La mobilité interprofessionnelle au Canada

Résumé

The aim of this article is to examine the relationship between the field of training and the field of employment. Data were obtained from the Highly Qualified Manpower Survey conducted in 1973 by Statistics Canada for the Ministry of State for Science and Technology. The author points out the difficulties met by the researcher who embarks on the study of the education-employment complex and the way it works. Although the statistics are rather simple (use of percentages), they are sufficient to make the point that there is quite a lot of variation between fields, in terms of both mobility into one field from other related disciplines and out of that field into related disciplines. Teaching is still the main avenue for employment for university graduates (33.5%). This occupational sector being saturated, graduates will face more difficulties in finding jobs. Using a supply and demand approach, it is evident that the relationship between education and employment is loose in many disciplines. Five to 10 years after graduation, inter-occupational mobility is far-reaching. Different trainings thus give access to a plurality of occupations, and a certain occupation may be filled by individuals coming from a variety of trainings. This conclusion underlines the existence of complementarity and substitution in any human capital. Generally speaking, inter-occupational mobility helps to overcome problems associated with the supply and demand of highly qualified manpower and aids the promotion of the individual through work.