Introducing Black Canadians to Tech Skills & Jobs
Elevating the representation of Black Canadians and new immigrants in essential tech roles
Project Overview
Updated October 20th, 2023
The Problem
While 4.3% of Canada’s population is Black (2023), only 2.6% of Canada’s tech sector is comprised of Black Canadians and new immigrants, particularly Black women.
How We Are Solving It
Through an empowering approach of comprehensive technology skills training, mentorship and target job placement: World Innovation League is seeking to elevate the representation of Black Canadians and new immigrants in essential tech roles by 50% over the next five years. Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, this program will tackle the shortage of diverse talent in high-growth fields of artificial intelligence (AI), financial technology, workplace technologies, cybersecurity and healthcare technology.
The program will focus on developing expertise for over 420 Black Canadians youths in the following core areas:
- Software Development: Equipping learners with coding proficiency to contribute effectively to software projects.
- User Experience Design: Developing skills in designing user-friendly and engaging digital interfaces.
- Product Management: Providing a deep understanding of project management and business analytics to lead tech initiatives.
The program will also provide participants with mentorship, employment connections and host hackathons for hands-on experience with tangible outputs for their portfolios and opportunities to enhance employability. Participant experiences and outcomes will be documented to contribute to Canada’s national dialogue on opportunities for Black Canadians in tech, as well as develop a Canadian-centric playbook for milestone-based learning and hackathons that can be adapted and used by other organizations for upskilling initiatives.
