Bridging the Gap: Creating a Tech Sector that Looks Like Canada
TECHNATION is on a mission to elevate Canada’s tech sector so it can compete on a global scale. Canada has an incredibly diverse talent pool, but we aren’t necessarily seeing this diversity represented within our nation’s biggest tech companies, despite the demonstrable value of cultivating diverse skillsets and perspectives within a workplace. It’s good for your company’s bottom line, our nation’s economy, and all the people who deserve a fair shot at success in this rapidly growing industry.
In a recent article on Innovating Canada, the spotlight was shined on TECHNATION’s vision for the future of Canadian tech, exploring the ways that initiatives like our Career Ready Program are helping to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the tech sector.
If your company isn’t hiring diverse talent, you’re losing out on so much untapped potential—and you won’t know what you’re missing until it’s too late!
Are You Looking in the Right Places? The Talent is Out There!
There’s a common assumption that Canada’s tech industry suffers from a skills gap, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. We’re dealing with a talent war—opportunities are limited, and underrepresented communities have to fight harder than most for a chance to put their skills to work.
The solution: create opportunities and incentives for businesses to hire diverse tech talent. Through our Career Ready Program, we’re offering employers up to 70% in wage subsidies so they can hire diverse tech students for paid work placements. It’s a huge win for everyone: students gain valuable opportunities to jumpstart their careers, and businesses discover how advantageous it is to have a diverse talent pool.
TECHNATION has made the search for diverse talent even easier with its CareerFinder Program, using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to analyze real-time data and offer guidance on the changing workforce needs of our dynamic industry. We offer education and skill-building, too—LaunchPad provides training modules for students and employers alike, helping them prepare for work placements. And, with our AdaPT program, grads from non-tech disciplines can upskill and reskill to take advantage of the wealth of opportunities in tech.
Maximizing Potential for Innovation
TECHNATION and its partners share a vision of equity, social justice, and economic success for Canada’s tech sector, but building a diverse team isn’t just a social imperative. With diverse talent comes diverse thought and insight, and you’re much more likely to strike gold when you make space for new perspectives.
The success of our goals relies on collaboration and diligent effort, and when organizations join forces to make positive change, remarkable things happen. Thanks to the continued partnership of industry leaders like Markham-based innovation hub ventureLAB, we’re seeing measurable results and significant success.
“Many of the founders of our companies are from underrepresented groups themselves, and they know how diversity, especially diversity of thought, contributes to growth,” says Jane Gertner, Vice President of Partnerships at ventureLAB.
Our projections for the future of Canadian tech are looking brighter than ever. Join the fight for a more equitable tech workforce in Canada and discover how you can enrich the power and potential of your team by making space for diverse, talented student workers who are eager to succeed.
Learn more about how the Career Ready Program can revolutionize your approach to building a team with extraordinary potential.