SFU Beedie to lead major digital skills training initiative with $4M investment from federal government

Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business (“SFU Beedie”) will lead a large-scale professional education initiative to prepare Canadian workers for the digital economy, thanks to a significant investment from the federal government. Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster has announced an official partnership with SFU Beedie to invest $4 million dollars into the Digital Innovation and Leadership (DIAL) initiative, which aims to train more than 1,100 workers across Canada over the next two years.

“Universities have an important role to play when it comes to economic recovery and helping to fill the emerging talent gap,” says SFU president Joy Johnson. “I am proud of the work that we have done through the DIAL initiative and the connections we have built with our collaborators across the country—because building a better future for Canada will take all of us.”

In collaboration with private sector, public sector, not-for-profit, and educational partners, the DIAL initiative features two responsive new training programs that will retrain more than 1,100 workers with the digital skills needed to help them advance Canadian organizations in the digital economy.

This initiative is part of the Canadian Federal Government’s commitment of over $950 million to five national business-led superclusters where private sector investments are matched, dollar for dollar, to accelerate economic growth in innovative industries with the aim to create more than 50,000 jobs across Canada.

“With support from our government, this project will help to create even more skilled workers for the sector,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “By rapidly training more than 1,100 workers, this project will strengthen Canada’s workforce in an in-demand sector, make businesses more competitive and lead to even more well-paying jobs.”

Details on the DIAL initiative:

• A network of more than 40 industry, government, and not-for-profit partners across Canada, including Salesforce, Instructure, Magnet, RADIUS SFU and the First Nations Technology Council
• More than 1,100 participants
• Supports Canada’s 50–30 Challenge, a federal initiative that aims to accelerate diversity and adopt practices to improve equity within organizations.
• $4 million dollars invested by the Digital Technology Supercluster
• More than $18 million total investment by all project partners to date

“The DIAL initiative embodies the values of the Supercluster to build inclusive and equitable digital skilling opportunities that support diversity, the recovery of a strong middle class, and the creation of a skilled digital talent pool,” says Sue Paish, CEO of the Digital Technology Supercluster.

As an individual or organization, learn more about how you can get involved now in building a better future for Canada: beedie.sfu.ca/dial