Tech education leader, Lighthouse Labs is partnering with Riipen, the leading work-based learning platform to provide an accelerated path to Canada’s thriving tech sector. Through hands-on, employer-led projects, this partnership will help aspiring tech professionals pave their way for success with in-demand tech skills and work experiences tailored for today's dynamic job market. Together they are creating an ecosystem of opportunities for all and creating a more inclusive and thriving tech sector. ICT Ignite Plus is offered as part of the ICT Boost Initiative. Funded in part by the Government of Canada's Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP).

ICT Ignite Plus allows Lighthouse Labs graduates to benefit from paid work-based learning experiences through 80 hour internships. Learners are able to enhance and showcase their digital tech skills, form employer networks, and connect with long-term employment opportunities. Completed remotely over 2-8 weeks, employer projects provide authentic experience and support career clarity to pave the way for success in the dynamic job market.

They are recent graduates of intensive retraining programs in the fields of Web Development, Cyber Security, Data Science, and Data Analytics that equip graduates with the most in-demand skills and knowledge to expertly navigate the workplace upon graduation. Lighthouse Labs graduates are recognized across the tech industry for their skills, abilities, and drive.

Led by tech education leader Lighthouse Labs and powered through a network of amazing partners, ICT Boost is a fully funded initiative that aims to support the training, workforce entry, and job retention of new diverse generations of tech talent in Canada. Its primary goal is to remove barriers and equip equity-deserving communities with the necessary skills and training to launch careers in technology. ICT Boost is funded in part by the Government of Canada's Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP).

Employers must be located in Canada and considered as one of the following:

Employers may not be:

You will be asked to verify your company information when joining the ICT Ignite Plus program. You can find out more about our employer verification process here.

To sign up for ICT Ignite you will need to complete a short form to ensure you are eligible for the program and to let us know what types of digital tech projects you will be looking to post. If eligible, you will then be invited to join the ICT Ignite portal where you can view both programs - ICT Ignite Plus and ICT Ignite Skills - and post your projects to be matched to them. On joining a program, you will be asked to verify that you meet the ICT Ignite Skills eligibility criteria, as outlined in our Terms and Conditions here. For more info on the verification process, view this article here.

Projects should align with one of the four Lighthouse Labs program disciplines: Web Development, Cyber Security, Data analytics, or Data science. Projects should provide 80 hours of work per learner participating. Each project must be completed within 2-8 weeks. For more information on how to create and submit a project for ICT Ignite Plus, you can consult this article.

Currently, there are no limitations to the amount of projects an employer can submit. You should accept 2-4 learners per project and you are required to provide a minimum of 5 hours of mentorship to each learner. That being said, we ask that you be mindful of the amount of learners you accept to work on your project, to ensure you can dedicate appropriate time to each learner.

If this is the case, we suggest taking on more learners for the project. We ask that employers accept at least 2 learners per project, but up to 4. Working with 4 learners means a project can require 320 hours of work in total.

ICT Ignite Plus offers employers the opportunity to connect with top tech talent, explore working together on projects, and make the right hires for their organization. Employers interested in hiring an ICT Ignite Plus learner after their project is complete can benefit from an 85% wage subsidy for a period of 3 months, up to $13,500 CAD. The program spots are limited and on a first-come-first serve basis. Find out more here.

In an effort to create a good ICT Ignite Plus experience for all parties, we have Terms and Conditions, which can be found here. Please take a moment to read through them. You will be asked to sign the T&Cs agreement when you post your project. We've also created a three strike system. This means that if any ICT Ignite Plus user goes against the Terms and Conditions, they will receive a strike. You will be notified via e-mail when/if you've received a strike. If you receive three strikes, you will be removed from the program and will no longer be able to participate.

Learners will apply directly to your project, individually. As an employer, you are responsible for reviewing applications within 5 business days and are only to accept the applications of the learners you want to work with. We encourage you to do pre-screenings to ensure that the learner is a good match for your project. Please note that letting an application expire and not providing an update to the learner goes against the three strike system referenced above.

Learners must start and complete the work through the Riipen platform in order to receive the ICT Ignite Plus stipend. You are welcome to communicate with them outside of the platform as well. Learners will need a dedicated contact to answer questions and provide access to any resources they need throughout the project. Payment is provided by Riipen through the ICT Ignite Plus program at the conclusion of the project. You can read further details here.

We encourage employers to review learner applications to ensure your project is a match to their skills and you’re setting up the partnership for success. Each learners’ application will include their resume and a short opening message. Their Riipen profile page may also include other links to their LinkedIn profile or portfolio for example.

If you’d like to connect with a learner before accepting their application, we’d recommend connecting for a 30 minute interview or an informal call to get to know them further. You can schedule these directly from the Riipen platform using the integrations with Google Meet or Zoom. If you have clarifying questions for a learner, you can also connect using the messaging function on the Riipen platform .

You should respond to learner applications within 5 business days, and select between 2 and 4 learners to work on each ICT Ignite Plus project.

No, ICT Ignite Plus is a fully subsidized program. On successfully completing an employer project, each learner is paid a $2000 stipend by Riipen. ICT Ignite Plus is offered as part of the ICT Boost Initiative. Funded in part by the Government of Canada's Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP). For more information on confirming and completing an ICT Ignite Plus project please consult this article.

ICT Ignite Plus is different from traditional wage subsidy or grant funding programs that you might be used to. Riipen pays learners directly, which means that funding is attached to learners, not projects.

When a project is approved for the ICT Ignite Plus program, that simply means that the project becomes available for learners to apply to. Stipends are not locked in until a learner has applied to, been accepted and started your project. Stipends are sent to learners as a one-time payment, which means that learners only receive payment upon successful completion of projects. Learners who do not fully complete the project will not be paid. Learners will not be permitted to take on more than one project.

No. Learners are neither employees of the organization they do a project for, nor of Riipen (who will pay their stipend). As such, learners do not qualify for any benefits and will not obtain any record of employment (ROE) from either organizations. Upon joining the ICT Ignite Plus program, Riipen will require learners to submit their legal name, social insurance number (SIN) and mailing address so that we can issue the appropriate tax form(s).

No. While you are welcome to submit your project(s) to other courses and internship programs on Riipen, connections that you make outside of the ICT Ignite Plus program would not have the stipend attached, even if the learners are eligible. Learners will only receive a stipend if they have applied and been accepted to your project through the ICT Ignite portal.

Yes, ICT Ignite Plus is available in French on the platform. If you'd like to use the Riipen platform in French, you can navigate to your dashboard, click the drop down arrow in the top right corner and again on "Settings". Under "Accessibility", you will be able to change your language preference to French.