Skills for Hire Atlantic helps hundreds enhance their tech careers and kick start new ones

Skills for Hire Atlantic helps hundreds enhance their tech careers and kick start new ones

Four months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2019, Luiza Tsuda moved to Newfoundland and Labrador from Brazil with her husband and two teenage sons. With a background in computer science, she had worked nearly 25 years in the tech industry in Brazil. But integrating into the Canadian workforce hasn’t been simple.Last year, she worked in the hospitality industry as a cook, and most recently, she’s been doing remote, freelance work for companies in Brazil.But Luiza’s mission is to land a job and apply her skills at home. That’s why, when she heard about the Skills for Hire Atlantic program through Digital Nova Scotia, she decided to apply. “It’s not the technical subject, but the career skills and Canadian market,” she said. “These subjects are more important for me as a newcomer.” Luiza is among hundreds of Atlantic Canadians currently enrolled in the career-building program. It’s designed to upskill students to become qualified to work in the digital industry, filling in-demand, entry-level positions and becoming active members of the Atlantic tech ecosystem.“It’s been a great opportunity to learn and understand the digital job market. I had a lot of opportunities to learn new things,” said Luiza. “After this program, I would like to try to go into a co-op or an internship in order to learn more and practice my new knowledge. I hope it won’t be long, but until my job offer arrives, I will continue studying, improving my English.”

‘Watch at your own pace, on your own time’

The flexibility of the Skills for Hire Atlantic program is vital to Kyle Avery.He and his wife established careers and started their family in Halifax, but three years ago, an opportunity presented itself that they couldn’t pass up. “My wife got an opportunity at the hospital to bring us back to Fredericton, and so in 2019, I went on leave without pay and we moved,” he said. “So I was a stay-at-home dad through the pandemic. It was very, very vital.”While he applied for several jobs in his field of mechanical engineering technology in New Brunswick, he said it wasn’t producing anything. “And so I was starting to try to think about what I could do in the future,” he said, adding his friend suggested he consider programming, as it was a highly in-demand job. Kyle said he found many programming courses to be too expensive and too intense. But with the no-cost Skills for Hire Atlantic program, the stay-at-home dad to three young children says he doesn't have to break the bank, and he can do his coursework when it’s convenient for his family: like in the evenings once his kids are in bed. “We’ve also had a lot of illnesses this Fall in our house, so if I fell behind, which I did fall behind a couple of times, I was able to catch up,” he said. “So it’s been really good being able to watch at your own pace, on your own time.”Kyle said he’s excited to pivot careers and use his newly-gained skills to enter the tech sector. “We’re living on one income right now, which is not easy to do, but there’s no reason why we have to do that forever,” he said. “I think this course is going to set us up to have the same success that we found in Halifax, but locally here in Fredericton.”

‘This is the best place to start’

Nabil Hamid is hopeful the Skills for Hire program will help launch his career as an IT analyst. Nabil, who has a degree in computer engineering, moved to Nova Scotia in 2021.“During the beginning of 2022, I was searching for one of the most in-demand jobs currently in the IT field. Based on the current statistics and the job market I see big potential for IT analytics,” said Nabil. “My friend told me about Skills for Hire, I attended a session about it and I really liked everything about the program, and then I filled out an application.”Skills for Hire Atlantic offers training in both Data Analytics and Web Development. It’s a self-directed program, offered over 20 weeks. With a wife and child, Nabil said he also appreciates how it works with his busy schedule.“I like the flexibility that we need to attend only one hour per week, this option is very important for me, because currently I am working a full-time job," he said.Even with some background in IT, he said he is learning a lot and it’s a good challenge.“If you are planning to shift your career, this is the best place to start,” he said. “The program is amazing. Everything is organized. The people behind the program put a lot of effort … and it’s a good opportunity.”Over the course of three years, Skills For Hire Atlantic will train 1,500 individuals, helping to enhance their current careers or kick start a new one in tech. That’s the beauty of it: It meets people where they’re at, because Digital Nova Scotia understands that everyone has unique needs and goals. The next program starts January 30, 2023. Head to skillsforhire.ca to learn more!