Victoria, BC (September 1, 2021) – Today, PLATO Testing, the country’s first Indigenous-led and staffed IT services firm, launched a recruitment campaign for its Indigenous Software Tester Training course in Victoria, in collaboration with the Government of British Columbia, Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC), and Deloitte Canada. 

This will be the first time the program will be offered to Indigenous people living in Victoria and surrounding areas, after successful delivery in cities across the country. With support from MNBC, PLATO has embarked on a recruitment effort to attract potential students who will go on to study the fundamentals of software testing and apply what they’ve learned through a hands-on internship with the Government of British Columbia. Successful graduates of the course are guaranteed a full-time, well-paying job with PLATO.

“We’re excited to be offering the PLATO training course to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people in Victoria,” says PLATO Founder Keith McIntosh. “What we’ve learned over the 15 classes we’ve run is that each class and each community has different needs to ensure success. The partnership we have formed with our friends at MNBC, Deloitte Canada, and the Government of BC ensures the three elements that each one needs: a robust recruitment effort that identifies the best candidates, the support of corporate Canadian leaders dedicated to reconciliation, and meaningful training opportunities followed by ongoing software testing work.”

“Creating partnerships and avenues for success for our Métis people in this province is a key goal of MNBC,” says Dean Gladue, MNBC Minister of Employment and Skills Training. “I look forward to working collaboratively with PLATO on their campaign and recruiting Métis people for this exciting opportunity in a cutting-edge industry.” 

The PLATO train-and-employ model provides students with five months of in-class training in software testing, followed by a three-month long internship with hands-on training. The PLATO Victoria cohort will be supported by a collaboration with industry-leading professional services firms, Deloitte Canada and provide critical technology services to various departments within the provincial government. 

Interested members of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities in Victoria and surrounding areas can visit the PLATO Testing website for more information about the training and to apply: platotesting.com/victoria-bc.

About PLATO Testing

PLATO Testing was founded in 2015 by Keith McIntosh, CEO of testing firm Professional Quality Assurance Ltd. PLATO is striving to build a network of 1000 Indigenous software testers across Canada. PLATO currently employs more than 30 full-time Indigenous software testers, making a positive impact for clients from coast to coast. PLATO Testing has offices on or near Indigenous communities across Canada, in Fredericton, Miramichi, Sault Ste Marie, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver.