The Information and Communications Technology Council and Carleton University’s Co-operative Education department are pleased to announce the renewal and expansion of their partnership to increase career opportunities for students within the artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous vehicle (AV) sector.
This partnership helps to fulfill a core part of ICTC’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL Digital) program by creating high-quality subsidized work placements at AI and AV companies across Canada. This partnership will also strengthen industry-academia collaboration to prepare students for the jobs of the future.
According to the recently published ICTC report Autonomous Vehicles & The Future of Work in Canada, AVs will create over 34,000 high-quality jobs in Canada over the next five years. ICTC and Carleton University Co-op are ensuring that Ottawa cultivates the workforce necessary for the future to advance Ottawa’s position as the AV capital of Canada.
“Given the tech industry’s expected continued growth in the AV and AI sectors, particularly in the Ottawa region, Carleton is pleased to continue taking steps to increase the number of experiential learning opportunities available to our co-op students in these areas. We’re helping prepare our graduates to enter a rapidly changing workforce by giving them the chance to develop skills that are key to these industries while completing their studies. — Suzanne Blanchard, Vice President (Students and Enrolment)
“AI is quickly scaling and creating shifts and opportunities across the labour force. Autonomous vehicles will need to communicate with one another and their surroundings to effectively make real-time decisions, and AI will be a central component of AV development in Canada. Equipping youth with in-demand skills in this space is critical to fill industry demand in Canada. ”
— Alexandra Cutean, Senior Director of Research & Policy at ICTC
About ICTC and WIL Digital
ICTC is a not-for-profit national centre of expertise for the digital economy. It is the trusted source for evidence-based policy advice, forward-looking research, and creative capacity building programs for the digital economy.
ICTC’s WIL Digital Program works with academic institutions and industry to give students the skills needed to work in emerging technology sectors. Over four years, WIL Digital will create over one thousand high-quality work experiences for students across Canada. The program is funded by the Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement Program.
About Carleton University’s Co-op Program
Carleton University’s Co-operative Education program, the third largest co-op program in Ontario, has been supporting employers and organizations worldwide for over 25 years. Carleton University has dynamic students from over 149 degree programs, streams and concentrations available for work year-round.
Carleton University is a leading Canadian university actively involved in artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicle technology, with over 125 researchers from four faculties and 13 university departments, schools and institutes engaged in immensely varied research in these areas. Key areas of research include applications as far-ranging as cognitive science, robotics and artificial intelligence, machine learning, technology innovation management, accurate algorithm predictions, computer security and wireless-based systems.
-30-
