$23 million investment to help students and teachers gain coding and digital skills
OTTAWA, Sept. 4, 2019 /CNW/ - Canada needs a workforce savvy in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), capable of taking on challenges to compete in the digital economy. That's why, to prepare the next generation of Canadian workers to succeed in the increasingly digital economy, the Government of Canada is supporting millions of young Canadians in improving their digital skills.
Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced the list of 21 organizations across the country that are receiving funding from the CanCode program. This is in addition to the six organizations that received funding from the program earlier this summer.
Thanks to these investments, the organizations will offer students from kindergarten to Grade 12 the opportunity to learn digital skills, like coding, data analytics and digital content development, including artificial intelligence. The CanCode program also helps Canadian teachers acquire the know-how to incorporate new digital skills and technologies into their classrooms, and it encourages young women, Indigenous peoples and members of other under-represented groups to pursue careers in STEM.
CanCode aligns with Canada's Digital Charter, a made-in-Canada, principles-based approach to building trust in the digital world. The first principle of the Charter is focused on ensuring that all Canadians have equal opportunity to participate in the digital world and the necessary tools to do so, including access, connectivity, literacy and skills.
For a complete list of all organizations, visit the CanCode website.
Quotes
"Young Canadians are the leaders of tomorrow and will drive our economic success for years to come. By investing in resources that teach them digital skills and making higher education more affordable, our government is helping them transition successfully from classrooms to research labs, shop floors or boardrooms."
– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Quick facts
- Budget 2019 is investing $60 million in CanCode. This investment is in addition to the $50 million from Budget 2017, for a total of $110 million as of September 4, 2019.
- Under the first phase of CanCode, the program helped provide 1.9 million experiences in coding and digital skills training to Canadian students and 96,000 teachers. Through this second phase, more than two million additional training opportunities will be provided by March 2021.
- CanCode has a student stream and a teacher stream. CanCode funding recipients deliver digital skills learning opportunities for students from kindergarten to Grade 12 and/or training programs and workshops for teachers.
- CanCode is designed to complement educational curricula and to promote, encourage and spark awareness and interest in coding and digital skills more broadly. The long-term goal is to make Canada a leading innovation economy with a diverse and inclusive workforce.
- In 2019, 27 projects from across Canada, including the 21 projects announced today, have received funding from the CanCode program.
Organizations receiving funding today:
- ASTC Science World Society
- Black Boys Code
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada
- Brilliant Labs
- CADRE21
- Cybera
- Elephant Thoughts
- Fusion Jeunesse
- Grandir Sans Frontières
- Hackergal
- Information and Communications Technology Council
- Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise
- MediaSmarts
- Saskatchewan Science Centre
- Saskatoon Industry-Education Council
- Science East
- Science North
- TakingITGlobal
- The Learning Partnership
- The Pinnguaq Association
- Ulnooweg Development Group Inc.
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