An amazing career.
An even better life.
Xtreme Talent Accelerator
Level up your tech career
Building a thriving career in the technology sector is an exciting decision. As North America’s #1 city for tech talent concentration, Ottawa is a great place to explore and build the career you deserve.
Welcome to the Xtreme Talent Accelerator, a complimentary program that offers industry-led tech workshops and career development support to help talent like you become Ottawa’s future technology leaders.
Get to know our grads
XTAP helped an already-remarkable group of people upgrade their tech skills, find their professional communities, and build their confidence. But don’t take it from us. Watch or read their stories below.
Stewart Anoya
A Kingston-based supply teacher turns a tech side hustle into a career
XTAP Graduate, Web Development
Shrikar Khare
A geophysicist and self-taught developer pivots from a struggling industry to new opportunities
XTAP Graduate, Backend Development (Python)
Dolapo Sekoni
A recent immigrant from Nigeria updates her foreign credentials and pursues her passion for cybersecurity
XTAP Graduate, Cybersecurity
Jacky Wang
A stay-at-home dad with degrees in computer engineering rejoins the workforce with in-demand data science skills
XTAP Graduate, Data Science
To hire XTAP graduates, contact [email protected].
Learn from the best
Tech is always evolving. That’s why XTAP partnered with Canadian and global leaders in learning and skills development to develop the most current, ready-to-use and in-demand tech skills of today and tomorrow. Learn more here.
Workshops in Cloud Development and Cloud Architecture with AWS certifications.
Bootcamps in Web Development (React, Angular, Node JS, Python), Cybersecurity, and Data Science.
One-year subscriptions allowing you to develop business, technology, and creative skills through on-demand videos.
What you get
Tech beginners and jobseekers (reskilling)
Through full-time workshops, learn ready-to-use skills in web development, cybersecurity, or data science. You will also be equipped with critical skills in resume writing, interviewing, communication, as well as access to networking opportunities, designed to help you land meaningful employment in Ottawa’s growing tech sector.
Apply →
Learn more →
Tech workers (upskilling)
Through part-time live virtual workshops, take your skills in web and cloud development to the next level! And take advantage of having one-to-one career services and upgrade your “soft skills” in communication, networking, and personal branding to get ahead within your current organization.
If you work in a full-time position, getting your employer’s support is critical. XTAP is designed to help Ottawa companies build internal talent capacity and gain a competitive advantage in today’s dynamic market. If you are unemployed or working on a part-time basis, you can also be eligible. This program will prepare you to land the next full-time employment.
Apply →
Information for Employers →
Information for tech workers →
What you get
XTAP’s hands-on workshops are tailored to your learning objectives and lifestyles. On top of the tech workshops, you will unlock access to additional resources in resume writing, interviewing, communication, personal branding as well as exclusive networking opportunities with tech and HR leaders.
Browse our program offerings below.
Note: We currently do not offer cybersecurity courses for tech workers.
Available to all
Tech beginners and job seekers
Note: We currently do not offer data science courses for tech workers Tech beginners and job seekers
Employment Preparation
- Personality Assessments
- The Anatomy of a Strong Resume
- Virtual Interviewing Skills for Job Seekers
- Job Search Strategies
- Tech, EQ & You: Exploring and Understanding Emotional Intelligence in Tech
- Effective Communication in the Workplace
- Designing Your Professional Digital Presence
- Time Management
- Mental Health on the Job
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Call it out: racism, racial discrimination, and human rights
- Employee Rights in the Workplace
Tech workers
On the Job Skills
- Tech, EQ & You: Exploring and Understanding Emotional Intelligence in Tech
- Personality Assessments
- Virtual Interviewing Skills for Incumbents
- Designing Your Professional Digital Presence
- Time Management
- Employee Rights in the Workplace
- A LinkedIn Learning subscription for one year
- Access to 16,000+ online technical and non-technical courses
- Options for self-serve or defined learning path based on your learning needs
Please note that all XTAP bootcamps and workshops are provided in English only. Should you require additional information, such as brochures and application form, in French, please reach out to us with your request at [email protected]. We have a bilingual team and will do our best to accommodate your needs.
Eligibility
Don’t count yourself out. We know situations are unique. If you’re not sure if you qualify for XTAP, don’t give up – get in touch with [email protected] to start a conversation and find out if the Xtreme Talent Accelerator is the right fit for you.
Tech beginners
Part-time weeknight and weekend options are open to all applicants, please consult the workshop brochure of your interest for more details.
We invite you to apply if:
- You’re unemployed, or
- You’re working but your job is unstable, inconsistent, uncertain or less than 20 hours per week, or
- Your family is living with low household income, and
- You have no tech background (or limited knowledge), and
- You have the ability and time (up to 60 hours per week for 12 weeks). See details in the workshop brochure of your interest, and
- You’d like to build skills to secure a longer-term career, and
- You’re a resident of Ontario, and
- You’re 18 years or older, and
- You’re a Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident or Protected Person
Tech workers
Part-time weeknight and weekend options are open to all applicants, please consult the workshop brochure of your interest for more details. Please note: Talent in senior management, executive position or those who have a controlling interest in a business are not eligible.
We invite you to apply if:
- You’re currently working as a developer on a full-time or part-time basis, or you are unemployed but have the experience in and are looking to land your next tech role.
- You have the ability and time (20+ hours per week). See details in the workshop brochure of your interest, and
- You’d like to advance your career within your current organization, and
- You’re a resident of Ontario, and
- You’re 18 years or older, and
- If you work in a full-time position, your employer is in Ontario and is willing to endorse your participation in the program, and
- You’re a Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident or Protected Person
Career Development
Gain the essential skills to get noticed, get hired or get ahead. You will be partnered with a talent development representative who will help you drive your career forward.
Landing a position
- Personality assessments
- The anatomy of a strong resume
- Virtual interview skills
- Job search strategies
Advancing your career
- Tech, EQ & you: Exploring and understanding emotional intelligence in tech
- Effective communication in the workplace
- Designing your professional digital presence
- Time management
- Mental health on the Job
Advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion
- Call it out: racism, racial discrimination, and human rights
- Employee rights in the workplace
Apply
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends. Please note that the following workshops require prerequisites:
Bootcamps that don’t require any technological background or career experience are as follows:
Please see the bootcamp brochure of your interest for more details.
We recommend that you only apply for one workshop. After sending in your application, you will have an opportunity to meet with an XTAP team member to discuss your learning objectives, at which time if you discover a better fit, you may switch workshops accordingly.
We have multiple workshops running concurrently, between August 2021 and February 2022. Please check our workshop schedule, when published.
It depends on the courses you take. For our part-time weeknight and weekend workshops, the time commitment ranges as follows:
- Introduction to Web Development: 6 weeks, 2 evenings/week, 3 hours/evening
- Intro to Data Analytics: 6 weeks, 2 evenings/week, 3 hours/evening
- Data Analytics for HR 101: 4 days, 3 hours/evening
Our full-time bootcamps have a time commitment range as follows:
- Intro to Data Science: 12 weeks, 60 hours/week
- Intro to Cybersecurity: 12 weeks, 40+ hours/week
- Intro to Web Development: 12 weeks, 60+ hours/week
Our weekday part-time workshops have a time commitment range as follows:
- Front-End with React: 10-12 weeks, 20+ hours/week
- Back-End with Python: 10-12 weeks, 20+ hours/week
- Cloud Development 10 weeks, 7-10 hours/week
- Cloud Architect: 10 weeks, 7-10 hours/week
Please see the workshop brochures for more details.
The Xtreme Talent Accelerator is an industry-led skill development program that provides virtual technical training and career development services to interested talent in Ontario. Funded by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, this program is delivered to participants at no cost to them or their employers.
XTAP’s part-time Cloud Development, Cloud Architecture, React and Python workshops require synchronous learning (attending instructor-led sessions and consultations) during business hours and asynchronous learning (group projects, reading assignments and other self-paced work that can happen during evenings and weekends) that can add up to 7-20 hours per week over 10 to 12 weeks. For these workshops, we ask employers to give their employees (once accepted) adequate time to attend sessions during the work hours and to complete the workshops. We also offer weeknight and weekend workshops (Intro to Web Development, Intro to Data Analytics and Data Analytics for HR 101) which require 3-6 hours per week and can be completed entirely outside business hours.
In addition, we require that employers offer experiential development opportunities, such as job shadows or job placements, to enable on-the-job skills application, to their XTAP participants.
Please refer to Information for Employers for additional details or reach out to us at [email protected] with any further questions.
All applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can expect a three-step process:
More details about the selection process will be shared with you once you have submitted your application.
For job seekers, you will have continued career coaching and networking opportunities to maximize your chance of landing a job. All graduates of the program will continue to have access to the Xtreme Talent Accelerator community for networking, exclusive events and peer support for a year.
Yes, all participants who completed the program will receive a certificate of completion and swag.
No. All XTAP bootcamps and workshops are in English only. However, we have partnerships with French training providers that, depending on your interest, we could potentially refer you to.
About
Designed and delivered in partnership with leading companies, the Xtreme Talent Accelerator Program (XTAP) is a next-generation skills development program that enables the creation of critical expertise required by industry today and tomorrow. It offers hands-on industry-led workshops, networking and career development support to help Ontario’s workforce reskill, upskill and seize new opportunities. XTAP aims to equip participants and hiring organizations with a competitive advantage in our dynamic talent market, accelerating time to hire, advancement and impact.
Our Funders
This Employment Ontario program is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
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