A million more young Canadians will have the opportunity to learn digital skills
Mississauga, Ontario - Digital skills like coding and the ability to work with new technologies will be fundamental for most workers in tomorrow’s job market, whether they are farmers, computer programmers or floor workers. To prepare the next generation of Canadian workers to succeed in the increasingly global and digital economy, the Government of Canada is providing support to millions of young Canadians looking to improve their digital skills.
In Mississauga, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced that the Government of Canada will help another one million young Canadians learn new digital skills by investing $60 million in CanCode, as first outlined in Budget 2019.
CanCode gives students from kindergarten to grade 12 the opportunity to learn digital skills, like coding, data analytics and digital content development. CanCode also provides Canadian teachers with the know-how to incorporate new digital skills and technologies into their classrooms, and it encourages more young women, Indigenous Canadians and other under-represented groups to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
To date, over 1.3 million students and 61,000 teachers have participated in CanCode activities. With this new funding, CanCode aims to provide an additional one million Canadian students and teachers with training by March 2021. Budget 2019’s funding is in addition to the $50 million from Budget 2017, for a total investment of $110 million.
CanCode is one of many Budget 2019 investments that aim to prepare young Canadians for their future, helping them succeed for years to come.