What's in a Job Profile

This part of Ontario Job Futures presents labour market profiles for 190 occupations. Each profile covers the following information: description, main duties, education/training, employment prospects, occupational characteristics, and a selected listing of web sites for more information. Each of these elements is explained in more detail below.

Description

A summary description of the occupation is accompanied by a sampling of job titles that are commonly used for jobs within the occupational group as well as a list of typical employers.

The descriptions are based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. The unique four-digit number appearing with each profile is the code used for that occupational group in this classification system.

This code can be used to cross-reference other sources of information based on the same classification system. (For a more detailed description of the NOC, see How are jobs defined) Ontario-specific information has been added, as appropriate, to describe the occupation as it exists in Ontario.

Selected Main Duties

The main duties usually carried out by workers in the occupational group highlight the particular skills workers require to work in the occupation.

While the information provided applies to the occupational group as a whole, specific jobs may have distinguishing features in the core duties to be performed. For example, all writers plan, research and write the material they produce, which could be books, reports, scripts, plays, etc. Yet, the particular skills required may vary according to the material to be produced and the audience for whom the material is intended, e.g., novels or plays compared to technical operation and maintenance manuals.

As well, some occupational groups include jobs that could be affected differently by new developments. For example, technologists and technicians in the same field could conceivably experience different pressures due to technological change.

The main duties section includes a brief note about the working environment for an occupation, which reflects information collected by Service Canada, Ontario Region.

Education/Training

This provides basic information about education and training requirements to enter an occupation. Ontario-specific information, especially for occupations that require a license or other credentials, is noted.

Employment Prospects

The employment prospects section provides information on the expected employment growth for the occupational group to the year 2013, for Ontario as a whole. The section starts with a basic assessment of the employment prospects – either good, average, or limited. This assessment is then explained by some of the key factors that were considered. These factors are:

  • Rate of projected employment growth to the year 2013 for the occupation and how it compares to the projected employment growth for all occupations in Ontario
  • Anticipated number of job openings for the occupation through the year 2013 due to replacement needs as older workers retire; and
  • Reports by employer on difficulties in finding qualified workers to fill vacant positions and/or employer recruiting activities outside Canada.

Information about significant economic or business trends or technological developments affecting the occupation or the skills needed round out the employment prospects section.

As noted in the Introduction, projections should be interpreted with caution. Shifts in the rate of economic growth, technological developments, business restructuring, or changes in government policies can affect the future growth prospects or skill requirements of the labour market. Employment prospects for a given occupation may vary across the province, depending on the situation in each local labour market. The number and type of employers, the occupational make-up of the workforce, and other local economic conditions all contribute to the employment prospects for an occupation in a given community. 

Characteristics of Occupation

This section provides information on selected characteristics of each occupation. These characteristics provide insight into the occupation's status within Ontario's labour market.

Estimated employment in 2006
The estimated employment for the year 2006 shows approximately how many people are working in the occupation. Some occupational groups are large – such as sales clerks or retail trade managers – each with over 100,000 workers. Other occupations have relatively small workforces; for example, employment of air traffic controllers or railway engineers each number less than 2,000 in Ontario.

Male/Female employment
The proportion of men and women working in an occupation can vary substantially and is continually changing over time. In some occupations, however, men dominate employment; in others – women; and in still others, the workforce is fairly evenly divided between the two sexes.

Full-time/part-time employment
In many occupations, such as in management occupations, most of the employment is full-time. However, there is a significant number of occupations where part-time employment is present to varying degrees. For example, many of the jobs for beverage and food servers are part-time. The Labour Force Survey definition of employment used in this analysis counts part-time jobs in the employment totals.

Self-employment
Many workers, especially in occupations associated with manufacturing and production, are employees of organizations. On the other hand, many workers in professional occupations are self-employed. Self-employment has been a growing phenomenon in recent years and is found in varying degrees in a wide range of occupations.

Main industries of employment
The percent of total employment is shown in the industry sectors that are of greatest importance for the occupation. Some occupations, such as secretaries, are found in many industries while others, such as tool and die makers, are mainly found in one sector, in this case - manufacturing. (For a quick reference, a sampling of typical employers is also provided along with the description of the occupation.)

Employment by Economic Region
The percent distribution of total employment for the occupation and for all occupations is shown for eleven broadly defined regions in Ontario (refer to map). The employment of some occupations is fairly evenly distributed around the province relative to total employment. Examples include secondary school teachers, retail trade managers and secretaries. Employment of other occupations tends to be more concentrated in one or two regions of the province. Examples include forestry technicians and technologists with a greater proportion working in Northeastern Ontario, and financial analysts in the Toronto area.

Average annual employment income
Based on the 2006 census data, the employment income for an occupation is shown and compared with the average employment income for all occupations for 2005. This income estimate is occupation specific, i.e., it is based on information provided for full-time, full-year employment and it illustrates the relative income position for this occupation in comparison to all occupations.

Additional Information

For each occupation a sampling of web sites in Ontario and other jurisdictions has been drawn to provide information about education and certification programs; general information about the industry; career features and available jobs; and links to other similar sites. Newspapers, journals, company annual reports and various brochures also provide valuable information. (The More Information page also contains links to other resources.)

Many of the web sites are created by or for organizations outside of the provincial/federal governments. These sites might not be available in French. Any specific comments or inquiries regarding these sites should be directed to the individual organization concerned.