Launch of the Journées Carrières Techno

    
    Companies, universities and colleges in Greater Montréal present the
    breadth of careers available to young Québecers in Information Technology
    

MONTREAL , Oct. 19 /CNW Telbec/ - More than 150 participants from Greater Montréal's private sector and educational institutions are gathered today as of 10 a.m. at eXcentris to promote careers in information and communications technologies (Technos or ICT) to Québec's youth. In the presence of Mr. Sam Hamad , Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity and Minister of Labour, TechnoMontréal and its partners officially launched the Journées Carrières Techno, a series of activities that will take place until October 22nd .

The objective of this event is to develop future generations of talent and to train and attract 60,000 new professionals over the next five years, to create the same number of new jobs, a major challenge for Greater Montréal's growth and economic prosperity. "This unprecedented mobilization of the Technos sector, achieved thanks to TechnoMontréal's support, will allow us to achieve this objective. We are proud to present our partners at the launch of the Journées Carrières Techno," added Mr. Michel Guay , Chairman of the Board of TechnoMontréal and Chief Executive Officer of Radio IP.

This launch, organized by an important group of officials and decision-makers from the industry, with a very "techno" presentation of real and virtual personalities, demonstrates the quantity, quality and diversity of careers available in information and communications technologies. A series of activities, information resources and multimedia animations targeting not only young people but also their parents, the industry and academic representatives will be presented to the audience and available on the following website: www.journeescarrierestechno.com

Multiple opportunities in all economic sectors

"The government of Québec is proud to partner with the Journées Carrières Techno, an initiative aiming to develop future generations in a key sector of Québec's economy. The leadership shown today by all players in the ICT industry will create quality jobs that will help contribute to Québec's economic growth and our prosperity for tomorrow," said the Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity and Minister of Labour, Mr. Sam Hamad .

According to Mr. Maurice Piché, Director of Collège Bois-de-Boulogne and President of TechnoMontréal's Future Workforce Working Group, young people know little about the various advantages of embracing a career in the Technos industry: "an education in information technologies opens many doors in all job markets. This is too often overlooked by the public, especially among young people."

"With almost 200,000 information technology professionals in Québec, information technologies make up one of the most important opportunities for job creation and economic growth. This highly qualified workforce is our greatest wealth and its development is vital for our future. This is why we are actively involved in initiatives such as the Journées Carrières Techno and the Canadian Coalition for Tomorrow's ICT Skills," said Mr. Stéphane Boisvert, President of Bell Canada's Enterprise Group.

From his perspective, Mr. Christophe Guy , Chief Executive Officer of École Polytechnique de Montréal, stated that "from large companies to research centers, we see a huge need for information technology and communications specialists and engineers. These are essential players in both industrial and academic innovation, and they occupy key roles in our society. At Polytechnique, we are happy to contribute to the training and development of these essential talents for our economic future."

The Technos, a leading sector

"For the past several years, the information and communications technologies sector represents the majority of international investments attracted by Montréal International (MI), accounting for close to three quarters of our results in 2008 alone! In a lot of cases, the quality of our workforce is the main factor for investors to decide to invest in Montréal. For this reason, MI supports TechnoMontréal and its partners in their efforts aiming to support the development of a future generation of workers in the Technos sector," said Mr. André Gamache, President and Chief Executive Officer of Montréal International.

"Studies carried out by the Conference Board of Canada have shown that each unfilled job in information technologies costs $120,000 to Québec's economy. Just imagine: 60,000 unfilled jobs represents a loss of $7 billion , showing the strategic importance of our future generation of workers to our collective wealth," adds Mr. Jacques Topping , co-founder of Informission and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Réseau Action TI.

"It is essential to develop a large pool of highly-skilled professionals in order to carry out major projects. It is our talented workforce that will allow us to continue to innovate and remain competitive in the Technos sector worldwide," affirms Mr. Patrick Cowan , vice-president of CGI's Leadership Institute and member of TECHNOCompétences' Board of Directors.

The Journées Carrières Techno

As part of the Journées Carrières Techno, a round table of ICT industry leaders to support future generations, as well as several other activities, will be organized by TECHNOCompétences, the Conférence régionale des élus (CRÉ) de Montréal, the CEFRIO, the Réseau ACTION TI, the Association de la recherche industrielle du Québec (ADRIQ), the Association québécoise des informaticiennes et informaticiens indépendants (AQIII), the Association des Diplômés de Polytechnique (ADP), the Centre de recherche informatique de Montréal (CRIM) and the Association québécoise des technologies (AQT), courtesy of support from Quartz Communications and Neoxo.

Also noteworthy will be a day of awareness, where leading educational institutions together with other universities and CEGEPs, will gather on October 22 at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) for an event called "Cool! Les technos."

More than a dozen events will take place during the Journées Carrières Techno. For a more detailed program, to see the complete list of partner organizations or to register for activities, please visit our website at: www.journeescarrierestechno.com.

About TechnoMontréal - www.technomontreal.com

TechnoMontréal brings together the key players of Greater Montréal's Information and Communications Technology cluster around concerted actions to accelerate and optimize their competitiveness, growth and visibility. TechnoMontréal's strategic actions cover industry needs related to workforce, commercialization, financing and investment and innovation, together with public and parapublic players, with the support of leading companies and institutions such as DMR, the École de technologies supérieure, the École Polytechnique de Montréal, the Université de Montréal, Bell, CGI, Ericsson, Radio IP, Irosoft, 8D Technologies, Sologlobe, Ubisoft, Collège Bois-de-Boulogne and the CRIM.

About TECHNOCompétences - www.technocompetences.ca

TECHNOCompétences, the ICT Workforce Sectorial Committee's, vision is to make Québec's information and communications technology industry a world-leader thanks to the quality of its workforce. Its plan, supported by industry partners, aims to balance the supply of and demand for qualified human resources. For close to 12 years, TECHNOCompétences has maintained information on the labour market, aimed to improve the skill-level of the human resources the industry requires and helped companies to improve their management practices. Finally, TECHNOCompétences strives to increase the size of the workforce by reaching out to future generations through the MaCarrièreTECHNO.com promotional campaign.

About the Réseau ACTION TI - www.actionti.com

With over 10,000 members and clients, the Réseau Action TI brings together and mobilizes players in Québec's information technology industry. It creates opportunities to come together and helps to improve their skills and knowledge. It also highlights quality achievements and promotes IT in Québec.

About the École Polytechnique de Montréal

Founded in 1873, École Polytechnique de Montréal is one of Canada's leading engineering institutions in terms of both teaching and research. It is the largest engineering school in Québec as far as its student population and the scope of its research activities are concerned. Polytechnique provides instruction in 11 engineering specialties and is responsible for more than one-quarter of all university research in engineering in Québec. The institution has 230 professors and nearly 6,000 students. In addition to its annual operating budget of $85 million , Polytechnique has a $68-million operating and research infrastructure fund, which includes grants and contracts worth $38 million . Polytechnique is affiliated with Université de Montréal.

About the Quebec Technology Association (AQT) - www.aqt.ca

The Quebec Technology Association (AQT) is a non-profit organization, which is self-funded by its members. The AQT represents information technology companies and their executives. The Association's mission is to support their growth objectives and facilitate their access to the best business practices. The Association has over 400 member companies and affiliate members.

About Montréal International - www.montrealinternational.com

Montréal International (MI) was created in 1996 as a result of a private/public partnership. Its mission is to contribute to the economic development of metropolitan Montréal and to enhance its international status. Its mandates include attracting foreign investment, international organizations and qualified workers, supporting the development of innovation and metropolitan clusters, and promoting the competitive and international environment of Greater Montréal. Montréal International is funded by the private sector, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (Montréal Metropolitan Community), the City of Montréal and the Governments of Canada and Québec.

Since its creation, Montréal International has helped to attract more than $7 billion in foreign investment to Greater Montréal. From these investments, more than 40 000 jobs have been created or maintained. To date, MI's activities have also allowed more than 25 international organizations to establish themselves in the city and attract more than 3 000 qualified foreign workers.

Une version française est disponible au www.journeescarrierestechno.com/documentation.html

For further information: Martin Duchaîne, General Manager, TechnoMontréal, [phone], [email protected], www.TechnoMontréal.com; Benoît Lefèvre, Communications Advisor, Montréal International, [phone]