DIGITAL announces expansion of support for Canadian talent development

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 28, 2025 /CNW/ - DIGITAL, Canada's Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, is building upon successful collaborations with the expansion of 12 partnerships with Canadian employers and training providers that will deliver skilling opportunities to another over 6,500 Canadians in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, digital transformation and more.

Since 2018, DIGITAL has put over 15,000 Canadians on a career path with employers who need in-demand skills to grow their companies. Through strategic partnerships with training providers and employers under its Digital Learning Lab, DIGITAL delivers low-cost rapid skilling programs and partnerships so that graduates from DIGITAL-supported programs are job ready. Through its partners, DIGITAL delivers skills development, mentorship, laptops, childcare and more. The Digital Learning Lab also supports leadership training for senior managers to lead their organizations through digital transformation and into the digital world.

"Canadian industry needs talent and leaders with the skills and mindset to grow their companies in the rapidly evolving digital world," said Sue Paish, CEO of DIGITAL. "DIGITAL is proud to advance talent development and digital skilling opportunities to more than 21,500 Canadians across every province and territory through these expanded collaborations. By addressing the geographic and economic barriers many Canadians face in accessing skilling programs and connecting these job seekers to in-demand careers, DIGITAL is supporting Canadians, Canadian companies and building prosperous communities in the digital world."

"To strengthen Canada's workforce, DIGITAL, one of Canada's global innovation clusters, is supporting projects that are equipping Canadians with training, tools and resources needed to thrive in the digital economy," said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. "These projects are helping to reduce barriers and advance the inclusion of Indigenous communities and under-represented groups, fostering a more inclusive and competitive workforce across the country."

These 12 expanded partnerships build on previous collaborations to reach even more communities and prospective employees and aspiring leaders through expanded program focus and new areas of training:

• March of Dimes Canada will extend its SkillingUp program to train another 1,500 participants with disabilities in the digital skills needed to become confident digital citizens and remain competitively employable.
• Surrey Board of Trade will train another 180 participants seeking employment or transitioning to employment in the digital hospitality industry in British Columbia.
• Foundation for a Path Forward will train another 300 participants in full-stack web development, with renewed curriculum that incorporates practical AI integration, cybersecurity and cloud technologies.
• NPower Canada will train another 2,850 participants with in-demand skills such as data analytics and visualization, IT service management, cybersecurity and AI.
• World Innovation League will train another 220 Black Canadian youth participants within areas such as software development, UX design and product management.
• Simon Fraser University will extend its Digital Innovation & Leadership (DIAL) program to train another 250 leaders and executives managing digital transformation and innovation initiatives within their organizations.
• First Nations Technology Council will train another 120 Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia and increase career services offered through the program.
• Ampere (Prev. Pinnguaq) will extend its DigitalWorks program to train another 730 participants from rural, remote, northern and Indigenous communities across Canada.
• SmartICE will train another 75 participants across northern Canada, empowering communities to combine their Indigenous and local knowledge of ice with innovative monitoring and satellite mapping to address the challenges of climate change. 
• The Construction Foundation of British Columbia will extend its Sky Keepers program to train another 24 new Indigenous drone operators in British Columbia.
• PLATO will train up to another 170 Indigenous participants that are aspiring or early-career information technology (IT) professionals.
• The Information & Communications Technology Council (ICTC-CTIC) will extend its Cybersecurity Training & Work-Integrated Learning (CTWIL) program to support another 170 women+ and non-binary post-secondary students through certifications, mentorship and experiential learning opportunities to qualify for entry-level cybersecurity jobs.

About DIGITAL

DIGITAL is Canada's leader in accelerating the development and commercialization of Canadian-made digital technologies that capture some of Canada's biggest opportunities while addressing some of the most pressing needs. DIGITAL's model of collaborative innovation and co-investment advances the success of Canadian businesses through the development, adoption and commercialization of Canadian-made technologies while also growing a workforce that is skilled to fill the jobs of a growing digital economy.

DIGITAL brings together businesses, academia, community and government agencies to solve some of industry and society's biggest challenges and to capture opportunities for Canada – better and faster than any single organization can do on its own. Through the powerful model that combines cross-sector collaboration, Canadian IP creation and results-based co-investment, we unlock the potential of Canadian industry to lead and succeed in the digital world.

Ahead of the curve starts here. For more information, visit digitalsupercluster.ca

Access this release in French here.

SOURCE DIGITAL

DIGITAL Press Contact: Sydney Redpath, [email protected]