In a rapidly evolving digital-based economy, iAdvance is a strategic initiative designed by ICTC to help Canadians reskill and pivot to new jobs in growth sectors or upskill to maintain and advance their employment prospects within their respective sectors.

As the industrial fabric of Canada’s economy continues its fervour for digital platforms—found to be critical for business survival in these uncertain times—the demand for skilled workers continues to accelerate. ICTC’s latest Digital Talent Outlook: Onward and Upwards projected a sizable increase in digital job growth, with an additional demand for 250,000 critical positions by 2025, and an overall labour market of around 2.26 million for the digital economy. Such projections highlight the need for innovative and industry-based workforce and skills development solutions to better prepare Canada’s talent for tomorrow’s economy.

To respond to this challenge, ICTC designed, in 2019, an end-to-end workforce development solution entitled “iAdvance” to enable evidence-based pathways to employment, which include among others: skills forecasting and mapping to in-demand occupations; targeted short-duration training, industry-based coaching and learning experiences; as well as micro-credentialing to support current and future employment prospects. This approach advances all workforce development solutions across the talent spectrum in Canada, spanning career transitioners, newcomers, unemployed and underemployed workers, to underserved and underrepresented workers.

The iAdvance solution implemented in various ICTC programs has achieved considerable employment outcomes. These include, among others, the EDGE UP program in Alberta that paved the way for displaced oil and gas workers to transition to in-demand jobs, the Arrival to FinTech Ready program that assisted newcomers to Ontario prepare for Fintech jobs, and the Youth Dividend program that assisted university and college graduates to receive training and meaningful work experiences and help them transition to full-time employment.

This proven workforce development solution is aimed at meeting regional, provincial, and industry needs, to equip talent streams with advanced technical and life skills to help businesses digitally transform, scale, innovate, and heighted their competitive advantage in a global context.

To find out more about iAdvance, please contact: @email

About ICTC:

Through forward-looking research, innovative capacity building programs, and practical policy advice, ICTC fosters innovative and globally competitive Canadian industries empowered by a talented and diverse digital workforce.