August 22, 2019
CALGARY – Today NPower Canada, a leading non-profit that launches IT careers for young adults, celebrated the graduation of its first Calgary cohort of Junior IT Analyst participants.
Earlier this year, NPower Canada expanded to Calgary, opening the first NPower Canada training centre outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Since 2014, NPower Canada has launched more than 1000 18-29-year old young adults into meaningful careers in tech by providing free technical and professional training, job placement and post-hire supports.
“The NPower Canada model is based on an “It takes a Village” approach. Individuals, organizations, govt and community agencies all work together. We know that good workforce development requires partnerships, cooperation and commitment. We chose Calgary as our first site outside of the GTA because this is a town that understands how to work together and we are all about collaboration,” said NPower Canada CEO Julia Blackburn.
“We would like to thank all of the funders, referral partners, employers and supporters who made it possible for us to expand into Calgary and for making the first cohort such a success. Specifically, we want to recognize the significant support of United Way Calgary, the Calgary Foundation and Calgary Economic Development and the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF), which provided the funding to launch the NPower Canada Calgary site. Congratulations to all of our graduates.”
This program is designed to meet a critical need in Calgary’s tech sector for skilled workers. Calgary Economic Development has reported that IT job growth in Calgary outpaces overall job creation by 6:1, and as Calgary’s tech sector continues to thrive, employers face an urgent need to find talent. In the meantime, youth unemployment in Calgary stands at 14%, with many young people in need of sustainable, rewarding employment.
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. Graduates of NPower Canada’s first Calgary cohort will begin their IT careers at more than 15 different organizations in roles including Application Technical Support, Data Integrity Agent, IT Field Service Technician, QA Technician, Technical Support Representative and more.
About NPower Canada
NPower Canada is a sector-based workforce development program that addresses youth unemployment. NPower Canada launches low-income 18-29 year old youth into meaningful careers in technology (IT) by providing free technical and professional training, paid internships, job placement and post-hire supports. More than 85 per cent of alumni to date were employed and/or in postsecondary education within six months of program completion. NPower Canada is known for its agile, employer-driven model, having been championed as a CivicAction 2014 Escalator initiative and recently receiving the City of Toronto Partnership to Advance Youth Employment (PAYE) Leadership Award.
