Sheila U. – Nova Scotia – Junior IT Analyst – September 2022 Graduate
Being mid-career, Sheila was nervous to try something new. She felt stagnant, but was scared to try something new and start over, so she got comfortable with the bare minimum. The price tag that came along with going back to school worried Sheila too. She had used her mom’s death benefit to pay for her undergrad tuition in Nigeria and wasn’t sure how she would be able to finance another degree.
Just before she made her move to Canada, Sheila learned about NPower Canada. She didn’t have any IT experience, but was excited about the potential of a career in a booming sector. Although apprehensive, a quote by Henry Ford motivated her to try: ‘Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.’
Sheila was pleasantly surprised by how much the program had to offer, and at no cost to her. She knew she would learn sought-after tech skills, but found the personal and professional development sessions just as valuable. “Those sessions teach you not only how to land a job, but keep the job,” Sheila shared.
Sheila also found comfort as a newcomer getting to know people from all walks of life. She was selected as the Nova Scotia graduate speaker for our May 2022 cohort, and shared at the ceremony:
“I moved to Canada 4 months ago and it was such a scary experience. Being a new immigrant is life changing. Through this program, I have been given the platform to meet different people from different backgrounds and this comes with a great wealth of learning. I have made amazing friends and built an international network that would not have been possible without the NPower Canada Junior IT Analyst program.”
We are so proud of how much Sheila has grown in the past few months, and excited for her bright future here in Canada. Already, she has landed her first role with Scotiabank. We can’t wait to see what she does next!
