CALGARY, AB – Bow Valley College has been awarded a contract by Alberta Labour to provide no-cost Information and Communication Technology skills training to unemployed and underemployed Albertans. The goal is to support those who wish to integrate back into the workforce with new skills and to fill a labour market gap.

The Tech Skills to Employment initiative is a proactive opportunity for unemployed and under-employed Albertans to get the industry skills and work experience needed to adapt to the changing provincial job market.

Unemployed or underemployed applicants who are EI eligible are encouraged to apply. Dave Harvey, Dean of Continuing Learning at Bow Valley, says the province’s employment market is changing fundamentally, and has created a current mismatch of supply and demand. Despite relatively high unemployment in the area of technology, there are many unfilled job openings for people with programming and database skills.

“This project is part of the college’s broader ‘Pivot-Ed’ strategic priority” he states. “We are always developing new ways to help learners get their current experience and talents recognized and, when necessary, provide timely skills training opportunities to meet the newly emerging employment and self-employment opportunities in the Calgary area.”

The comprehensive program combines workplace essential skills, computer proficiencies, information technology competencies, employment preparation skills, and work experience. Clients will complete 16 weeks of full-time classroom study followed by 10 weeks of work placement.

It also includes elective courses so each learner’s pathway can be tailored to their individual career goals and strengths. Applicants must submit their resumes, take part in an intake interview, and complete formal skills and aptitude assessment covering workplace capabilities, Microsoft Office knowledge and Information Technology aptitude.

“A vital aspect of all programming at Bow Valley College is that the skills learned and demonstrated are relevant to the needs at the workplace,” Harvey adds. “Work placement opportunities that allow learners to not only practice their skills in real workplace environments but also to expand their network of potential employers.”

There are three separate start dates to the program: April 1, June 3, and July 29, 2019. All courses offered in the program are offered as non-credit through the School of Continuing Learning. There are currently no transfer credit agreements in place at this time. Each course allows learners to write credential exams and earn industry recognized certifications upon successful graduation. The college’s goal is to train 50 applicants in the first year of the initiative.

Bow Valley College has partnered with IBM, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA to deliver training, testing, and certification in such fields as Database Administration, Computer Programming, Business Analytics, Network Security and Virtual Machine Software.

For more information and to formally apply, visit the Bow Valley College Tech Skills to Employment landing page and review the program’s FAQs.  A complete list of integrated training programs funded by Alberta Labour is included on the Alberta Employment and Training Services Directory.

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For more information, please contact:

Donna Gray
Media Relations Officer
Bow Valley College
Mobile: 403-831-1150
Office: 587-393-2628
Direct: 403-770-5150
Email: dgray@bowvalleycollege.ca

About Bow Valley College
Bow Valley College - Calgary and region's only Comprehensive Community College - with more than 15,000 full- and part-time students, is a leader in business and health career training, community studies, creative technologies, adult upgrading, and English Language Learning.