Technical Service Council

The Technical Service Council was set up to combat the "brain drain" of Canadian engineers to the United States, when over 20% of the graduating classes were emigrating. Ireland, India, New Zealand and even Switzerland have had similar problems.

In 1927, Canadian industry financed the Council, whose directors concluded that a non-profit employment service that was free to graduates might minimize emigration. The service survived the Depression, played a part in recruiting scientists and engineers for war work, pioneered outplacement and expanded to include other professional occupations. It financed major studies of the supply of and demand for engineers and offered free-job-hunting courses to professionals.

Although started in Toronto, the Council eventually had offices in Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver before becoming bankrupt in 1994. It may have reduced the brain drain during its first 20 or 25 years, but it's not possible to judge its later record.

In the 1920s over 20% of Canadian engineering graduates emigrated to the United States. At that time, jobs in the U.S. were both much more numerous and more varied than in Canada. Meanwhile, the number of graduates soared, Canadian employers were unconvinced of the value of engineering degrees and new graduates complained of the lack of jobs.

Robert A. Bryce, president of Macassa Mines Ltd. and Prof. H.E.T. Haultain of the University of Toronto resolved to act. In April 1927 they and Rev.Canon H.J. Cody, chairman of the board of governors of the University of Toronto, invited the chief executives of major firms to a dinner at the National Club in Toronto. After hearing how the loss of talent could hamper industry, each of the 12 executives promised $1,000 to fund a non-profit organization to combat the "brain drain". The brain drain, the selling of science to employers and Canadian nationalism were tightly intertwined ideas. The firm was called the Technical Service Council.

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