Corporate-sponsored programs bring STEM training to Canadian youth

Tech firms like Google Canada, Cisco Canada, and Microsoft Canada are investing heavily in programs that bring STEM education to Canadian youth. These firms are stepping in as many are suggesting that Canadian high school students graduate without adequate training in STEM fields. Some parents have turned to extracurricular programs to help fill what they see as an unmet need. The corporate-sponsored programs seek to combine education and fun in order to better engage young people and raise awareness and interest in science and mathematics, as well as working to combat stereotypes about technology. “It is important to engage the kids early because we want to make sure that as they go through school they are motivated to take the courses they need, to have the skills and educational background in data and science for those kinds of technology jobs,” said GE Canada President Elyse Allen. She added that more support for teachers is also necessary. Globe and Mail