Media Contacts

Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation

Media Relations
778 698-7771

Jinny Wu

Director, Marketing and Communications
Innovate BC
jwu@innovatebc.ca
604 602-5207

Adam Austen

Senior Communications Advisor
Mitacs
aausten@mitacs.ca
514 705-8355

Paul Stastny

Communications and Media Relations
Information and Communications Technology Council
p.stastny@ictc-ctic.ca
403 351-0138, Ext. 823

Backgrounders

Innovator Skills Initiative program overview

A total of $29 million is being invested in the Innovator Skills Initiative program. This funding will provide grants up to $10,000 per employee to B.C. businesses to hire as many as 3,000 people for placement in technology jobs and technology-enabled roles.

The B.C. government, through Crown agency Innovate BC, has partnered with Mitacs and the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) to deliver the Innovator Skills Initiative program.

The B.C. government is investing $15 million in the Innovator Skills Initiative. The funding, partnership and placement breakdown is as follows:

  • The B.C. government is investing $3 million and Mitacs is investing $4.5 million. This combined funding will support 750 Innovator Skills Initiative placements.
  • The B.C. government is investing more than $3.1 million and ICTC is investing nearly $9.4 million through the Work-Integrated Learning Subsidy top-up. This combined funding will support 1,250 placements.
  • The B.C. government is investing nearly $8.9 million through Innovate BC. This funding will support 1,000 Innovator Skills Initiative placements.

The redesigned Innovator Skills Initiative program will help under-represented people get the work experience they need to create lasting employment and to help employers fill technology talent shortages. The redesigned elements are:

  • Grants have been increased from $5,000 to $10,000 per employee.
  • Employers can receive as many as 10 Innovator Skills Initiative program grants for 10 different employees per year. This is up from two grants.
  • Employers are encouraged to hire an individual for a minimum four-month period with the intent of offering a permanent position if the individual’s quality of work and suitability are a match, and if the employee is interested. Historically, the program provided grants to businesses to only hire students. Under the changes, businesses can use the program to hire people who already have credentials and for ongoing employment.  
  • The program supports businesses to hire students for paid co-op roles, as well as those who have recent industry-recognized certifications, micro-credential training or post-secondary experience to gain specific skills, such as digital marketing, web design and e-commerce. Previously, only students enrolled in a post-secondary institution were eligible for the Innovator Skills Initiative program.
  • The Mitacs program will support businesses looking for talent to solve their innovation challenges, while providing internships for students.

Eligibility criteria for candidates include:

  • Must be eligible to work in B.C., including international students.
  • Be enrolled at an accredited post-secondary institute in B.C. or have already completed recognized training or have graduated.
  • Co-op students and internships are eligible.
  • Preference is given to candidates who self-identify as part of an under-represented group, such as Indigenous, Black, people of colour, women, people living with a visible or invisible disability, 2SLGBTQ+, neurodiverse (e.g., autistic), youth from care and others.
  • Applicants who feel they are part of an under-represented community not included in this list are able to self-identify as under-represented. 

Eligibility criteria for businesses:

  • Employers must be one of the following:
    • A technology business or technology non-profit operating in B.C. and hiring for a business or technology role
    • A non-technology business or non-technology non-profit operating in B.C. hiring for a technology role
    • A B.C.-based post-secondary or local-regional authority hiring for a technology role
  • The employer must offer a high-quality, paid work experience that will prepare the person for long-term employment within their company or for another job at a different company.
  • Preference is given to employers who hire people who self-identify as part of an under-represented group, such as Indigenous, Black, people of colour, women, 2SLGBTQ+, people living with a visible or invisible disability, neurodiverse (e.g., autistic), youth from care and others.
  • Program grants are available to B.C. businesses of all sizes.

Engagement sessions:

From May to July 2021, Parliamentary Secretary Brenda Bailey held 21 engagement sessions with organizations that support under-represented communities, including: First Nations Technology Council, Black Entrepreneurs and Businesses of Canada, MOSAIC, Inclusion BC, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and Traction on Demand.

Surveys were also distributed to approximately 200 stakeholder organizations that support under-represented communities, as well as to more than 220 industry stakeholders, including previous Innovation Skills Initiative grant recipients.

Discussions with industry were led by the Gerri Sinclair, B.C.’s innovation commissioner.

About the partners:

Innovate BC encourages the development and application of advanced or innovative technologies to meet the needs of industry in B.C. It is a Crown agency of the Province of British Columbia. Innovate BC supports the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation to achieve its mandate, including:

  • to grow B.C.’s technology sector;
  • champion innovation;
  • nurture small businesses;
  • support economic development throughout the province; and
  • promote B.C. internationally as a preferred place to invest and do business.

Mitacs is a not-for-profit organization supported by governments and academic institutions across the country that fosters growth and innovation in Canada by solving business challenges with research solutions from academic institutions.  

ICTC WIL Digital is an innovative work-integrated learning program that helps employers grow their businesses by providing financial assistance for hiring post-secondary students. The program is funded by the Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement program.

More than 1,250 people have accessed the Innovator Skills Initiative program to April 2021. These 3,000 new placements will bring the total to more than 4,250 program participants.