Partnership with Actua will see more than 900,000 training opportunities provided to Canadian students and their teachers to learn digital skills
NORTH YORK, ON, July 26, 2019 /CNW/ - Canada needs a workforce savvy in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), capable of competing 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 who want to improve their digital skills.
During a visit to John Polanyi Collegiate Institute today, Marco Mendicino, Member of Parliament for Eglinton–Lawrence and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced $12 million in funding for Actua as part of the second phase of the Government of Canada's CanCode program.
CanCode gives students from kindergarten to Grade 12 the opportunity to learn digital skills, like coding, data analytics and digital content development, including artificial intelligence. The 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 other under-represented groups to pursue careers in STEM. In its first phase, CanCode provided 1.9 million experiences in coding and digital skills training to Canadian students and teachers.
With its funding, Actua will offer 900,500 coding and digital skills training opportunities to students, from kindergarten to Grade 12. In addition, Actua will provide learning opportunities to over 16,350 teachers across the country to gain or perfect their skills to teach coding in their classrooms. Actua is a national organization that delivers workshops and resources to students and teachers.
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.
Quotes
"Technology has transformed our everyday lives in many ways, including the skills we need to excel in the working world. Learning digital skills and coding, and how technology can help drive innovation, will help open so many doors to our next generation. Giving the opportunity for all children to become tech savvy and learn coding is important to ensuring they are set up for success, and it will also help strengthen our economy for many years to come."
– Marco Mendicino, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"Young Canadians 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.
- To date, our government has provided 1.9 million experiences in coding and digital skills training to Canadian students and 61,000 teachers through CanCode activities. Through this second phase of CanCode, more than two million more training opportunities will be provided to students and teachers by March 2021.
- CanCode has a student stream and a teacher stream. CanCode 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.
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