September 18, 2019
Funding from the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Skills Strategy ensures more young Canadians get the skills to succeed in the tech workforce.
MISSISSAUGA, ON – NPower Canada, a leading non-profit that launches young adults into meaningful careers in tech, today announced it has secured $3.4 million in funding from the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Skills Strategy. This new funding enables NPower Canada to expand its programs, launching more young Canadians into digital and tech careers.
The new funding from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) allows NPower Canada to grow its current programs in the Greater Toronto Area and Calgary, while expanding to at least two additional regions across the country, becoming a pan-Canadian youth workforce development organization.
“Over the last five years we have had over 1,100 young adults graduate from our programs and start their careers in tech,” says NPower Canada CEO, Julia Blackburn. “With this remarkable funding from ESDC as part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Skills Strategy, we are excited to expand our life changing programs to more Canadian cities, and prepare more young adults for the future of work.”
NPower Canada’s programs equip young adults facing barriers to employment, with the technical and professional skills most valued by employers. Working with underserved populations, including low-income, women, racialized, newcomer, PwD and LGBTQ+ youth, the program provides cost-free training to give young adults (ages 18-29) the tools needed for success in work and in life.
NPower Canada also supports Canadian industry to close the tech skills gap by providing employers with access to a pipeline of eager, diverse and job-ready young talent with in-demand digital skills who are primed to succeed.
Toronto Pearson International Airport, through the Propeller Project, also committed $150,000 in funding over three years for NPower Canada to support increased access to the programs for young adults in the Peel Region.
“Businesses across industry sectors report that finding, recruiting and retaining talent with the right skills is a challenge and can be a significant barrier to their growth,” says Stephen Gardiner,
NPower Canada Board Chair and Accenture Digital lead for Canada. “Many businesses also report that they are challenged to fill entry level IT and tech positions – that’s where NPower Canada comes in. With this new funding and support from the federal and provincial governments, as well as our local partners, we can increase our support to youth in the GTA and help address the skills gap in other Canadian communities, while providing young people with career pathways that can help transform their lives.”
These funding announcements were made at NPower Canada’s new GTA West centre in the heart of Mississauga. Programs run at this centre provide youth with no-cost technical and professional skills training, industry certification, job placement and five years of alumni services including job retention and career advancement coaching, mentor connections and support with accessing further education.
Since 2014, NPower Canada has launched more than 1,100 young adults who face barriers to employment, into meaningful careers in tech. Graduates of NPower Canada’s programs earn at least one industry-recognized IT certifications and 84 percent of NPower Canada alumni secure employment and/or enroll in higher education within six months of graduation.
NPower Canada NPower Canada is a charitable organization that launches underserved young adults into meaningful and sustainable careers in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) field. NPower Canada’s programs provide participants with free in-demand technical and professional skills training, and connects them to new and rewarding career opportunities with some of Canada’s largest employers.
Through consultation with a wide range of employers, NPower Canada’s comprehensive curriculum ensures participants are equipped with the in-demand technical and professional skills most sought after by industry.
