TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Canadian tech education leader Lighthouse Labs announced their participation in the Digital Skills for Youth (DS4Y) program today. The program is a government-led initiative that connects small businesses and not-for-profit organizations with underemployed post-secondary graduates by providing wage subsidies and skill training opportunities.
Through the program, Lighthouse Labs will fill more than 200 youth intern positions across Canada through wage subsidies and job placement services for organizations looking to grow their digital and online activities. Lighthouse Labs will also provide on-the-job training to new hires throughout their placements. This training will help them develop and enhance their digital literacy skills in highly valued fields like software development and data science, and apply them using soft skills like communication, problem solving, and teamwork.
“Our government is working hard to ensure our youth have the skills they need to succeed in today’s digital economy. This has become even more important in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, where large sections of society are forced to work online,” said the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “The Digital Skills for Youth program will help participants gain real-life experience and valuable skills to contribute to future employers who are striving to innovate and succeed in an ever-changing landscape.”
“We’re thrilled to be working with the Government of Canada to subsidize the cost of talent for organizations, while providing new graduates with the tools they need to succeed in a rapidly changing job market,” said Jeremy Shaki, co-founder and CEO of Lighthouse Labs. “In today’s digital economy, it’s more important than ever to help organizations create new jobs in emerging areas. The DS4Y program does just that, while helping young people to be job-ready.”
The DS4Y program was created to provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and not-for-profit organizations with the means to create new positions in emerging areas where jobs may not yet exist. These include cybersecurity, the automation of knowledge tasks, big data, and artificial intelligence, among others. DS4Y contributes to the larger Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) by supporting youth who are job-ready but may need a first work experience to enter and succeed in the labour market.
Internships through Lighthouse Labs will run until March 2021. If you are an employer looking for interns, please contact us.
You can learn more about the DS4Y program here.
About Lighthouse Labs
Lighthouse Labs was created in 2013 by a team of software developers with a passion for code, mentorship, and education. Our mission: to continuously find the best ways to train the next generation of developers and transform the way tech education is delivered. Seven years later, we have introduced over 30,000 Canadians to the practice of coding and launched over 2,000 graduates into careers as professional developers. With the support of a brilliant team of instructors and mentors who view coding as the ultimate craft, we continue to empower students, launch careers, and contribute to the incredible growth of Canada’s tech industry.
