Explore Careers - Job Market Report

Dispatchers and Radio Operators (NOC 1475)

London Region

Additional information on Description, Titles, Duties and Related Occupations

Description | Titles | Duties | Related Occupations

Dispatchers operate radios and other telecommunication equipment to dispatch emergency vehicles and to co-ordinate the activities of drivers and other personnel. They are employed by police, fire and health departments, other emergency service agencies, taxi, delivery and courier services, trucking and utilities companies, and other commercial and industrial establishments. Radio operators receive, transmit and record signals and messages using radios and other telecommunication equipment. They are employed by transportation companies, mining, forestry and other industrial establishments, and the armed forces.

Included Job Titles

911 dispatcher, alarm system dispatcher, ambulance dispatcher, emergency vehicle dispatcher, inbound/outbound freight co-ordinator, mobile equipment dispatcher, radio operator, radio operator – military, taxi dispatcher, tow truck dispatcher, truck dispatcher, utilities maintenance crew dispatcher.

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Job Duties

Dispatchers perform some or all of the following duties:

Receive requests for emergency assistance or service and contact ambulances, police and fire departments, tow-trucks, and utility crews
Process and transmit information and instructions to co-ordinate the activities of vehicle operators, crews and equipment using a variety of computer-aided communications and dispatching equipment
Dispatch personnel according to written schedules and work orders, or as required by emergency situations
Advise vehicle operators of route and traffic problems such as construction, accidents, congestion, weather conditions, weight and size restrictions and other information
Monitor personnel workloads and locations
Maintain operator work records using computerized or manual methods and ensure time sheets and payroll summaries are completed accurately
Maintain computer and manual records of mileage, fuel use, repairs and other expenses, and generate reports.

Radio operators perform some or all of the following duties:

Operate radio equipment to communicate with ships, aircraft, mining crews, offshore oil rigs, logging camps and other remote operations
Operate and assist in the maintenance of fixed, air transportable, mobile and naval communications equipment in the Canadian armed forces.

Related Occupations

Additional information on included Cities in Region and Service Canada Offices

Included Cities in Region | Service Canada Offices

Included Cities in this region

London, St. Thomas, Woodstock, Aylmer, Ingersoll, Parkhill, Strathroy, Tillsonburg, Belmont, Erie Rest, Grimmonds Beach, Invererie Heights, Lyndale, Lynhurst, Mitchell Heights, Mount Brydges, North Ward, Orchard Beach, Port Stanley

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Service Canada Offices

View a list of Service Canada offices in this area.

Outlook & Prospects for Dispatchers and Radio Operators in London Region

The future forecast and current conditions for an occupation can vary based on location or due to changes in the economy, technology, or demand for a product or service.

National Outlook – 10-Year Projection (2011-2020)

This section provides labour demand and labour supply projections for this occupation over the 2011-2020 period.

Note: The tables, graphs and middle paragraph shown under this section display updated 2011-2020 projection results. The remaining narrative text (2009-2018 projections) will be updated shortly. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The data in the following table are derived from HRSDC’s Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS). COPS uses a variety of models to produce a detailed 10-year labour market projection per broad skill level and per occupation at the national level, which focuses on the trends of labour supply and labour demand over the next ten years.

This occupation (Dispatchers and Radio Operators) is part of a larger occupational group called Recording, Scheduling and Distributing Occupations (NOC 147).

Table on the demographic profile for your chosen occupation at the national level.
Occupations in this group	Shippers and Receivers (1471) Storekeepers and Parts Clerks (1472) Production Clerks (1473) Purchasing and Inventory Clerks (1474) Dispatchers and Radio Operators (1475) Transportation Route and Crew Schedulers (1476)
Employment (non-student) in 2010	216,795
Median Age of workers in 2010	40
Average Retirement Age in 2010	62

Occupation Projection for Canada

Over the 2008-2010 period, this occupation experienced a drop in employment. The unemployment rate increased at the same pace as for other occupations. The average hourly wage, one of the lowest among the 140 occupations, increased at the same rate as for all occupations. According to key labour market indicators, the number of job seekers was sufficient to fill the job openings in this occupation.

Over the 2011-2020 period, an occupation will be in excess demand (a shortage of workers) if the projected number of job openings is significantly greater than the projected number of job seekers. An occupation will be in excess supply (a surplus of workers) if the projected number of job openings is smaller than the projected number of job seekers. For Recording, Scheduling And Distributing Occupations, over the 2011-2020 period, job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 67,290 and 90,142 job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill the job openings.

Based on projections and considering that supply and demand in this occupation were balanced, it is expected that this occupation will have excess supply. In other words, the number of job seekers will be greater than job openings over the 2011-2020 period. The majority of job openings will be due to retirements even though the retirement rate will be slightly lower than the average. There will be distinctly more job openings due to economic growth than there were over the 2001-2010 period when the occupation faced job losses. However, employment growth will remain weak because of the growing use of new technologies. With regard to supply, the majority of job seekers will come from the school system, although immigration will account for more than 20%. As this occupation generally requires only a secondary school diploma, unemployed workers in this occupation should be able to find work in other occupations requiring the same level of training.

This Chart contains data for Projection of Job Openings vs. Job Seekers for Canada. Information is available in the following tables.

Table of job opening projections for the occupational group containing your chosen occupation.
Category	Openings	%
Expansion Demand	16,413	24%
Retirements	40,345	60%
Other Replacement Demand	5,753	9%
Emigration	4,778	7%
Projected Job Openings	67,290	100%

Table of job seeker projections for the occupational group containing your chosen occupation.
Category	Seekers	%
School Leavers	60,404	67%
Immigration	20,158	22%
Other	9,580	11%
Projected Job Seekers	90,142	100%

[ Source: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) ]

In which industry or sector do people in this occupation find jobs in Canada?

This table shows the industry and sectors employing the highest number of people in this occupation.

This table shows the industry sectors employing the highest number of people in this occupation.
Industry / Sector	%
Transportation and warehousing	44.70
Public administration	17.90
Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services	5.90
Health care and social assistance	4.70

[ Source: 2006 Census - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]

What percentage of people in this occupation are self-employed?

The graph displays the percentage of people in this occupation who are “self-employed”, according to the 2006 Census, in comparison to the Canadian average across all occupations.

As shown in the graph, according to the 2006 Census, 3% of people in this occupation were self-employed, while the average for all occupations was 12%.

The data from the Labour Force Survey (2009) regarding self-employment for this group are not sufficiently reliable to be published.

[ Source: Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]

What proportion of men and women work in this occupation?

The graph displays the proportion of men and women in this occupation in comparison to the Canadian average across all occupations.

According to the Labour Force Survey (2009), women represented 55% of workers in this occupation, compared to the average of 48% for all occupations.

[ Source: 2006 Census - Statistics Canada / Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]

What percentage of people in this occupation are members of a union?

This occupation (Dispatchers and Radio Operators) is part of a larger group called Recording, Scheduling and Distributing Occupations (NOC 147). According to the Labour Force Survey (2009), the unionization rate for this group was 29%, while the unionization rate for all occupations was 31%.