A group of 32 Calgarians walked the stage, celebrating their successful completion of NPower Canada’s upskilling program.
It’s the second cohort to graduate since NPower expanded to Calgary in May 2019, with the support of the City of Calgary and the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund.
“We believe the investment in NPower Canada is an investment in our people and our city,” said Deana Haley, Vice President of Client Services at Calgary Economic Development. “The vision of NPower Canada is helping create real career opportunities for deserving Calgarians.”
NPower Canada’s mandate is to help underprivileged Canadians between the ages of 18 and 29 learn the skills required for careers in the digital economy.
“Calgary youth are struggling to find meaningful employment, and many don’t know where to start,” says Lisa Moon, NPower Canada’s regional director for Calgary. “Our Junior IT Analyst program not only provides participants with technical skills and training, we also support them with personal and professional skill development and job placement with employers who want to help them launch their careers in the industry.”
The program also offers five years of alumni support to graduates, to assist with future needs to ensure long-term career success.
Between the two cohorts, there have been 64 graduates. Forty-five per cent of graduates are women, and 79 per cent come from minority communities. Seventy-eight per cent of graduates from the first cohort have since secured employment or enrolled in post-secondary within five months of program completion and 28 per cent of graduates from the second cohort have secured employment within one month of program completion.
Talent is one of four pillars outlined in the city’s Economic Strategy. With Calgary companies expected to lead the $18.4 billion spend in digitization through 2022, NPower Canada’s work supports Calgary Economic Development’s three-pronged approach to ensure that the local workforce is skilled to meet the demands of the new economy.
