More than half of the internationally educated professionals (IEPs) who plan to work in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector settle in Ontario, most often Toronto. The provincial government is stepping up efforts to integrate this talent into the workforce.

Overall, Ontario has Canada's highest number of ICT professionals and is home to almost half of all ICT employment in the country. Yet, as the need for greater skills depth and breadth increases in various ICT occupations, there is a widespread skills shortage for many ICT occupations due to the limited number of job candidates with the total package of business, language and technical competencies that employers are looking for.

In order to help global ICT talent develop the skills needed to integrate successfully into the workplace, the province has launched the Integrated Work Experience Strategy (IWES), a new, three-year, multi-intake skills training pilot program in Ontario.

IWES provides six weeks of intensive in-classroom training focusing on workplace cultural intelligence, workplace communication, business networking, community connections and mentoring, followed by a minimum of three months of guided work experience (or practicum) with an ICT employer.

The program is being offered bythe Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) in partnership with JVS Toronto at its Markham location.