NPower Canada Research Project

Alberta and Ontario are NPower Canada’s largest program sites, so the amount, quality, and diversity of data that we receive from the research can help us fairly assess our programs. Alberta and Ontario are also the provinces where we receive more interest than we have seats available; therefore, the lottery offers a way to allow for a fair offer decision.

Participation in the research is voluntary, but we are striving for full participation from all eligible applicants. Choosing not to participate in the research will not affect your chances of getting into the program. During the Admissions process, you will have an opportunity to ask any questions you have about the research before deciding to take part. You will then be asked to complete a consent form to indicate whether you wish to participate.

1. The research will help NPower Canada to improve our program and better serve our participants.
2. This research will benefit society by generating knowledge about how to effectively help people develop skills and get better jobs.
3. The lottery we use to select applicants for offers gives everyone a fair shot, including people who will apply in the future.
4. You may also receive the incentives outlined below.

As a thank you for participation, participants will receive a $20 digital gift card of their choosing for each survey you complete. Those who participate in interviews will receive a $30 or $50 gift card, depending on the time spent in the interview.

All consenting applicants, regardless of whether they enter the program, will be invited to complete three surveys (each approximately 15 minutes long) online or by phone and will receive gift cards as a thank-you for each one they complete. The surveys cover questions about participants’ employment, training, and job search experiences. Job searching research participants will also be asked to complete brief weekly SMS surveys.

Some program participants may also be invited to participate in an interview (in person, online, or by phone) asking about your experience in the program, which will last either 45 minutes or 1 hour and 30 minutes, depending on whether you complete the program. 

NPower Canada will share information with Blueprint about individual’s participation in the program, such as whether or not they completed it;  application information, including demographics such as name, date of birth, gender, postal code; and responses to any surveys filled out for NPower Canada. For those who complete concent forms, NPower Canada and Blueprint will access information about income and education to gain a better understanding of participants’ education and employment journey. This helps the researchers to understand what life looks like for people who apply to NPower Canada programs even after they have completed all the surveys, and to learn how well our program is working.

Even if you sign the consent form and agree to participate in the research, you are free to change your mind at any time. If you would like to withdraw from the research, please email [email protected].  

Your privacy is of utmost importance to us. Both NPower Canada and the research team will only store your information on secure, password-protected servers. Any information that could be used to identify you (e.g., your name, address, etc.) will be removed before analysis of the data, and no identifiable information will be used in reporting the project results.

NPower Canada will conduct the Admissions process with all applicants. The list of all lottery-eligible applicants will be provided to Blueprint, who will use a computerized lottery to determine which applicants will be admitted into each program. Blueprint will have an ID code only to identify applicants, and no other personal information will be shared. All eligible applicants, including those who do not consent to the research will still be entered into the lottery.

Except for members of certain equity seeking groups, all eligible applicants who successfully complete an application and interview will be added to the lottery, regardless of if they have opted in or out of participating in the research.

Applicants who are not accepted to our Alberta and Ontario programs solely due to the lottery are asked to wait for two years prior to re-applying to our programs. The reason for this is to allow us to fairly assess your experiences outside of NPower Canada’s programs, in the areas of employment, earnings, education, and general wellbeing. Any period shorter than this will not provide us with sufficient information about your experiences.

Even if you are not selected for the program, we are here to support you. NPower Canada has a diverse selection of resources available in each province here, and we are also happy to connect applicants with specific services. Please email [email protected] for specific support. Additionally, participants who have given consent for the research, will be contacted by our team to complete research activities. In two years time, we will reach out directly to welcome applicants to re-apply to our programs.

Chances of being selected in the lottery are determined by the number of seats in each program which can vary by cohort. Overall, 80% of lottery-eligible applicants are selected to take part in the program.

Results will be sent via email by the Admissions team generally two weeks prior to the program start date.

Yes. As there are multiple steps to the Admissions process, you should apply early to leave ample time for the completion of all requirements. The Admissions process can be viewed here.