OTTAWA, ON - July 28, 2000

The Canadian Academic Development Institute (CADI) has been created to provide leadership in Information Technology training by ensuring the integration of industry requirements with academic standards. This is spearheaded by professional development of faculty, research efforts in the area of curriculum design, setting standards, applying technology to learning and the articulation that allows students to transfer credits between Canadian high schools, colleges and universities.

The CADI initiative expands the Microsoft Academic Professional Development Center's (APDC) model of professional development in all areas to meet industry requirements and challenges. Following in the footsteps of Microsoft's highly subsidized certification program, CADI is dedicated to encouraging other education providers to do the same.

As well, working in partnership with industry certification academic providers, such as Microsoft, Oracle, Corel, Cisco, Sun Microsystems, CIW and CompTIA, Canadian institutions will be better prepared to answer the ever-changing challenges of meeting industry workforce development needs. This effort endeavours to focus the training of the workforce on employer requirements and standards.

CADI members must be accredited institutions delivering training to faculty and IT staff of other academic institutions. CADI programs are designed for staff at academic institutions who are involved primarily in IT career training. Approved educational institutions will be able to participate in the new CADI program and begin offering technical training not only to their internal faculty and staff but also to educators and IT staff members of neighbouring communities.

Canada is a world leader in the development of today's workforce using enabling technologies. The CADI initiative would expand Canada's leadership role by bridging the knowledge divide. The key to this leadership is through the training of IT trainers. CADI will promote the best IT training practices worldwide.

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