Government of Canada launches third phase of CanCode Program targeting 3 million training opportunities for youth $80-million investment to help students and teachers gain coding and digital skills

OTTAWA, ON, July 29, 2021 /CNW/ - Canada needs a workforce savvy in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), capable of taking on challenges to compete in the digital economy. That's why, to prepare the next generation of Canadian workers, the Government of Canada is supporting millions of young Canadians in improving their digital skills.

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, launched the third phase of CanCode and highlighted an $80-million federal investment in the program. CanCode 3.0 is seeking applications for projects that will provide students from kindergarten to grade 12 with the opportunity to learn the in-demand digital skills that will prepare them for future jobs. The program also aims to provide 120,000 teachers with training opportunities so they can incorporate new digital skills and technologies into their classrooms.

CanCode 3.0 builds on the success and momentum of CanCode 1.0 and 2.0, launched in 2017 and renewed in 2019. CanCode was part of the 2017 Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year strategy to create well-paying jobs for the middle class. This initiative aims to create a strong, more resilient Canada by providing youth with a pathway to employment, with a focus on inclusion of under-represented groups, including girls, Indigenous youth, Black youth, youth with disabilities, and youth living in rural, remote and Northern communities.

By reaching out to young people inside and outside the school environment and providing coding and digital skills training in community settings, CanCode seeks to accommodate different learning styles, stimulate and sustain interest in STEM fields, and appeal to a wide diversity of young people in a variety of ways. A broad and inclusive approach to digital skills training for young people and teachers will contribute to diversifying the digital technology sector in the future. This third phase of CanCode will encourage more intensive training, particularly for under-represented groups.

CanCode aligns with Canada's Digital Charter, a made-in-Canada, principles-based approach to building trust in the digital world. The first principle of the Charter is focused on ensuring that all Canadians have equal opportunity to participate in the digital world and the necessary tools to do so, including access, connectivity, literacy and skills.

Quotes 

"By investing to help young people gain the coding and digital skills needed to succeed in our 21st century economy, we are preparing them for the jobs of tomorrow. These short-term strategic solutions will help youth not only transition successfully from classrooms to research labs but also drive our economic success for years to come.''

– The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Quick facts

• As announced in Budget 2021, the Government of Canada is investing $80 million in CanCode. This investment is in addition to the $60 million from Budget 2019 and $50 million from Budget 2017.
• In its first phase, CanCode helped provide coding and digital skills training to 1.9 million Canadian students and 96,000 teachers. In the second phase, more than 2 million training opportunities were provided by March 2021. This third phase seeks to provide an additional 3 million training opportunities.
• CanCode has a student stream and a teacher stream. CanCode funding recipients deliver digital skills learning opportunities for students from kindergarten to Grade 12 and/or training programs and workshops for teachers.
• CanCode is designed to complement educational curricula, promote awareness of coding, spark interest in coding and encourage digital skills more broadly. The long-term goal is to make Canada a leading innovation economy with a diverse and inclusive workforce.
• In 2019, 27 projects from across Canada received funding from the CanCode program.
• Funding applicants must be not-for-profit organizations incorporated in Canada. They must have a minimum of three years of experience delivering education-related programs to young Canadians.
• Applications are being accepted until Monday August 30, 2021.

Associated links

• CanCode
• Innovation and Skills Plan

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Contacts: Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, [email protected]