Did you know that only 2.2% of the Canadian tech force is Indigenous? So that leaves the question, where can Indigenous Canadians find support and training to break into a career in the digital world? The answer is the Raising Voices Project.
An initiative with NPower Canada and Jelly Academy, the Raising Voices Project seeks to build bridges for underserved Indigenous talent, equipping them with in-demand micro-credentials and paid work experience with Canada’s leading employers in order to obtain meaningful digital marketing careers.
Through this project, education partners Jelly Academy and NPower Canada will rapidly upskill 20 job seekers from Indigenous communities.
Jelly Academy will upskill participants to gain 11 industry-recognized certifications in Digital Marketing.
NPower Canada will provide additional professional development and wraparound support to these participants, in addition to recruitment, intake, and job placement assistance.
The Digital Marketing Sector Council (DMSC) has received funding from DIGITAL, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, to support the Raising Voices Project.
Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, DIGITAL’s co-investment in the Raising Voices Project acts as one of many collaborations under their Digital Learning Lab.
As DIGITAL’s national innovation platform for digital talent and workforce development, partnerships and investments through the Digital Learning Lab are reducing the cost and time required to get someone job-ready in the digital economy.
“Supporting equity and diversity within Canada’s technology sector is crucial to our country’s continued growth and prosperity,” said Sydney Goodfellow, Director of DIGITAL’s talent-focused program, the Digital Learning Lab.
“We’re proud to support organizations like the Digital Marketing Sector Council in ensuring all Canadians have access to in-demand digital skills and employment opportunities.”
The DMSC, NPower Canada, and Jelly Academy have welcomed their founding industry partners to join the Raising Voices Project and they are collaborating with apprenticeships.
Accenture and TD Bank Group (TD) have partnered with the DMSC to provide four Raising Voices program participants with a 12-month paid internship.
“Thanks to DIGITAL, the funding we have received for the Raising Voices Project will go towards training Indigenous individuals participating in the program. More specifically, the program will consist of digital marketing skills training, professional development, elder support, and job placement support,” says Darian Kovacs, a Member of the DMSC.
