Digital Nova Scotia, the association for the information technology sector in the province, has actually grown during the pandemic, and now boasts more than 200 members.

Since assuming the role of CEO last June, Wayne Sumarah has had to guide the association through the pandemic and challenges of working with a remote staff. What’s more, it had to work with a membership that was trying to cope with the problems of the COVID-19 world.

But something else happened in Sumarah’s first year at DNS. With the in-person economy shutting down, the world became ever more digitized, and the need grew for more tech talent and capacity for adopting digital solutions.

“I was really proud of the way the staff shifted gears in the face of the pandemic,” said Sumarah in an interview assessing his first nine months on the job. He admitted the pandemic took a huge human toll and created hardship for a lot of people. “Despite that, we continue to engage with our members, stakeholders and the provincial government. It’s been a really great year for us.”

A native Haligonian, Sumarah came to Digital Nova Scotia after a nine-year stint with the government of Nova Scotia. Before that, he served as the president of a marketing agency, and was the Vice-President of Marketing for Bell Mobility (Atlantic Region)/DownEast Communications from 2004 to 2008.

In the interview he said the past nine months have flown by and he’s been impressed by the passion and commitment of the DNS team, which comprises eight full-time staff and four co-op students. Even though the organization is now 32 years old, Digital Nova Scotia’s percentage growth rate in 2020 was in double figures, giving it more than 200 members for the first time. These members are IT companies with two feet in the digital space and companies from other sectors that have large IT divisions.

“We’re seeing new companies come into the province as well,” said Sumarah. “We’re helping them to build connections with the broader digital community.”

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One of the challenges facing the IT sector (including all companies with IT divisions) is the need for tech talent, but Sumarah sees more upside than downside with the tight labour market for programmers.

“I see it as a huge opportunity,” said Sumarah. “It’s only a crisis if we ignore it and don’t seize the moment. It’s almost like rocket fuel for our success. Digital firms are citing talent as the No. 1 challenge moving forward, so there’s a huge opportunity.”

The opportunity comes in developing digital talent to meet the growing demand for qualified personnel and expanding the economy. Digital Nova Scotia has its own programs to train people in technology, whether it’s upgrading the skills of existing programmers or retraining people so they can move from traditional industries to the digital workforce.

The association is also working with educational institutions, including high schools, to encourage computer sciences curriculum. It also offers a digital discovery camp to introduce children to basic programming.

One of Digital Nova Scotia’s most popular initiatives is its Digital Diversification Awards, which have been presented each autumn since 2016 and will continue to be a feature during Sumarah’s tenure.  

“Our perspective is that diversity drives innovation,” he said. “The Digital Diversity Awards are really important and celebrate people and groups that are leading the way. . . . It’s an initiative that speaks to the work that needs to be done. We’ll continue to support it.”