When Martin Kijazi graduated with a PhD in forestry and environmental science from the University of Toronto in 2007, he thought his chances to find work were good.

With all the talk about climate change and the green economy, Kijazi, 37, chose environmental science so he’d be in demand.

He wasn’t. Instead, despite applying for hundreds of jobs, he spent the last four years drifting between unemployment and contract work.

A new report called Imagination to Innovation: Building Paths to Prosperity reveals that Canada is doing a good job in building the PhD talent pool, but not always in hiring it.

“Our talent pool is holding its own and the number of Canadian university graduates is rising, with especially rapid growth in doctoral degrees in science,” says the report by the Science, Technology and Innovation Council, The advisory group to the federal government is made up of prominent members from academia, industry and government.

However, it notes that in 2006, using data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Canada’s employment rate for PhDs lags behind many European countries, the United States and Australia. Comparable data was not available for many countries including emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil.

In a look at 12 countries ranging from Austria and Portugal to the United States, Canada had the highest unemployment for PhD graduates in engineering and medical sciences.

In Canada, the unemployment rate for those with PhDs in the natural sciences, it was about 3 per cent; for engineering it was closer to 4 per cent. In the U.S., it was slightly higher than 1 per cent in natural sciences and 1 per cent in engineering.

Advisory council chair Howard Alper argues innovation is to key to Canada’s long-term success.

That doesn’t just mean investing in research and development. It means cultivating Canadian workers so they can transform knowledge into products and services that people in the global marketplace want, need and are willing to pay for.

Alper, who is a chemistry professor at the University of Ottawa, believes programs to link graduate students with start-up companies could create the ideal situation.

Those in the final year of master’s or PhD programs could go to small firms with an arrangement that government contribute to the salary initially. But over time, the company picks up more of the salary, until they’re paying in full.

“It’s not a new concept,” he said, citing examples in Italy and Turkey, and on a simpler level the co-op program at many universities. “That leads to job creation which is essential, particularly for those coming out of colleges and universities. And it helps grow companies.”

Kijazi initially sought a university teaching position, but widened his search to include companies, research institutes and government agencies.

“It’s frustrating. You kind of feel like you have to apply for a lot of jobs just to improve your chances,” Kijazi said.

Increasing emphasis on commercializing research through partnerships between universities and companies may also have an impact on hiring of PhDs in industry, said Kimalee Phillip, chairperson of the Ontario graduate caucus for the Canadian Federation of Students.

“We’re seeing a lot more private presence on our campuses,” she said, which means companies are offering funding for research that is done by students or professors, so companies might not hire in-house researchers.

Peter Ferguson, who holds a microbiology PhD from the University of New Brunswick, did a decade of post-doctoral work before giving up the search.

His wife, who also has a PhD got a great job at a hospital in London, Ont., so they decided to stay put and raise their two sons.

“You always have to struggle if you want to be a concert violinist or play with the NHL. But I don’t think most people realize how few tenure-track jobs there are,” said Ferguson, 49, who now works as a union organizer.

Sheetal Lodhia, 35, who graduated with a PhD in Renaissance literature from Queen’s University in 2008, has had contract teaching jobs at Queen’s and at Seneca College.

Lodhia said competition for university jobs is getting stiffer as positions go unfilled or cut. For humanities graduates, it’s even tougher.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

She has moved back in with her parents in Toronto, and is working several part-time gigs, from coordinator for a non-profit to art curator.

“After all those years of investment, the time, the money, I don’t feel entitled to a fabulous job, I just feel entitled to a job,” Lodhia said.

But Alper believes that the best and the brightest will always find work. “If you are first rate, you will get a job,” he said, adding top talent can be found in academia, industry and government labs.