TORONTO, ON – Over 900 job-seekers in the GTA have had the opportunity to learn new tech skills and improve their professional abilities thanks to grants awarded to NPower Canada from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. 82% of NPower Canada’s GTA alumni from 2020 to date have secured sustainable and meaningful employment in tech.
Over 900 job-seekers in the GTA have had the opportunity to learn new tech skills and improve their professional abilities thanks to support that NPower Canada received through funding from two Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) grants. On Friday, MPP Robin Martin and Angelo Ioannides, an OTF volunteer, took part in an online meeting with NPower Canada representatives to hear more about the impact of two grants, totalling $580,800, from OTF have helped support its tech employment programs in the GTA from 2020- 2023.
“The awarding of the two OTF grants to NPower Canada sends a strong message of support to job-seekers on their journey to sustainable and meaningful employment,” said Robin Martin, Member of Provincial Parliament for Eglinton—Lawrence. “The Ontario government’s investment is allowing organizations to provide the necessary tools for success today, which increases the chances our workers get hired in desirable positions tomorrow”.
NPower Canada received a multi-year Grow grant of $450,000 in 2020 that helped expand its Junior IT Analyst program, a skills training and job placement program for under-served young adults. Additionally, a $130,800 grant received through the Resilient Communities Fund in 2022 supported NPower Canada through the impacts of COVID-19 by enabling it to provide training in mental health supports for front-line staff and upgrade technology to improve collaboration and human resources management across teams.
“The Ontario Trillium Foundation’s continued support allows us to provide industry-driven skills training and job placement to a greater number of job-seekers, leading more youth and adults in the GTA to prosperous and fulfilling careers in tech, and helping to bolster the Canadian economy,” said Julia Blackburn, Chief Executive Officer of NPower Canada. “We are thankful for the grants we have received and look forward to our continuing work with the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Government of Ontario in the coming years.”
NPower Canada’s programs, which equip job-seekers with in-demand tech skills, as well as personal and professional development, provide opportunities for underserved job-seekers to enter the tech industry with some of Canada’s top employers. Both grants have supported NPower Canada in scaling their programs in the GTA. NPower Canada provides access to skills training and job placement to those who need it the most, helping Ontario’s economy to build capacity, resilience, and sustainability.
NPower Canada is a charitable organization that launches underserved youth and adults into careers in tech and encourages applicants from underserved groups, including women, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC), LGTBQ2S+ and gender diverse people, individuals with disabilities, and newcomers. NPower Canada has grown from enrolling 87 job-seekers in 2015 to 2,585 in 2022, scaling within Ontario and expanding nationally to Alberta in 2019, Nova Scotia and British Columbia in 2021 and Québec in 2022. To date, more than 80% of NPower Canada’s 5000+ alumni have secured in-demand tech jobs such as Help Desk Analyst, QA Specialist and Information Security Analyst with industry leaders such as Accenture, CGI, CIBC, Cisco, Deloitte, IBM, RBC, Softchoice, TD and TELUS. For more information, visit https://npowercanada.ca/.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grantmaking in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
Media Contact:
Emilie Jones – Bilingual Communications & PR Specialist, NPower Canada
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 647-689-5850 ext 230
