Back in November of 2022, ChatGPT dropped. It’s been roughly three years now.<\/p>\n
Artificial intelligence had been around before then, but that moment put the tech in the palm of everyone’s hand, and artificial intelligence continues to evolve and reshape the way industries operate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of the industries most intimately tied to AI as it develops is the computer science industry, and at Red River College Polytechnic, Associate Dean of Creative Arts and Applied Computer Education Karen Kabel says that though the landscape is changing, that doesn’t mean opportunity is waning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Manitoba, it is still a major issue of IT shortages and labour shortages across the province,\u201d said Kabel, \u201cEven with AI, the jobs are shifting more to different kinds of IT jobs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The change in the landscape\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kabel says that while global headlines often focus on tech layoffs, the local story looks very different. Manitoba, like much of Canada, continues to face a significant skills gap in IT.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a shortage of [IT workers] in 2024 of like 24 to 34 percent,\u201d she said, \u201cAnd now what they\u2019re showing for Manitoba and Canada is we\u2019re up to as far as 78 percent shortage of IT roles. So, it\u2019s increasing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She explained that AI has introduced new demands rather than replaced human work. For example, as cyberattacks become increasingly AI-driven, the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals has grown dramatically.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re needing more security people than ever before, and there [is] a huge shortage of security people around the world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Upskilling and adaptability\u00a0<\/p>\n
While some traditional roles have evolved, Kabel emphasized that the essential skills for success remain grounded in adaptability and continuous learning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople need to have the ability and flexibility to pivot and upskill to learn things that utilize AI,\u201d she said, \u201cThe job is changing… and it\u2019s happening not just in Manitoba, but around the world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She added that the role of human judgment and critical thinking remains vital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Building smarter training\u00a0<\/p>\n
RRC Polytech has already adapted its programs to prepare students for this new landscape.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIn our program, we\u2019ve now started teaching the students, for example, all the core things in the beginning, and then they start using AI gradually, but they\u2019re learning the ethics and things behind it before they fully use it,\u201d Kabel explained, \u201cBecause if you don\u2019t understand it, how do you know it\u2019s doing the job accurately?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
This includes courses on secure coding, threat modelling, cloud platforms, and governance. All areas that are increasingly critical as businesses adopt AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Related stories:<\/p>\n
‘Thinking outside the box’<\/p>\n
For those feeling uncertain about entering the field, Kabel offers reassurance from the perspective of someone who once shared that skepticism.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI spent 25 years in security, like information cybersecurity,\u201d she said, \u201cSo if anybody was going to be a skeptic, it would be me… but AI is amazing. It helps you with creativity and innovation and thinking outside the box.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She points out that virtually every sector, from healthcare to agriculture,\u00a0now relies on technology and AI tools.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing into computer science, the possibilities are still endless,\u201d Kabel said. \u201cThey just might be different, and you might specialize and learn other things that you wouldn\u2019t have traditionally learned in the past.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The safest bets in tech\u00a0<\/p>\n
When asked which areas offer the most stable future, Kabel didn\u2019t hesitate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say cyber,\u201d she said, \u201cBecause I know the demand\u2019s going up… and also a program that teaches you data science and machine learning.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She highlighted how these fields reach far beyond traditional IT, touching nearly every modern industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re in heating and cooling or electricity, everybody\u2019s using AI and programming and IT services to run their systems,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And at the end of the day, Kabel reminds us:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still going to need people to run the tech,\u201d she said, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t run by itself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Back in November of 2022, ChatGPT dropped. It’s been roughly three years now. Artificial intelligence had been around…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":285534,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[62,276,277,49,48,61],"class_list":["post-285533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-artificial-intelligence","tag-ai","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-artificialintelligence","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285533"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285533\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/285534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}