CORNWALL – After five months of prep work, the Ontario Emerging Jobs Institute is ready to take its first round of students.
Cornwall Innovation Center Executive Director Kelly Bergeron announced the opening for applications in four programs during a launch event this afternoon (Wednesday) at Nav Center.
Around 50 people were at the event as Bergeron and other team members unveiled a new logo and a cell phone application, which will be online shortly.
The Emerging Jobs Institute will have four courses: digital skills, business skills, agritech skills and blended learning. Each class will have 40 students for a total of 160.
“We want to train people for the jobs of the future because there are a lot of opportunities in technology that we have yet to really focus on in this region. We want to make it as accessible as possible for people to take time off work and get trained in 10 weeks,” Bergeron said in an interview with Cornwall Newswatch.
Bergeron said there has definitely been a lot of buzz about the programs locally and the courses will have a “locals first” intake. Canada Learning Code will help promote the programs outside the region if there isn’t enough interest locally to fill all the spots.
Students will hit the books in early January for the 10-week courses that include a placement with companies that have been through the CIC business accelerator program.
Bergeron says they will be hiring 3-4 teachers for the courses in late fall.
The CIC received $477,000 earlier this year from the Ontario government for the institute. It will also be promoting the courses through $10,000 in advertising with Google Ads.