Program to increase number of new media grads begins next month in Toronto

The Ontario government and the private sector are spending $2.4 million on a new program to increase the number of new media graduates and to help match students with HR-strapped companies. Dubbed OnTarget, the initiative will officially launch next month in Toronto. By year two, organizers hope to expand into metropolitan Toronto before moving operations across the province in year three. The program will receive $1.1 million from the Ontario government’s Interactive Digital Media Fund, with the balance coming from corporate in-kind donations. The program’s co-founder, Warren Coughlin, says new media companies have long complained of a shortage of skilled workers. In response to that problem, OnTarget will work with placement officers at colleges and other institutions, high school guidance councillors and school officials charged with setting curricula to encourage students to consider new media as a profession, and to match grads with prospective employers. The initiative stems from several reports that point to a lack of qualified employees as impeding growth in Ontario’s new media sector. With the introduction of the Digital Media Fund, several partners including Interactive Multimedia Arts & Technologies, MultiMediator Strategy Group Inc (MMSG), SmartToronto and the New Media Trainers’ Alliance began talks to take advantage of the new fund. According to OnTarget’s program director, Mark Jones, several proposals had been on the table until the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology asked the players to consolidate their submissions. The new project plan, co-authored by Jones and Adele Newton, was submitted in the winter of 1998. Coughlin, who is also VP of ventures at MMSG, says the success of the program will depend on the strengths of the various partnerships in the process of being formed. For example, OnTarget plans to work with the Ontario Ministry of Education and with Colleges, Universities and Training to form close ties with the training institutions and school boards with which they’ll be involved. OnTarget’s activities will include advising schools on how their courses could better meet the needs of industry, and to put information in guidance counsellors’ hands about the various programs available, including financial aid programs. Colleges already have placement officers and advisory councils, but Coughlin notes that those positions are often specific to the school, and that OnTarget can provide broader provincial information. "We hope it’ll be complementary rather than competitive," he told CNM, noting that current job placement programs include internships, co-op placements and other such programs. "What (OnTarget) will do is provide a centralized resource for all of this. So, the counsellor at the college trying to help students find those jobs can actually refer them to this as a resource." Coughlin says marketing materials and the program’s web site are being finalized in anticipation of next month’s launch. OnTarget will also distribute brochures to teachers, principals and counsellors to promote awareness of the program. He notes that many students think of multimedia as an interesting career choice, but are often unaware of the full scope of training options and spectrum of positions available. Initial reaction to the program from Toronto’s new media community has been positive, he says. As well, several large companies have come forward with offers to sponsor the program, though Coughlin can’t divulge those names. He expects it will take about three years before they can evaluate the success of the program. That’s the length of time it will take for students to complete their programs and begin their job searches.

Program to increase number of new media grads begins next month in Toronto

News | 12/14/2000 5:00 am EST

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