Village Gamer

Canadian emerging technology CEOs are finding it more difficult to add new qualified employees to their payroll, according to a PwC report exploring talent management issues for the Canadian emerging technology sector. The report found 44% of CEOs listed recruiting new talent and management team members as their biggest hiring issue. What’s more, an overwhelming majority (72%) either don’t have a talent management strategy in place or aren’t sure if their existing strategy is effective.

“It is interesting to hear that IT entrepreneurs are challenged with finding qualified people,” says Peter Matutat, National Emerging Company Practice Leader, PwC. “At the heart of the issue may be that IT grads are coming out of school with a skill set that isn’t quite what employers are looking for.”

“The nature of emerging technology companies means they aren’t just seeking people with the technical know-how, but employees who are more well-rounded,” adds Matutat. “Start-up companies also highly value softer skills like creativity, an entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen.”

Tobi Day-Hamilton, director of advancement at the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus, says change needs to happen at the university level to ensure grads are equipped with the skills technology companies are looking for.

According to Day-Hamilton, “We’re seeing a skills gap in what grads learn in post-secondary and what companies are now requesting in employees. In recent years, we found students were specializing in one area of technology, which meant grads were lacking general business and creativity skills. Increasingly, these are attributes that are becoming must-haves for many employers.”

Day-Hamilton also stresses the importance of co-op education throughout the university experience. “Employers want new hires to come in and hit the ground running, which is difficult to do if you don’t have the practical experience,” she says. “The more experience you can get before graduating, the better.”

The University of Waterloo has developed new program offerings to address this skills gap issue. The university is launching its Masters of Digital Experience Innovation this September and its Bachelor of Global Business and Digital Arts next year.

For job seekers, the industry looks positive. Turnover continues to be low with 81% of CEOs reporting less than 10% turnover and close to 70% with less than 5% turnover. The primary reasons for staff voluntarily leaving their companies last year were for higher compensation and new challenging opportunities (both 21%). Involuntary staff turnover was mostly attributed to poor performance (32%) rather than cost containment (11%), and 35% of respondents indicated they had no involuntary turnover at all.

Export Development Canada (EDC) has formalized a partnership with C-100, a select group of Canadian entrepreneurs based primarily in Silicon Valley who leverage their collective expertise to grow a new generation of successful Canadian-led technology companies.

“Canada’s high tech sector has among the most energetic and aggressive exporters in the country, and their global mentality is an approach that partners well with EDC’s own interest in growing Canada’s export trade,” said Benoit Daignault, Senior Vice-President, Business Development, EDC.

“EDC’s partnership with C-100 will focus on enhancing EDC’s support of the Canadian technology community by gaining greater insights into the challenges and opportunities within the Canadian venture capital industry.”

Under the partnership, EDC will undertake an active involvement in the C-100 mentorship program, including having an EDC representative on the panel of C-100’s signature “48 hours in the valley” conference series, as well as participating in C-100 events in Canada and in the Silicon Valley.

EDC is Canada’s export credit agency, offering innovative commercial solutions to help Canadian exporters and investors expand their international business. EDC’s knowledge and partnerships are used by more than 8,200 Canadian companies and their global customers in up to 200 markets worldwide each year. EDC is financially self-sustaining and a recognized leader in financial reporting and economic analysis.

BCIC and Wavefront (the Canadian wireless commercialization centre) launched its second annual entrepreneurship@Wavefront Program today.  A 12-month program, entrepreneurship@Wavefront is designed to support and nurture early-stage B.C. wireless companies from product concept to market entry. After a successful pilot, the accelerator program is expanding to support 12 companies this year and will be working closely with the BC Regional Science and Technology Network to increase accessibility of the program for participants outside the Lower Mainland.

“The first year program enabled eight entrepreneurs to turn their product ideas into successful emerging wireless companies,” said Mark Payne, Acting CEO of BCIC.  “Wavefront has done a great job working with these startups in our program, which have collectively generated over half a million dollars in external investment, over $350,000 in revenues, 18 new jobs, and new products that are penetrating growing markets.”

Among the first year graduating class is Vancouver-based RewardLoop, this year’s B.C. TIA Award winner for ‘Most Promising Startup’.

“The entrepreneurship@Wavefront was the catalyst that enabled us to work full time on bringing RewardLoop to market.  We have already signed deals with some of North America’s largest retail chains and are expanding our reach through international distribution partnerships , “ said Nigel Malkin, CEO and Co-Founder, RewardLoop. “The guidance, feedback, and support we’ve received from the program at Wavefront were invaluable to us in making these accomplishments possible in such a short period of time.”

Companies selected this year will receive office space in Wavefront’s downtown accelerator centre, access to their wireless expert advisory, training, and testing services, sales and marketing coaching, and connections to key industry contacts. Program participants also benefit from BCIC’s Mentor Program, a network of seasoned entrepreneurs and industry experts who provide entrepreneurs with support that is critical for growing a successful company.

“The wireless solutions being developed by the entrepreneurship@Wavefront companies span from Machine-to-Machine (M2M) to next generation networks to enterprise applications that address issues faced across many industries.  We continue to work closely with BCIC to ensure cross-sector opportunities, creating an environment within our accelerator centre that fosters collaboration and success,” said Jim Maynard, President of Wavefront.

Full details and applications for the entrepreneurship@Wavefront program are available online. The deadline for applications is Friday, August 26th at 11:59 p.m.   Selected companies will be announced September 7, 2011 with the program and access to Wavefront’s downtown Vancouver offices beginning immediately after.

Alliance numérique has announced the launch of Montreal Digital (MTL DGTL), a new festival dedicated to the interactive digital content industry, and presented by the Canada Media Fund. This first edition, which will take place on October 31st,  November 1st and 2nd, will include four different events with programs focusing on mobility, the Web, video games, as well as research and development in partnership with media technology.

“Montreal is a key platform at the heart of major innovations within the digital industry,” says Pierre Proulx, CEO of Alliance numérique. “Montreal Digital will help in the outreach of all market spheres, both locally and abroad, through its role as the centre of world excellence with respect to creation, production and distribution of interactive digital content. We are proud to be leading this initiative which aims to bring together various players of the industry.”

MTL DGTL strives to unify professionals of the digital industry at the provincial, national and international levels by using conferences that encourage meetings, networking and sharing.

In order to meet the needs of the industry, programming has been divided into four portions:

Mobiz – a whole new event that is entirely dedicated to mobility and will allow attendees to network, as they learn more about the latest leading edge developments, as well as industry best practices.

Web-In – aims to help industry professionals in breaking new ground and reinventing the Web of the future by encouraging them to be a step ahead of common observation, leave their comfort zone and question their certainties through micro-conferences.

Consortium en innovation numérique du Québec (CINQ) – Innovation Symposium is a networking space for entrepreneurs and research specialists to foster the development of technical, scientific, financial and commercial partnerships.

The Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS) – is an international event that offers continuous training and networking opportunities for professionals, and contributes to the outreach of the video game industry. It values sharing and the development of new business partnerships.

As one of Toon Boom’s flagship studios in Québec, Oasis Animation has announced that in view of its upcoming project Lucky Fred, a 52 episode eleven-minute series for 6-12 year olds to be aired on Disney Channel in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, India & Australia, the studio will double its workforce and space. Lucky Fred has also pre-sold in over 150 territories including TF1 for France and Nickelodeon in Benelux, Scandinavia, Latin America, Asia & South Korea.

Scheduled for delivery in January 2012, this 2D animated series is the first Disney project done in Québec. Entirely produced using the Toon Boom Harmony pipeline, this high quality project will create 70 new jobs at Oasis. The entire animation production will be done in Montreal. “We are quite thrilled to be working on Lucky Fred, considering the very challenging state of the Quebec animation production industry”, comments Jacques Bilodeau, President at Oasis Animation. “We hope this project will be the first step towards making Québec the animation hub it used to be”, he concludes.

Lucky Fred is co-produced by Imira Entertainment, Spain’s leading production and distribution company specializing in youth programming with Spain’s Televisió de Catalunya, RAI Fiction in Italy and Top Draw Animation in the Philippines.

More children in southern Ontario will be able to experience real-world scientific issues and innovations thanks to an investment in Actua announced by Peter Braid, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, on behalf of the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

“Our Government recognizes the importance of preparing young people for today’s high-tech economy,” said MP Braid. “By developing our next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians, we can help drive innovation and keep the economy growing in southern Ontario for years to come.”

Actua, a national science, engineering and technology youth outreach network, will receive up to $1.25 million to enhance its customized programming designed to engage youth who are typically underrepresented and underserved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. This includes Aboriginal youth, girls, underprivileged youth, at-risk youth and youth living in remote areas or inner-city neighbourhoods. The funding will help Actua create more spaces in southern Ontario for children to participate in summer camps, classroom workshops, clubs and community outreach activities. These are delivered by university undergraduate students in science, technology and engineering programs who are instructors for Actua network members.

“We are extremely pleased to have this opportunity to grow our southern Ontario members’ capacities to deepen the impact and broaden the reach of our STEM programming, especially for youth who are underserved and underrepresented in STEM. This FedDev Ontario contribution will enhance Actua’s significant contributions to building the next generation of Ontario innovators!” said Jennifer Flanagan, President and CEO of Actua.

The investment is provided through FedDev Ontario’s Youth STEM Initiative, aimed at encouraging students in kindergarten through grade 12 to pursue an education or career in the STEM fields. For more information about the program and Actua, please refer to the backgrounder.

FedDev Ontario was created as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan to support businesses and communities in southern Ontario. Now in its second year of operation, the Agency has launched a number of initiatives to create a Southern Ontario Advantage and place the region in a strong position to compete in the global economy. These initiatives are designed to support businesses and other organizations through partnerships and investments in skills and training; innovation; research and development; and increased productivity. To learn more, please visit the web site or call 1-866-593-5505.

The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announces that Youth Employment Services (YES) will receive $1,012,022 in non-repayable funding to continue financing its Entrepreneurship program for a three-year period ending March 31, 2014.

“The Government of Canada is proud to support Youth Employment Services, which plays a crucial role in encouraging young members of the Greater Montréal English-speaking community to go into business for themselves,” said Minister Lebel.

This assistance will enable YES to continue offering services, including personalized counselling, business management training, networking and mentoring programs, to help the region’s youth in their efforts to start up a business.

In 2009-2010, some 2,200 young clients availed themselves of the organization’s services, for a total of nearly 9,000 visits. Each year, YES lends its support to the creation of about 200 small and medium-sized enterprises. This funding has been granted through the Community Diversification program.

The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, has announced that the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Economic Development Commission (FNQLEDC) has been granted $98,201 in non-repayable funding for the establishment of First Nations young entrepreneur clubs.

“The Government of Canada supports the creation of these clubs, whose primary mission will be to stimulate entrepreneurship among young members of the First Nations,” explained Minister Lebel.

Allocated over a three-year period, this financial assistance will enable the FNQLEDC to hire a coordinator to organize a variety of activities for First Nations community members between the ages of 18 and 35. These will include, among other things, conferences with Native entrepreneurs, enterprise visits, networking events, information sessions on the resources available to young entrepreneurs looking to start a business, and a series of training sessions. In the first year, the clubs will draw their clientele from various Native communities, including those in Lac Simon, Kitigan Zibi and Uashat.

This contribution from the Government of Canada has been granted through the Community Diversification program.

MoboVivo has appointed Stephen Butler as its first Chief Financial Officer. Stephen brings to Mobovivo almost a decade and a half of financial expertise and business building experience, both as an advisor and principal.

“Stephen is a perfect fit for a dynamic company like Mobovivo at this stage in our development,” said Trevor Doerksen, Mobovivo’s founder and CEO. “His financial and deal experience are essential as we work through our next stage of growth and financing. He’s been in the trenches as a business manager in highly fluid competitive situations, where he’s displayed the right mix of creativity and commitment to the vision.”

Stephen’s formative career was with The Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm and the world’s leading advisor on business strategy. He advised Fortune 500 customers on issues of strategy and performance improvement, particularly in financial services and telecommunications, with a focus on responding to paradigm shifts brought about by the rise of e-commerce.

In 2001 TMX Group hired Stephen as group director of corporate development and key member of its “IPO team”, guiding the development of the growth and diversification strategy with which the company went public in 2002. He subsequently built and led a corporate development team that oversaw the evaluation, negotiation and implementation of several investments that took TMX beyond its traditional core. This included the 2004 acquisition of NGX, Canada’s leading energy exchange and the largest physical clearing facility in North America. Stephen joined NGX’s senior leadership team, where he helped the company return to healthy double-digit growth.

Stephen holds a joint honours B.A. in Economics and Political Science from McGill, and a Ph.D. from Cambridge.

CDI College has opened a new campus in Victoria BC, making it easier for residents of the Island to get the career training they need, without having to travel to the Mainland. For more than 40 years, CDI College has provided thousands of Canadians with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully pursue new careers.

The new campus in Victoria will bring that wealth of experience to a wider range of students and allow them to train closer to home. With increased growth on Vancouver Island, there is greater demand for well-trained professionals in many communities. Applications are now being accepted for all programs at the new Victoria campus.

“Our graduates are in high-demand across the country, and we’re excited to offer residents of Victoria and the surrounding communities the opportunity to train with us,” says Bohdan Bilan, VP of Academics. “Students who enroll at CDI College will benefit from our small classes, industry-experienced instructors and our hands-on method of teaching.”

The new Victoria campus will offer several programs including Accounting and Payroll, Health Care Assistant, Paralegal, Addictions and Community Services Worker, and many more. With start dates staggered throughout the year, CDI College in Victoria makes it easy to head back to school, no matter what your situation.

Randy Cox, President of CDI College attributes Vancouver Island’s growth in the last several years as the reason for expansion. “Recently, we’ve seen huge demand for trained professionals in the areas of business and healthcare across the Island. This makes it the perfect time to open our latest campus in Victoria.”

CDI College grads become part of an extensive alumni network composed of thousands of professionals in the business, technology and healthcare fields. These connections prove invaluable when starting out in a new career field. With 21 campus locations across Canada, CDI College grads are recognized throughout the country.