Question Period Note: Government of Canada Digital Talent Strategy

How is the government developing, hiring and retaining the expertise needed in a modern, digitally focussed organization?

• The Government of Canada’s Digital Talent Strategy outlines our commitment to building a skilled and diverse workforce and identifies specific actions to attract, develop and retain digital talent.
• This commitment includes a requirement for departments to source talent through existing employees or recruitment before hiring external IT contractors.
• To support our digital workforce, the government maintains an IT Training and Development Fund, jointly administered with union partners.
• The first “GC Digital Talent Strategy Year in Review” is expected to be published this Spring. It will highlight the government’s progress in advancing digital talent and outline priorities for the year ahead.

The GC Digital Talent Strategy is led by the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS). OCIO is responsible for supporting the digital community across government.
OCIO takes a government-wide approach to attracting, developing, retaining, and leading digital talent. This means helping departments get the people and skills they need to offer modern, high-quality services. The focus isn’t just on filling jobs today—it’s about building long-term support for digital professionals at every stage of their careers, from hiring and onboarding to ongoing learning and growth.
The mission names were updated in the first Year in Review to better reflect OCIO’s internal
plans, but the main goals of the strategy stayed the same.
• Mission 1 – Attract top digital talent
The Government of Canada (GC) is updating how it brings digital professionals into the public service. This includes using government-wide services, targeted outreach, and a more user-friendly, digital-first applicant experience. Many digital experts are drawn to the change to do meaningful, large-scale work that benefits Canadians.
• Mission 2 – Develop digital talent
The GC is helping digital professionals and teams build future-ready skills through learning programs, clear career paths, and hands-on development opportunities. From onboarding to leadership development, the focus is growing people, not just filling jobs.
• Mission 3 – Retain digital talent
The GC is working to create a workplace where digital professionals want to stay. This means supporting innovation, teamwork, and making employee well-being a top priority.
• Mission 4 – Lead the digital workforce
The GC is promoting strong, inclusive leadership across government. With strategic partnerships, active community engagement, and visible recognition of success, the GC is building a vibrant, diverse digital community ready to lead the future of public service.
Early guidance for departments and agencies
Departments and agencies are receiving early guidance on how to support digital talent by taking the following seven common actions:
1. Use existing government-wide recruitment and development services before creating new ones.
2. Follow the Policy on Service and Digital and its related tools: the Directive on Digital Talent and the Mandatory Procedures on Digital Talent.
3. Review and improve internal processes that affect digital service development.
4. Align with government-wide direction for building multidisciplinary teams and using flexible staffing options to recruit and develop digital talent.

1. Make space for ongoing learning through the Canada School of Public Service or specialized training.
2. Build a culture focused on people, results, and service to help increase the GC grow as a digital government.
3. Let TBS know about any challenges in recruiting, developing or retaining digital talent.
   In its first year, the GC Digital Talent Strategy delivered real results and built a strong foundation for a more flexible and capable digital workforce. Highlights include:

• A full range of digital talent services offered by TBS, including executive recruitment, talent mobility, succession planning, talent management, mentoring, and personalized career support. These services help departments find, develop and retain digital talent more efficiently.
• Attracting digital talent: Continued development of the GC Digital Talent Platform (talent.canada.ca), which makes it easier to apply for jobs, find talent, and manage candidates. The platform is designed for scale and speed, helping departments connect with qualified digital professionals quickly.
o Since is launch in November 2022, the platform has seen:
 44,121 profiles created
 42,670 job applications submitted
 1,274 applicants prequalified by recruitment specialists
 129 recruitment campaigns launched
 237 filled positions (May 1, 2025)
• Developing digital talent: The IT Community Training and Development Fund is now fully operational. It supports 20,000 IT professionals represented by PIPSC with access to on-demand courses, instructor-led training, and exam vouchers—helping them grow their skills and stay current.
• Developing all public servants: Launched the six Digital Competencies for All Public Servants, helping employees build the skills needed for today’s digital workplace. A Digital Competencies Playbook was also developed to support learning and implementation.
• Retaining digital talent: The Annual Digital Talent Survey gathers feedback from digital professionals across the GC. This data shapes HR planning and informs how to better attract, develop, and retain digital talent.
• Leading the digital workforce: Hosted the Annual Digital Leadership Summit (every winter) and Digital Government Community Awards (every spring) to bring the digital community together, share ideas, celebrate achievements, and strengthen collaboration across government.

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