Meet our Skills for Hire Students of the Month!

Congratulations to Jean-paul Boudreau and Tanja Keselj for their success in Digital Nova Scotia's Skills for Hire program! Digital Nova Scotia's Skills for Hire program is working to help aspiring IT professionals become industry experts by assisting on their career journeys. Tanja and Jean-paul have demonstrated exceptional involvement and progress in the program, and as a result, we would like to highlight them as students of the month. If you are in the market for a new hire, keep reading to learn a little more about them. Our Skills for Hire program aims to help a wide variety of people pursuing a career in the technology sector, with the current cohort focusing on cybersecurity. A true Maritimer living in the Strait area of Cape Breton, Jean-paul has made his mark in the Skills for Hire program interested in enhancing his skills and advancing his knowledge. Prior to returning to his roots in Cape Breton, Jean-paul worked in Ottawa for several departments of the Federal Government, including Science, Industry, and Technology, the Public Service Commission, Health Canada, and the Immigration and Refugee Board. Jean-paul is a certified professional, a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, a Microsoft Certified Trainer, and formerly taught IT classes at the NSCC in Port Hawkesbury. He has operated a small IT company, eLantec It consulting, since 2000 and is excited to continue improving his skill set through the Skills for hire program. Cyber Security has become an integral part of all aspects of life today. Whether at work, home or at play, cyber security intersects all areas of life, and the more people become informed about security issues and how we can learn to protect our identities, the better for society in general. As an IT specialist, Jean-paul has become aware that companies have slowly begun to understand the impact of Cyber security. "I want to be of assistance for my clients to put into place appropriate security controls and policies that work for their businesses. " He says.

"Keeping up to date in this field has been a challenge but very rewarding. Cyber Security covers a lot of territory and has many opportunities for anyone interested in this growing career space. Skills for Hire has given me an opportunity to revisit the security arena and catch up on the skills I have already acquired as a computer network specialist over the last 25 years" - Jean-paul Boudreau

When asked about his dream job, he replied that owning and operating eLantec IT Consulting for the last 21 years has been the career of his dreams. As a result of securing his goals, he is motivated to perform at his highest level and deliver the best service to his clients. He has served business clients over the years, he has faced unique challenges in providing them with timely IT support. Adapting to new technologies and navigating the industry is a constant challenge Jean-paul is eager to take on, and it is through his personal learning endeavors like skills for hire that he continues to improve his skills. He hopes to acquire a new certification in Comptia's Security+ so to better secure his business client's computer environments. Jean-paul hopes to acquire a new certification in Comptia's Security+ so to better secure his business client's computer environments. Tanja Keselj is our second Skills for Hire student of the month! We'd like to commend Tanja for her outstanding efforts and accomplishment in the Skills for Hire program, her desire to learn has aided her success in her courses. Tanja has always been drawn to the Cyber Security industry. Without a doubt, Cyber Security is changing every single day, and it is clear that there is always something new to learn. Knowing this, Tanja has taken on the challenge of continuously studying new concepts within Cyber Security. Having the desire to expand her skill set, Skills for Hire was the perfect fit. Wanting to pursue a career in health care, Tanja knows that by growing her skillset, she will be able to make an impact in people's lives. When asked about her dream job she expressed that she would like a job where she can help build tools to enable people to make good decisions.

"It's great if I feel like I am having a positive impact, and making a difference." - Tanja Keselj

Tanja is always up for a challenge and thoroughly enjoyed the fast paced, concise, Pluralsight courses in the program. When asked what her favourite course has been so far, it has been Usability, Privacy, Security, and the IT Project Management course. The timely, up-to-date information and exciting seminars have made this program incredibly beneficial for Tanja and her skill development. Interested in meeting or working with Jean-paul Boudreau or Tanja Keselj?Contact Jean-paul Boudreau via emailConnect with Tanja Keselj on Linkedin