Highlights
The innovator skills initiative, run by Innovate BC, has reached new milestones and established new partnerships. Over this last fiscal year, Indigenous participation in the innovator skills initiative has surpassed the participation rate for the 2021-2022 reporting period by 3%. The formal partnership between Innovate BC and the First Nation Technology Council (FNTC) is an achievement of this year’s delivery of the innovator skills initiative and represents a “first” for Innovate BC and the FNTC working together on a hiring grant initiative. Mitacs is also offering enhanced support for Indigenous students through the innovator skills initiative to better recruit and provide enhanced support for Indigenous interns throughout B.C.
In 2023/24, the innovator skills initiative and the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator provided technology sector training to over 1,230 participants, including 42 participants that self-identified as Indigenous.
How are we working together?
The innovator skills initiative program was designed to increase diversity in the tech sector and help B.C.-based business fill talent shortages and grow. A key priority of the programs extension in 2023 was to support more Indigenous placements. To accomplish this, Innovate BC, the delivery partner, sought out partnerships with Indigenous led businesses and accelerators within the B.C. tech ecosystem. Innovate BC values the work being done by the First Nations Technology Council and their mission to advance digital literacy by improving internet connectivity and providing guidance on digital technology for all Nations across the province. Innovate BC partnered with the FNTC to support their employees, who recently completed a digital training course, in a minimum four month work placement. Innovate BC was in regular contact with the FNTC throughout the four month process, providing support and ensuring the placements were progressing. The FNTC provided Innovate BC with a final report of the interns’ experiences after all placements were completed in January 2024. The report included very positive outcomes as the interns were able to explore new careers in B.C.’s technology sector, apply transferable skills, and build meaningful connections with trusted technology partners. The Vancouver International Airport, a recipient of a First Nations Technology Council work placement was extremely satisfied with their experience and offered their intern extended employment. After a discussion with the Vancouver International Airport, Innovate BC proposed to extend the agreement with the First Nations Technology Council to support several more Indigenous placements through the innovator skills initiative. The extension was officially signed in March and interns are scheduled to commence placements in April. The First Nations Technology Council will be submitting monthly progress reports to Innovate BC and a final report by March 31, 2025.
DIGITAL, previously Digital Technology Supercluster, is the program administrator for the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator and is focusing on sustaining continued engagement and building deeper, respectful partnerships with Indigenous communities that had been engaged prior to the 2023/24 fiscal year. In spring 2023, NPower, the Canadian Tech Talent delivery partner, partnered with the Ministry of Education & Child Care and Future Skill Centre to launch the youth careers in tech initiative. This initiative provides career exploration workshops to students and graduates to spark the interest among youth and adults to pursue careers in tech. Through the promotion of the workshops, NPower connected with the Ministry of Youth at the Métis Nation BC who expressed interested in the new initiative and had a workshop in Fall 2023. NPower is also working with Mokwateh to develop a reconciliation action plan. This is following a series of interviews the consultancy conducted with several NPower staff, Indigenous community partners, and participants. NPower will be hiring staff shortly to focus on executing the strategy Mokwateh has devised. The priority will be to recruit Indigenous-identifying talent for these positions.
The next iteration of the digital skills bootcamp is anticipated to launch in 2024, and consultation and co-operation with Indigenous Peoples and organizations is expected.
Are there challenges?
Consultation and co-operation with Indigenous Peoples and organizations for the development of the digital skills bootcamp will be sought under the timeline requirements. Innovate BC is the program administrator and will work with the delivery partner to ensure meaningful consultation and co-operation takes place. The program is expected to launch in the first half of 2024, which may put stress on the duration and extent of consultation prior to program launch. The relationship between Innovate BC and the First Nations Technology Council and other entities may be relied on. While there is a low risk of not meeting program uptake targets, knowing the exact number of Indigenous and under-represented participants is difficult when identification is not a program qualification requirement. Self-identifying is often voluntary and not everyone may feel comfortable answering. Having accurate data is important to monitor and evaluate the success of program development to inform future initiatives to increase the number of tech training opportunities for Indigenous and under-represented groups. Future engagement with Indigenous partners may include discussing how to frame self-identification aspects to encourage more accurate reporting and data.
Developing a new digital skills program to meet current gaps in the sector can be challenging. The successful service provider is well-versed in digital skills training and understands the gap in digital skills training looking to be met. Issues in this area are not anticipated.
Previous years’ progress
2022/2023 progress details
Highlights
The Innovator Skills Initiative (ISI), Digital Marketing Bootcamp (DMB) and the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator (CTTA) provided training to a total of 11,778 participants; 8,536 of these participants identify as Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPOC) or belong to an underrepresented group. The Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, in partnership with these programs, will continue engagement with Indigenous organizations to inform program development and ensure Indigenous Peoples and other groups currently under-represented in B.C.’s technology sector are prioritized to increase the number of training opportunities.
Indicators
- Number of engagement participants in programs and events: In 2022/23, the ISI, DMB, and the CTTA provided technology sector training to an estimated 2,200 IBPOC participants, of which 791 self-identify as Indigenous.
How are we working together?
A key part of the ISI development process in 2021 involved engaging with a range of organizations representing under-represented groups and Indigenous Peoples. Engagement took place through roundtable discussions to ensure a wide variety of perspectives were considered. Engagement included the Indigenous Business and Investment Council of BC, One Feather and Jelly Digital Marketing. The ISI aims to help under-represented people get their first job in B.C.’s tech sector and provides grants to help employers hire a new employee. Innovate BC engaged with the First Nations Technology Council (FNTC) to provide ISI employers free access to post jobs on the FNTC job board to cross-promote initiatives. In addition, Innovate BC engaged Jelly Academy, an Indigenous-led training provider, to provide information on how to hire recent graduates.
The DMB program is now complete. Future digital skills bootcamps, funded through the StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan and delivered over the next three fiscal years, will be engaging and co-operating with Indigenous organizations regarding development and reporting on the program.
NPower Canada, the CTTA’s lead delivery partner has been co-operating with Indigenous organizations and other supporters to ensure that the program is relevant and accessible to Indigenous jobseekers. Funding to continue the CTTA program has been approved through the StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan and ministry staff will work with partners to engage with Indigenous organizations to encourage Indigenous participation in the next iteration of the program.
Are there challenges?
While there is a low risk of not meeting program uptake targets, knowing the exact number of Indigenous and under-represented participants is difficult when identification is not a program qualification requirement. Self-identifying is often voluntary and not everyone may feel comfortable answering. Having accurate data is important to monitor and evaluate the success of program development to inform future initiatives to increase the number of tech training opportunities for Indigenous and under-represented groups. Future engagement with Indigenous partners may include discussing how to frame self-identification aspects to encourage more accurate reporting and data.