The Tech Talent Bulletin is a quarterly publication by the Information and Communications Technology Council describing its programs, events, and news for employers, policy-makers and educators. ICTC has many innovative programs, products and services to help ensure a diverse, well-trained workforce. For more information, contact ICTC Vice-President of Talent Innovation, Sandra Saric, at [email protected].
To follow ICTC President Namir Anani’s conversation on the digital economy:@NamirAnani_ICTC
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Webinar Invitation: Hiring Immigrants Through Express Entry
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In January 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada will launch Express Entry, changing the way that people apply for economic immigration.
For prospective immigrants, Express Entry will result in a more user-friendly experience. Those invited to apply for permanent residence will also benefit from faster processing.
These changes will also help employers by making it easier to find skilled international candidates for positions when they are unable to find qualified Canadians and permanent residents.
On Wednesday, September 17, ICTC will be hosting a webinar with Citizenship and Immigration Canada explaining how the new system will work. We would like to invite you to participate. Details can be found below.
| Title: | Hiring Immigrants Through Express Entry |
| Date: | Wednesday, September 17, 2014 |
| Time: | 12:00 pm EST (noon EST) |
To confirm your participation please sign up at the following link: http://www.ictc-ctic.ca/?page_id=21686
Should you have any questions about the session, please contact Stephanie Wilson at [email protected] or by phone at 613-237-8551 extension 147.
[/acc_item] [acc_item title=”Gender Equality in the Digital Economy Survey — 2014
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The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) has released a survey and is conducting a study to help understand the opportunities available to women to contribute to, and advance, the ICT sector and the Canadian digital economy.
Individual responses to this survey will be strictly confidential. Results, findings, and conclusions will provide only aggregate data. This survey should take less than ten (10) minutes to complete.
Once you complete the survey please indicate whether you would like to be emailed a copy. Additionally, we are happy to email you a copy of our findings after its publication and release.
Please click here to start the survey, and feel free to forward the survey link and encourage others to participate in this study.
[/acc_item] [acc_item title=”Focus on Youth Careers – ICTC’s new bridging program connects youth to jobs“]These are challenging times for Canadian youth. They are graduating from University and College with an average of $26,300 in student loan debt (BMO Student Survey) and they face a job market with a youth unemployment rate of 14.3% – more than double the overall unemployment rate (May 2014 Snapshot, ICTC). Employers are slowly returning to a hiring stance after the recession and they are looking for talent that has the specific skills to meet their needs. ICTC has developed an innovative approach to bridge these two needs – the Focus on Youth Careers program.
Focus on Youth Careers is a pilot program that was created by ICTC to provide 45 post-secondary graduates from the Ottawa area with the skills needed to get an entry level job as a Java developer. Java was selected as the in-demand technical skill needed through consultation with a broad group of employers across many sectors of the Ottawa economy. In partnership with Willis College, program participants will receive:
- career preparation training;
- intense technical training in Java programming; and,
- a work placement .
The program will be offered in 2 intakes. The September 2014 intake is for participants that have a university degree or college diploma in any field other than Information and Communications Technology (ICT). This version of the program includes 28 weeks of training in addition to the work placement. The April 2015 intake is for participants that have an ICT degree or diploma but require skill upgrading. This version of the program includes 14 weeks of training plus the work placement.
This program is offered at no cost to the participant.
To be eligible for this exciting opportunity participant’s must be:
- 20-29 years of age
- currently under or unemployed
- a university or college graduate
- eligible to work in Canada
- located in the Ottawa region.
Because of the intensive nature of the program, participants must be highly motivated in order to be successful
HOW TO GET INVOLVED: ICTC is currently recruiting participants for the September 2014 intake. We are also looking for companies to provide 12 and 24 week work placements.
For more information on the Focus on Youth Careers program please visit here and contact Lee Jacobs, Program Manager, at 613-237-8551 ext. 149 or [email protected].
This program is funded in-part by the Ontario government’s Youth Jobs Strategy – Ready.Set.Work. ICTC gratefully acknowledges the National Capital Region YMCA-YWCA and the Youth Services Bureau for their support of this pilot program.
ICTC/FIT partners with CCI Learning in certification
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The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) and the Focus on Information Technology (FIT) program are pleased to announce we have partnered with CCI Learning in attempt to better equip students with access to industry certification and 21st century skills in business, technology, and communications.
Through this partnership, ICTC and CCI Learning have identified industry certification “crosswalks” within ICTC’s innovative FIT program for youth. FIT is a nationally-recognized certificate program promoting digital literacy to advance youth skills development, experiential learning and development of effective learning resources for students and teachers. It provides secondary school students with valuable course pathways fostering ICT skills development.
“To identify these crosswalks, we conducted a thorough analysis of learning outcomes within ICTC’s FIT certification paths, comparing them to skill sets required for leading IT industry certifications. In many cases, FIT learning outcomes almost completely matched with certification objectives such as those within CompTIA Strata and the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) Software Development certification” said Malcolm Knox, CCI Learning President and CEO. “Many provinces already include the same learning outcomes as the ICTC FIT certification paths.”
“Providing secondary school students with a clear and compelling pathway to further ICT training is a critical part of addressing technology skills shortages” said Namir Anani, ICTC President and CEO. “Our partnership with CCI Learning will be a model for achieving this for similar agreements across the country.”
Schools choosing to integrate these systems will provide triple recognition to graduates through national, provincial and industry level certifications. Students can graduate with multiple industry level certifications in addition to their current certification programs, bolstering chances for career success.
CCI Learning and ICTC’s FIT Certification Industry Crosswalk provides the most effective education solution. It ensures Canada’s success in the global digital economy by investing in technology education that is tangible and applicable to the labour market.
To find out more visit : http://teachers.focusit.ca/cci-learning/
For additional information, please contact:
Daman Beatty, Marketing Manager
CCI Learning
Phone: 604-343-2566
Jeff Leiper, VP, Strategic Communications,
Research & Policy | Information and
Communications Technology Council
Phone: 613.237.8551 x.112
[/acc_item] [acc_item title=”The Impact of Coaching
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The consistent presence of a coach in the life of an ICT newcomer can be the difference between frustration and successful integration into the labour market. The value of having a sector leader as a resource throughout the job search process is immeasurable. Coaches are advocates for change and help job searchers address barriers and improve their communications and marketing skills that lead to employment.
Terry Alstrom joined our Coaching to Career program December 2013. He was then matched with Anne Abiodun. When asked about his experience in the program, Terry had this to say,
“Coaching reminded me how good it feels to give back when supporting the success of others and allowed me to realize how much I have learned about work life in Canada. We who have been in the country for a long time take those lessons learned for granted”
Terry was eager to share his experiences with Anne, and to watch her professionalism grow over the months. He states it was an opportunity to “give back” as his family once immigrated to Canada when he was a child and understands the journey can be daunting.
The program has allowed Terry to appreciate others’ perspectives, which leads to a better understanding of a truly global workforce. That insight will make him a better manager and a better person.
“This program has surpassed my expectations and others shouldn’t hesitate to participate”
Anne is now successfully employed as a Project Analyst with Bell Canada and is forever grateful for the guidance and ongoing support of her coach.
Leaders looking to coach a newcomer into employment can register here: http://www.ictc-ctic.ca/?page_id=7224
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