Fredericton-based Plato Testing has opened applications for its Indigenous Software Tester training program to be held in Calgary starting September 9.
“We see the growing Indigenous workforce as excellent recruits to help us meet the increasing demand for quality software testing.”
The Indigenous Software Tester training program provides approximately 15 students with five months of in-class and hands-on training, followed by a work placement with leading Calgary companies like Suncor. Students who successfully complete the program will be offered full-time employment with Plato Testing, responsible for testing web, mobile, or enterprise software.
“We’re excited to bring the Plato model to Calgary,” said Plato’s president, Denis Carignan. “We see the growing Indigenous workforce as excellent recruits to help us meet the increasing demand for quality software testing and address labour market shortages.”
Plato specializes in training and employing Indigenous software testers to provide diverse software testing solutions to clients throughout North America. It focuses on projects that would have typically been sent offshore.
The organization was founded in September of 2015 by Keith McIntosh, a tech industry veteran and CEO of testing firm Professional Quality Assurance Testing. In March 2018, Plato received the top prize at an annual Indigenous pitch competition hosted by Lockheed Martin Canada and New Brunswick’s Joint Economic Development Initiative.
RELATED: PLATO Testing wins Indigenous business pitch competition
“Learning how to be a software tester was not as hard as I expected,” said program graduate Ben Severight, of the Cote First Nation. He has been working for Plato on-site at Suncor Energy since completing the Edmonton course in May 2018. “The opportunity to have a permanent full-time job in IT with the chance to advance my career has changed my life.”
Plato is striving to build a network of 1,000 Indigenous software testers in 20 communities across Canada by 2025. It currently employs more than 50 full-time Indigenous software testers, making a positive impact for clients from coast to coast to coast. The company has offices on or near Indigenous communities across Canada, in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and New Brunswick.
Requirements for applicants are a high school diploma, General Educational Development (GED), or equivalent experience. Interested candidates can apply online.
Image courtesy Plato Testing
