Cornwall, Ontario – The Cornwall Innovation Centre is proud to announce it was recently awarded $477,000 from the Skills Catalyst Fund for the development of the Ontario Emerging Jobs Institute. The fund was established by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development. It supports Ontario’s workforce development goals by funding innovative projects that better align skills development with the demands of the new economy. Central to this plan is developing partnerships that bridge the world of education and training with that of the workplace.

Through this funding, the CIC will launch the Ontario Emerging Jobs Institute (OEJI) boot camp and work placement program in early 2019. The program will be available at no charge to Ontarians who show the need for emerging job training, including the underemployed and unemployed, and those seeking to up-skill. 

The OEJI is planning to be based out of the NAV CENTRE in Cornwall, Ontario and work placements will be arranged with companies and organizations that provide mutually beneficial opportunities for both parties. The CIC will also help support those students who want to launch their own start-up after completing their training. Scholarships will be awarded to 20 individuals across the province to cover their accommodations, food, and program costs while attending the boot camps. The Institute is planning on enrolling a total of 160 students starting in the Fall of 2018.

The Ontario Emerging Jobs Institute will offer modern and innovative curriculum including Agritech Training, Digital Skills Training (through Canada Learning Code), Business Skills Training, and a blended-learning solution. The OEJI will continue to identify opportunities to bring cutting edge educational programming to the region, with a focus on agritech and “new” economy positions. 

“We are thrilled the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development has chosen to support this project to create new opportunities in emerging technologies in Eastern Ontario. We are equally excited to spearhead new innovative programming in the agritech sector and to help build the essential digital skills and soft skills to create the jobs of the future and strengthen the digital economy,” says Kelly Bergeron, Executive Director at the CIC. “It’s a truly exciting time for us at the CIC, and we know our partners share in this excitement,” she added.

“Cornwall Innovation Centre’s project is exactly the type of partnership we need in Ontario’s changing economy — one that brings workers, employers, educators and learners together. We established the Skills Catalyst Fund to support initiatives that take a creative and innovative approach to skills building in the province, and that’s exactly what this project does. I want to thank the CIC for their work, and welcome their insights as we build a stronger, more responsive training system suited to the needs of employers and workers,” said Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development.

With the objective to nurture a culture of collaboration within the community, the CIC will continue to work with local, provincial, and national partners including the Eastern Ontario Training Board, Canada Learning Code, Lead To Win, TR Leger School and many others.