EDGE UP 2.0 (Energy to Digital Growth Education and Upskilling Project)

Pivoting talents into digital technology

EDGE UP 2.0  program provides short-duration innovative and experiential training for displaced mid-career oil and gas professionals who wish to transition to in-demand digital economy jobs.

In 2015, Statistics Canada estimated that Alberta lost nearly 20,000 jobs in the oil and gas sector. At the same time, Alberta's tech sector growth has left employers struggling to fill tech roles. 

Calgary Economic Development (CED) and ICTC recognized the opportunity to upskill and migrate displaced oil and gas professionals into the tech economy. A research project identified in-demand jobs in Calgary and an ICTC skills mapping tool detailed the skills needed in those in-demand jobs. 

Under the leadership of CED, EDGE UP was launched as an innovative short-duration training program for displaced mid-career oil and gas professionals. ICTC, local post-secondary education institutions, and Riipen are CED's delivery partners. 

Employers can access a wage subsidy to hire an EDGE UP participant for a work-integrated learning placement. 

Eligibility Criteria:
 

• You are a Permanent Resident, a Citizen of Canada legally entitled to work in Canada, or a person on whom Refugee Protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act 
• You are unemployed or underemployed at the time of application
• You have at least CLB Level 7 English
• You are a resident of Calgary and area
• You hold a post-secondary degree or diploma in Engineering, Earth Sciences, or a related STEM discipline and have two-plus years of relevant professional experience in the oil and gas sector, or hold a post-secondary degree or diploma in a non-STEM field and have five-plus years of relevant professional experience in the oil and gas sector
• You are able to commit to six months of full-time study and support yourself financially during the time of study