The Canadian government is providing $10 million to Actua, which provides STEM education programs to Canadian youth.
The funding is coming out of the Canadian government’s $50 million CanCode program, which provides non-profits with funding to deliver STEM programs. Actua’s funding will be used to increase coding program delivery across Canada by its 35 network member programs located at universities and colleges, and its Outreach Team which delivers across the North.
“Coding is the next big job. Industries ranging from automotive and agri-food to the life sciences and
clean technology need coders, given their increasingly digital nature,” said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. “That’s why our government is equipping Canadian youth with the digital skills they need for the jobs of the future. By teaching kids to code today, we’re positioning Canada for future success across all industries and sectors.”
Actua said it will engage a total of 500,000 youth across every province and territory, and its CanCode funding will be matched by several of its corporate supporters including Google Canada and Microsoft.
“We’re thrilled to see an investment in programs that will nurture the next generation of Canada’s technology builders,” said Sabrina Geremia, country director at Google. “That’s why we support Actua through our Codemakers program, which has helped hundreds of thousands of young Canadians learn about the technology that is shaping our world. We need more students pursuing an education in computer science, particularly those who have historically been underrepresented in the field, and today’s announcement will help make that a reality. Computer Science is not the language of ones and zeros. It’s the language of creativity, entrepreneurship and potential.”
Other recipients of the $50 million include: