Vancouver Friday, October 8, 2021 10:15 AM
The initiative, part of the StrongerBC Future Leaders Program, will further up-skill people between 17 and 30, better preparing them for future job opportunities in tech-enabled fields.
“We know the pandemic created additional challenges for young and under-represented people across the province. They have faced unprecedented challenges in navigating the pandemic, including finding meaningful jobs to build their careers,” said Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation. “Connecting those who have been disproportionately affected to hands-on training and learning opportunities in the tech sector is critical to launch and grow their careers. Through this program, our government is building a more inclusive, highly skilled and competitive workforce, which is vital to B.C.’s economic recovery.”
The initiative, which will give priority to Indigenous, Black, people of colour (IBPOC), women, 2SLGBTQ+ people, immigrants and people living with disabilities, provides under-represented people access to first-rate training through NPower Canada’s junior IT analyst program and the new junior data analyst program.
The program is being delivered in partnership with the Province, the Digital Technology Supercluster, Microsoft Canada, NPower Canada and Blueprint. Collectively, these organizations will invest approximately $15.5 million to expand the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator program in British Columbia.
Applications are open for the junior IT analyst program and the junior data analyst program and will close on Jan. 24, 2022. Applications for the spring session will remain open until May 16, 2022.
The first participants of the junior IT analyst program graduated in late May 2021 and are already securing employment. Training from these two analyst programs will help prepare people for a range of job opportunities in tech-enabled fields.
“For young British Columbians who are unemployed or underemployed – feeling like they are not reaching their full potential – the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator program can help them move forward into a meaningful career with long-term growth,” said NPower Canada CEO Julia Blackburn. “Our program is not just about training people for technical jobs, it’s about preparing them for the future of work. This includes an increasing number of careers that are tech-enabled as organizations look to use digital technology in new ways.”
“NPower Canada has not only given me the opportunity to start an exciting career in tech, but also helped me meet like-minded individuals who are now friends and colleagues,” said Leul Abebe, a May 2021 graduate of the junior data analyst program. “I have built a support group of mentors and fellow graduates that I can lean on for advice and that who have helped propel my career to new heights.”
This Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator program is part of the StrongerBC Future Leaders Program that provides youth and young adults with training, internships, co-ops and jobs in a variety of sectors, including the tech sector, environment and natural resource fields.
The program aligns with the Province’s priority to support growth by enhancing representation from under-represented people as the government works toward building a more innovative, sustainable, and inclusive future.
Quotes:
Brenda Bailey, Parliamentary Secretary for Technology and Innovation –
“These programs allow under-represented people to access career opportunities that they deserve and help address a labour shortage in the booming tech industry. We are proud to help fund training for people who have historically been under-represented in the tech sector. By providing these opportunities, we are helping more people realize the quality of life we all aspire to.”
Brad Smith, president, Microsoft –
“This additional investment will enable the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator to better address the barriers facing underserved and under-represented communities and deliver the skills training required for in-demand roles, which in turn provide meaningful and sustainable tech-enabled careers for members of these communities in B.C.”
Sue Paish, CEO, Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, Digital Technology Supercluster –
“This investment amplifies the Province’s commitment to building a strong and resilient economic recovery. Providing young British Columbians with opportunities for skills development and job training gives them accessible pathways to success in the digital economy while connecting employers with job-ready talent for a fast-moving world.”
Karen Myers, president and CEO, Blueprint –
“As we build back better, prioritizing underserved young people and their careers is essential. Our commitment as the evidence generation partner for the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator is to use data and evidence to help provide equitable access to digital skills to young Canadians. The Government of British Columbia’s investment in its up-and-coming workforce is a step toward a more diverse tech landscape in Canada.”
Learn More:
To learn more about Canada’s Tech Talent Accelerator, visit:
https://www.digitalsupercluster.ca/canadian-tech-talent-accelerator/
To learn more about the Junior Data Analyst program, and to apply visit:
https://npowercanada.ca/junior-data-analyst-program/
To learn more about the Junior IT Analyst program and to apply, visit:
https://npowercanada.ca/junior-it-analyst-program/.
To learn more about Microsoft Canada, visit: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/about/
To learn more about Blueprint, visit: https://www.blueprint-ade.ca/
To learn more about the Digital Technology Supercluster, visit:
https://www.digitalsupercluster.ca/
To learn more about the StrongerBC Future Leaders program, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/economic-recovery/youth
A backgrounder follows.
Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator overview
The Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator program is part of the Province’s StrongerBC Future Leaders Program, and supports economic recovery by providing valuable, in-demand tech skills to unemployed and underemployed youth and young adults (17 to 30) from under-represented communities.
The program is a collaboration between the B.C. government, Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, NPower Canada, Microsoft Canada and Blueprint.
The Digital Technology Supercluster is an industry-led organization that connects digital technology market participants, from startups and small and medium-sized enterprises to post-secondary institutions and large multinational corporations.
Blueprint will co-ordinate with Microsoft Canada and NPower Canada to analyze the outcomes of the programs for participants and employers to see what can be improved as the program grows across Canada.
The expansion of Canada’s junior IT analyst and new junior data analyst programs will be key to developing knowledge in British Columbia’s IT sector. The two analyst programs were developed by NPower Canada, a charitable organization that launches young adults into meaningful and sustainable careers, and has recently been expanded to B.C.
Junior data analyst program
The new junior data analyst program is an intermediate-level program co-sponsored and designed in partnership with Microsoft Canada.
In this program, people will earn the Microsoft azure fundamental certificate, learn Excel, VBA and SQL fundamentals for data science, Python fundamentals and data structures, as well as an introduction to machine learning and A.l.
This program is ideal for an individual that has some interest or experience in SQL, Python or Microsoft Excel and likes to interpret data and SQL fundamentals for data science.
Junior IT analyst program
Delivered in partnership with Google, this instructor-led program equips participants with marketable skills for tech-enabled jobs.
In this program, people will earn the Google IT support certificate and learn in-demand skills that will have an individual job-ready in less than four months.
This program is ideal for an individual who enjoys solving problems, learning new tools and helping others. There is no requirement to have prior knowledge in IT to apply for this program.
How to Apply
To learn more about the junior data analyst program and to apply, visit: https://npowercanada.ca/junior-data-analyst-program/
To learn more about the junior IT analyst program and to apply, visit: https://npowercanada.ca/junior-it-analyst-program/.
Applications are open for both programs and will close on Jan. 24, 2022. Applications for the spring session are open until May 16, 2022.
Funding
The Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator program will provide youth with approximately 1,400 to 2,000 training spaces in B.C.
The investment is approximately $15.5 million over three years.
B.C. is investing $7 million through the Digital Technology Supercluster to support the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator in British Columbia.
NPower Canada is contributing $5.7 million, Microsoft Canada and Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster are each contributing $1.4 million.
Translations Tech_Talent_Chinese(traditional).pdf
This on BC Govt website go to the link here
