For Immediate Release
August 17th, 2017
Mayor Crombie Helps Launch Youth Training and Employment Opportunity in IT Sector
The launch of this new information technology (IT) training and employment program, right here in Mississauga, will help local youth from across our city and the Greater Toronto Area prepare themselves for rewarding, in-demand and well-paying job opportunities, Mayor Bonnie Crombie said today.
Mayor Crombie made the comments during NPower’s Mississauga Launch Event, celebrating the expansion of the NPower Canada program into Peel Region, adding that “Council and staff are committed to ensuring that Mississauga is a place where local young people can launch promising careers, pursue their ambitions and enjoy an unrivalled quality of life in the very community they call home.”
NPower Canada launches underserved young adults into meaningful and rewarding IT careers by providing 15 weeks of no-cost, industry-certified training followed by job placement and 2 years of post-hire support. 84% of graduates have secured employment within 6 months of program completion, joining leading companies such as Accenture, CIBC, Deloitte, IBM, RBC, Rogers, TD and Virgin Mobile.
“We look forward to building on NPower Canada’s success by expanding into Mississauga and the Peel Region,” said Andrew Reddin, Senior Director, Partnerships, with NPower Canada. “After consulting with local employers to better understand which training stream would align best with the Peel Region job market, NPower Canada has decided to offer its Service Analyst stream in Mississauga.”
The Service Analyst stream prepares young adults for high-growth potential careers in IT Service Management and Technical Support. Program participants earn their CompTIA A+ certification during the 15-week training period, and graduates have been placed into roles such as Help Desk Analyst, Project Control Officer, IT Service Coordinator, Jr. Business Analyst and Network Administrator, earning an average starting wage of $18 per hour.
NPower Canada is currently recruiting at least 60 young adults ages 18-29 to join its first Peel Region cohort, starting on September 5, 2017 and delivered at the Mississauga Training Centre. The NPower team aims to connect and collaborate with community leaders to launch greater numbers of multi-barriered youth into IT careers.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is one of Mississauga’s top six industry clusters and our Economic Development Office (EDO) team works closely with ICT businesses to help them meet and exceed their business goals, Mayor Crombie said. Mississauga is home to over 700 ICT companies employing over 30,000 people.
Mayor Crombie said “Our partners at NPower Canada took part in the EDO Building Skilled Talent Together Forum – a gathering of public and private-sector leaders developing strategies and solutions to address Mississauga’s skilled labour gap and the immediate and longer term employee needs of advanced manufacturing.”
“The City of Mississauga is committed to working with NPower Canada, job creators, universities, colleges and all stakeholder groups to ensure that the local talent base meets industry needs and we can strengthen our local economy.”
“Ongoing demand for access to quality, educated and skilled talent is one of the leading issues I hear about from prospective businesses who want to move to Mississauga and from existing businesses looking to expand service offerings and remain ahead of competition,” Mayor Crombie added.
Youth employment has been an ongoing priority for Mayor Crombie, through city-wide initiatives including the Mayor’s Youth Speaker Series, the Mayor’s Youth Employment Expo and Mayor Crombie’s ongoing work with the Healthy City Stewardship Committee (HCSC). The Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Association, which helped organize today’s launch, is an active member of HCSC.
Mayor Crombie concluded “having finished school, many students are now looking for opportunities to start the next chapter of their lives, I encourage them to apply today for NPower Canada’s Service Analyst stream program available here in Mississauga.”
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- If you know someone who may be interested in applying to NPower Canada, please direct them to the online application at npowercanada.ca. For more information or questions about the program, please email Carly.Dwyer@npowercanada.ca or call 647-390-9800.