | ➙ | Search Health Services job listings |
| 62 | Head Nurse & Medical Supervisor | $79,040 | 9% | 25% | ➙ | Search Head Nurse & Medical Supervisor job listings |
➚ = more than 1 job per job seeker
➙ = about 1 job per job seeker
➘ = less than 1 job per job seeker
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