Ottawa, August 3, 2018 – Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) will help Canadian youth acquire the skills and experience they need to succeed in the digital economy thanks to the brand new Digital Tech Internship program. This new two-year initiative, offered in partnership with the Government of Canada, will allow 440 underemployed recent graduates to connect with local employers and gain hands-on work experience.
Funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)’s Digital Skills for Youth program, as part of the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy, CICan’s Digital Tech Internship program will provide up to $15,000 to small businesses and not-for-profit organizations to hire an intern. Of that amount, up to $3,000 can be used for specialized training or professional development.
The new internships will be offered through CICan’s successful Career-Launcher Internship program, which has already helped place over 550 interns with local employers in the clean technology and natural resources sectors.
CICan will begin accepting applications from both potential interns and employers mid-August. The internships will last a minimum of six months and will allow youth to acquire technical and soft skills using digital technologies, while supporting organizations that are looking to programming, digital media, information technology, data processing or artificial intelligence to grow. Any organization with less than 100 employees will be eligible for the program.
Quotes:
“We are very proud to have been selected by ISED to offer these new internships that will help so many young Canadians cultivate the digital skills needed to lead and innovate in a changing economy. This will also be a great opportunity for employers to recruit new talent and help their interns enhance their skills and thrive in their roles by accessing the range of specialized learning offered by colleges and institutes.”
Denise Amyot, President and CEO, Colleges and Institutes Canada
“In a modern workplace, digital skills are highly valued. Equipping recent graduates with real-life work experience and a broad range of skills and knowledge will help improve their employability and enhance their career potential. As the economy changes and becomes increasingly knowledge-based, digital skills have never been more critical. Our government is proud to deliver a program that will help 1,200 Canadians gain meaningful work experience and develop digital literacy required for the middle-class jobs of tomorrow.”
The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
About Colleges and Institutes Canada:
Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is the voice of Canada’s publicly-supported colleges, institutes, cegeps and polytechnics, and an international leader in education for employment with ongoing programs in over 25 countries. CICan’s members add over $190B to Canada’s economy each year and contribute to inclusive economic growth by working with industry and community partners to offer more than 10,000 programs to learners in urban, rural, remote, and northern communities.
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For more information:
Julien Abord-Babin
Senior Strategic Communications Officer
Colleges and Institutes Canada
jabord-babin@collegesinstitutes.ca
Tel. : 613-746-2222 ext. 3131
Twitter : @CollegeCan