Announcements
Abilities Magazine
| February 22nd, 2004 | |
The ForumInnovera Integrated SolutionsSpring 1999. Issue 38: p. 38 Forumby Alar Prost When most of us make a new resolution, start a new project or promise to take a new direction in life, we often do so on symbolic days. Like the first day of the week, or the first day of the year. Maybe that’s why there’s such a buzz of excitement around the year 2000 - the first day of a new millennium certainly does provide an ideal time to take a positive, new turn in life! There’s an exciting new computer training and employment program that will allow Canadians with disabilities to do just that - start the new millennium as specialists in the dynamic and diverse field of information systems. It’s called Career Futures and it’s being launched in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver. Career Futures aims to provide information technology (IT) skills training for people with disabilities, and it’s getting a lot of people involved in the act: business, educators, governments, vocational rehabilitation specialists and Canadians with disabilities. This eight-month program begins at the end of May, 1999, so that graduates will be ready to join the workforce as IT specialists in January, 2000. What makes Career Futures unique is that right from the beginning, organizations that are committed to providing jobs for people with disabilities are helping to design and deliver the program. And what that means is that potential employers of Career Future graduates already understand and accept that while some individuals have unique needs in the workplace, those differences usually have little bearing on their productivity or the quality of their work. Why is Career Futures focusing on the information technology field? Because right now there is a critical shortage of IT professionals across Canada. In fact, according to a 1998 study conducted for the Canadian Advanced Technology Association, there are well over 20,000 information technology (IT) positions that need to be filled in Canada, and over 300,000 vacant IT positions in the United States. In other words, there are jobs, jobs, jobs for qualified IT specialists! So, is this just another computer training course? Hardly! Career Futures will offer participants "vendor-authorized" training in two areas of study leading to certification as an IT professional. Certification is the fastest-growing measure of success in the computer industry, and Career Futures graduates who obtain certification will be recognized as technical specialists in their fields. Career Futures trainees will have a choice between the highly recognized and respected Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) designation, or the Microsoft Certified Professional for Internet Systems and Novell IntraNetWare (MCP) program. Some of the key IT skills that program graduates will be qualified to perform include planning, implementing, customizing, maximizing, maintaining, and trouble-shooting Microsoft operating systems. The Career Futures program begins with a careful review of each application, and is followed up with personal interviews with all qualifying candidates. In some cases, educational aptitude and/or functional capacities assessments may also be undertaken to assist with both the admissions and training processes. Formal training begins with a brief refresher on basic computer skills. It is followed by 30 weeks of accelerated training in computer systems engineering and network management, including an eight-week, unpaid work placement which extends classroom learning into real-life experience. In addition to regular classroom work and lab time, trainees will have access to professional career counselling, interview coaching, assistance with resume preparation, and job search support. Career Futures organizers are providing a full range of support measures because they want to ensure that all trainees make a successful transition from the training program to paid employment. Career Futures is a collaborative effort funded in part by Human Resources Development Canada, and led by Innovera Integrated Solutions of Gloucester, Ontario. Technical training will be provided by GP Learning Technologies (formerly SHL Systemhouse), and Performance Plus Rehabilitative Care is providing a comprehensive package of rehabilitation services, including trainee assessments. As the initiative’s overall coordinator, Innovera is now building partnerships with the employers, insurers, workers’ compensation boards, community organizations and service providers that will be so critical to the program’s overall success. So how much does the program cost? That depends on you. Most of the training costs for Career Futures are being funded by Human Resources Development Canada and partner employers. Trainees will be asked to contribute to their tuition, but the amount depends on both their personal circumstances and the province in which they live. The program coordinator will be pleased to discuss this aspect of the program with you, in complete confidence and with a view to enabling as many people as possible to receive this training. Career Futures applications will be accepted until the end of April, with formal training beginning on May 31, 1999. If you’re interested in the Career Futures program, or know someone who might be, please contact: INNOVERA INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS 41 KAYMAR DRIVE GLOUCESTER, ON K1J 7C8 TEL:(613) 741-3549, E-MAIL: [email protected]
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