NPower Canada - New Career Paths for Toronto Region Youth

TORONTO, Sept. 13, 2018 /CNW/ - With Toronto region university and college students hitting the books for a new semester, it's important to remember that there are over 80,000 youth in our region that aren't going back to school and also aren't connected to employment. The good news is that there are organizations like NPower Canada that are working to change this. This month, NPower Canada celebrates nearly 800 graduates it has helped put on a new, dynamic career trajectory since 2015.

NPower Canada is a GTA-based non-profit that launches low-income, diverse young adults ages 18-29 into meaningful digital careers. The organization provides free technical and professional training, paid job placements and post-hire support and has seen 80% of its alumni find work or pursue higher education within six months of graduation. With most youth entering the program unemployed or in survival jobs, NPower Canada is making a real difference in the lives of its graduates.

"We give capable, eager youth the technical, professional and soft skills they need to thrive in an industry where we know they can find a meaningful career," said Julia Blackburn, NPower Canada CEO. "By engaging employers in our curriculum development and delivery, we are able to give youth the skills employers need now."

Since launching in 2015 with a single campus in downtown Toronto, NPower Canada has expanded to four locations in Toronto, York Region and Peel Region. It provides flexible, 10- to 15-week training streams for young adults facing barriers to employment. To ensure its participants find and thrive in the right opportunities, NPower Canada provides direct job placement and five years of post-hire supports including mentorship, networking opportunities and coaching to accelerate career advancement.

"The [NPower Canada] Program was way beyond my expectations. It changed me a lot and brought out the best in me," said Ali A., a Customer Care Professional Graduate placed into employment at Shaw Communications. "I consider NPower Canada a place where I can always come to seek support."      

NPower Canada graduates on average make a starting wage of $18/hour and have gone on to work at leading employers such as RBC, TD Bank, and Accenture.

"At Accenture, we have hired more than 50 NPower Canada graduates in the past three years, and it is a high performing and priority talent pipeline for us," said Stephen Gardiner, a Managing Director who leads Accenture's Digital practice in Canada.

"Working with NPower Canada has been a really great experience. Not only are the candidates well trained, they are super passionate about seriously starting their career," said Emma Surich, Talent Acquisition at Ecobee.

Key to NPower Canada's success has been the support of a number of foundational partners including CivicAction, United Way Greater Toronto, The City of Toronto, Accenture, CIBC, RBC, Virgin Mobile and TD. These organizations have helped grow and scale NPower Canada to reach more youth across the GTA.

"CivicAction continues to partner with NPower Canada because their program, simply put, works," said Sevaun Palvetzian, CEO, CivicAction and NPower Canada Board Member. "Their innovative model, informed by private sector partners, ensures youth get training on the most in-demand skills and get hired into meaningful jobs quickly."     

For more information, visit www.npowercanada.ca. 

Our thanks to Cision for sponsoring this announcement.

About NPower Canada: NPower Canada is a charitable organization that launches underserved young adults into meaningful and sustainable careers. The program provides participants with free in-demand digital and professional skills training, and connects them to new and rewarding career opportunities with some of Canada's largest employers. Through consultation with a wide range of employers, NPower Canada's comprehensive curriculum ensures participants are equipped with the in-demand technical and professional skills most sought after by industry.

NPower Canada provides employers with access to a pipeline of eager, diverse and job-ready young talent with in-demand digital skills who are primed to succeed in the workplace. Graduates receive ongoing support and coaching to ensure continued success in their careers.

To learn more, please visit www.npowercanada.ca.

SOURCE NPower Canada

or to arrange interviews, please contact: Meaghan DeLaurentis, Program Director, NPower Canada, Office: [phone] ext. 103, [email protected]