Willis College of Business & Technology

Read Press Releases announcing the initiative

Willis College, Donna Cona and Other Partners Create a Wave of Native IT Talent

Other articles have appeared in he Ottawa Citizen and the national Aboriginal Times

The TeKnoWave Initiative

A Unique Collaboration to Build Information and Communications Technology Human Resource Capacity within the Canadian Aboriginal Community

TeKnoWave is Canada's first national program whose goal is to develop 1000 Aboriginal information technology (IT) professionals who are capable of applying information and communications technology in support of Aboriginal economic and social development goals. The program is supported by a concerned and growing coalition that includes Canada's Aboriginal leaders, a premier private IT college: Willis College of Business and Technology, community centres such as the Odawa Native Friendship Centre, Aboriginal leading IT companies such as Donna Cona and public education such as the University of Winnipeg.

Training and education is absolutely critical for the continued development and positioning of Canada's Aboriginal people to be at the forefront of the technology revolution. TeKnoWave is an innovative response, based on Willis College's highly successful training model, which will bridge the skills gap, create jobs, and promote entrepreneurship resulting in both economic growth and benefits to communities.

According to the latest census, 50% of Canada's Aboriginal population is under the age 25. These young people are increasingly frustrated by a perceived lack of opportunity. These young people are seeking the new opportunities and role models in the new economy.

Increasingly, Aboriginal and First Nations communities, both urban and rural, have access to telecommunications and computers as a consequence of federal information highway programs and the investments of the bands themselves. In addition, procurement policies are in place to promote Aboriginal company formation. Thus the opportunities are emerging, but the supply of skilled and experienced people, and the belief in opportunity, is inadequate.

TeKnoWave will build IT capacity and sustainable training capability in communities across the country. It will deliver provincially accredited, industry certified and university approved programs that provide practical experience and transferable university credits towards an undergraduate degree. This is complemented by e-learning for independent study and life-long learning.

As a key element of the program, TeKnoWave will include a community internship program component which will see over $10 million in information technology applications being developed for participating local Aboriginal communities and charitable organizations. TeKnoWave, which has been acknowledged as "Community Development at its Best", is completely unique and timely and has already gained international attention.

Aboriginal IT firms are constantly looking for talented and skilled professionals. TeKnoWave will work closely with these firms, communities and the industry at-large to help assure job placements for graduates.