ICTC drives digital equity to build a shared digital future for Canadians with Microsoft

Building inclusivity in a changing world 

The fast-changing nature of today’s digital world is opening up endlessly exciting opportunities. However, as the pandemic has revealed, not everyone is positioned to take advantage of these shifting currents equally. That’s where the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) comes in. The Canadian nonprofit center of expertise for the digital economy, established more than 30 years ago, provides evidence-based policy advice and develops capacity-building solutions to assist Canadians and businesses in reaching the full potential of the opportunities offered by the digital landscape. ICTC helps Canadian industries and enterprises achieve digital maturity and stay globally competitive. It also supports individual Canadians through upskilling and lifelong learning initiatives so that they can remain competitive in an ever-changing digital economy. To that end, ICTC and Microsoft have been partnered together since 2019 in an effort to drive digital equity, and ICTC is using content provided by Microsoft Learn to do just that.

Ensuring digital equity

ICTC understands firsthand the power of diversity in the digital economy. Diversity brings a stronger range of ideas and perspectives to companies, thereby providing them with more innovative and creative means to solve problems, develop products, and deliver solutions. Canada’s capacity for innovation and success in global markets depends upon its ability to develop and mobilize a skilled, digital workforce. Digital equity strives to ensure that all Canadians have equal opportunities to learn, train, engage, and innovate in the digital economy. Or, as ICTC President and CEO Namir Anani puts it, “Digital equity is about making sure that Canadians of all backgrounds have access to the digital job market and the ability to participate in the increasingly hyper-connected global economy.” Add to that the value inherent in the wide range of ideas and points of view that diversity engenders.

ICTC’s mandate is to advance Canada’s digital advantage globally, and a core component of that advancement depends upon harnessing the power and innovation of Canadians of all backgrounds through focused digital learning initiatives. Anani continues, “Our vision is to foster globally competitive Canadian industries empowered by diverse and innovative Canadian talent.”

ICTC achieves this by offering policy advice, digital-based skills training programs, and, just as important, professional and business skills training. Anne Windle, Manager of Immigration Programs at ICTC, says, “We need to make sure that we get our people ready to collaborate, work on teams or independently, understand how to raise a concern, and feel comfortable presenting. So, we’ve integrated these elements into our programs, and it’s proving successful.”

A DEEP partnership

A key means through which ICTC drives digital equity for Canadians is with its Digital Equity and Employment Pathways (DEEP) program. Started in 2019 in collaboration with Microsoft, the program aims to provide participants with technology skills in high-growth demand areas, including data analytics, AI, and cybersecurity, to name a few.

The DEEP program, conducted virtually, serves groups that have been historically excluded in the digital economy, including women, new Canadians, refugees, Indigenous Peoples, and more recently, youth groups. The program runs over a 12-month period and provides participants with professional and personal skills building, along with access to technology skills through Microsoft Learn. Prospective program participants register through the ICTC website and enroll in instructional, hands-on learning courses like DEEP and other ICTC programs that use valuable Microsoft Learn content. In support of these programs, Microsoft provides access to training, certifications, and micro-credentialing for in-demand digital roles.

The demand for the DEEP program was immediate. “The Microsoft courses we were providing … were extremely popular,” recalls Jared Perlman, Senior Project Coordinator at ICTC. “It got to a point where we were given more courses and more vouchers for additional people by Microsoft because of how popular the courses were and how successful the initial results were.”

The DEEP program has evolved to match Microsoft training deliverables. DEEP consists of business skills training modules, Microsoft-provided technical skills training modules, and a job-matching component through ICTC’s careers site. The program has been so successful that it continues to develop. The Microsoft 365 learning pathways content has been integrated into other ICTC programs, including the Youth Dividend program, which serves underrepresented groups under age 30, and ICTC’s Agile Industry Mindset (AIM) program, which also provides people with technology skills and professionalization skills. “We have job readiness, interview tips … résumé and LinkedIn profile reviews, and elevator pitch practice, presented through the lens of people who don’t have established professional networks in Canada,” Windle says.

Best of all, the DEEP program partners with companies to provide direct pathways between learning and working. Employers gain access to newly skilled and upskilled talent while supporting their diversity and inclusion initiatives, and program participants gain specialized training and work experience that positions them as highly desirable candidates in the job market. “Through our DEEP program,” Anani says, “we are supplying the right talent with the right capabilities that industries need, so it’s win-win. Companies gain job-ready and innovation-ready talent, and individuals from all backgrounds are better prepared to find sustainable careers within the digital economy.”

The DEEP program is already boasting some impressive results. Anani continues, “We’ve seen some incredible numbers and testimonials. Our DEEP program has a 93 percent employment rate, with 70 percent of program participants being women who are now gainfully employed. So, it’s been very powerful in developing digital capabilities in Canada, and we’d like to see it continue to grow.”

One example of the powerful impact ICTC is having is Maggie Archibald. Archibald took the position of Digital Engagement Project Coordinator at Digital Nova Scotia after completing ICTC training. Archibald learned about the DEEP program from her manager and thought it was a great opportunity to develop new skills and embark on a new career path. Archibald explains, “I wanted to make a career and industry change. Through the courses I took at ICTC, I learned about the tech sector and became more comfortable with Microsoft tools in a hands-on manner, especially Excel. The program really helped me develop and apply professional skills, like time management, presentation, collaboration, and networking skills. Meeting other participants and learning about what they were doing for work was also really valuable.”

ICTC prides itself not only on getting people prepared for digital work but on getting people to digital work. Windle states, “Our mandate every week is to get as many people ready for that job market as possible, show them opportunities, and connect them with employers. We do our outreach to employers each week to say, ‘Here come some clients, here are the skills they have—they’re ready and available. Please give them five minutes to see if they’re a fit.’”

This is what digital looks like

The success of DEEP and other ICTC programs is a testament to the inherent strength and value of diversity in the future workforce. Although upskilling remains a vital and ongoing activity in the digital economy, the ability to pivot, innovate, and stay current is equally important for employees, employers, and jobseekers alike.

Anani explains, “Every industry is looking for the next innovation factor. Innovation is what determines competitiveness and success in a global environment. Now, Canadians from all backgrounds can unleash and enjoy new economic benefits while creating innovation that drives new businesses and value chains across all industries.” Diversity of employees equates to diversity of perspective, which positions organizations to realize more innovative solutions and products.

“Studies on the labor market show that by 2025, Canada will require approximately 250,000 critical skills to be filled,” says Anani. He concludes, “Talent is going to be hugely important for Canada in the coming years because it creates the innovation Canada will need to compete on the global stage. Programs like DEEP take a very grassroots approach to get to the heart of this issue, and being able to partner with Microsoft and develop the talent for tomorrow’s economy is critical.”

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