Originally published, February 5, 2018, in RRC’s College and Public Relations email newsletter.

Students in Red River College’s Applied Computer Education Department will gain an important first step into their new career, thanks to a new partnership with Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) Talent.

Through the ITAC Talent Career Ready program, eligible companies in the ACE Project Space and Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning (CEWIL) ACE Partners will receive a wage subsidy for a students’ work placement, which allows the companies to hire a driven employee who can apply cutting edge techniques and knowledge learned at RRC. The students in turn will gain valuable hands-on experience in the emerging digital economy.

The Career Ready Program is currently providing paid placements to 30 students for the winter 2018 term (January to April) and will provide another 40 placements for the 2018/2019 academic year. The program provides up to 50% (to a maximum of $5,000) of a work term student’s pay in wage subsidies to employers. Employers that hire students from underrepresented groups including women in STEM, Indigenous students, recent immigrants, persons with disabilities, and first-year students may also qualify for additional funding (up to 70% or $7,000).

“The ITAC partnership will open doors for Red River College learners and help employers secure the talent they need to compete in the digital economy,” said Haider Al-Saidi, Chair, Applied Computer Education Red River College.

An opportunity is available for start up companies and entrepreneurs to hire students. Examples of these companies that utilize RRC students are BIT Space Development, Consultica, Chekkit Geolocation Services and Cassidy e-Care Solutions.

Some of the work placement opportunities students received this term include Wawanesa Insurance, Northfield IT and uniPoint Software.
“We look forward to working with Red River College and employers in the region to help expand the ACE Project Space Program work-integrated learning model that will create opportunities for students to apply their industry-recognized, high-demand digital/ICT skills in high-growth sectors across the Manitoba workforce and provide employers with the skilled talent they need to grow their companies and innovate,” said Gina van Dalen, Executive Director, ITAC Talent.

About the ACE Project Space
The ACE Project Space is an interactive work space where students, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and/or community organizations come together to bring unique ideas to life using cutting-edge technology. The Business Information Technology (BIT) and Business Technology Management (BTM) students of the Applied Computer Education (ACE) department at Red River College (RRC) utilize the ACE Project Space to enhance their problem solving and technical skills by working on quality projects that will have a positive impact within our community. BIT and BTM students work in teams using the latest technologies to create real, innovative, and meaningful projects that they can later showcase to future employers.

About the ACE Co-operative Education and Work Integrated Learning (CEWIL)
The Applied Computer Education (ACE) Co-operative education integrates related on-the-job experience with classroom theory by integrating a term of paid employment within the terms of academic study. Students are given the opportunity to practice and apply the skills gained in their college as productive full-time employees on their work term.

About ITAC Talent
As Canada’s national information and communications technology (ICT) business association, the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC) champions the development of a robust and sustainable digital economy in Canada. A vital connection between business and government, we provide our members with the advocacy, networking and professional development services that help them to thrive nationally and compete globally. The mandate of ITAC Talent, a division of ITAC, is to ensure that Canada’s employers in all sectors of the economy have access to ICT professionals with the skills they need to thrive and compete in today’s rapidly changing technology environment.

For information contact
Gina van Dalen, Executive Director, ITAC Talent at gvandalen@itac.ca
Haider Al-Saidi, Chair Applied Computer Education, Red River College at halsaidi@rrc.ca