NOIDA, India and MISSISSAUGA, Canada, Oct 18, 2023 — HCLTech, a leading global technology company, has partnered with Athabasca University, Canada’s Open University, to enable eligible employees to pursue a university-level STEM program while working with HCLTech in Canada.
The partnership allows HCLTech employees, who have successfully completed the company’s IT Apprenticeship Program, to enrol in Athabasca University’s Bachelor of Science, Computing and Information Systems program. Based on their academic performance the employees will be eligible for tuition benefit coverage.
“We are excited to partner with Athabasca University to strengthen our apprenticeship program, which is unique in the Canadian tech space,” says Joelien Jose, Executive Vice President and Country Head - Canada, HCLTech. “This program exemplifies our commitment to our employee value proposition: Find your Spark. Employees from diverse backgrounds can now benefit from the apprenticeship program, which gives them room to learn while they work and achieve their higher education degree.”
“At Athabasca University, we’re pleased to be able to help major international organizations like HCLTech to meet their employees’ further education requirements by enabling a flexible online learning environment. This flexibility will allow HCLTech employees to advance their education and careers simultaneously,” said Dr. Alex Clark, President, Athabasca University.
Economic development organizations including Invest Alberta and Edmonton Global have shown their support for this partnership, highlighting the importance of developing tech talent in Canada.
Non-profit organization NPower Canada, which provides bootcamp training and employment opportunities to youth in the tech sector across Canada, notes that HCLTech’s apprenticeship program is helping candidates fast-track their careers in technology while ensuring Canada stays competitive in the technology space.
For its apprenticeship program, HCLTech selected NPower Canada candidates from diverse cohorts across Canada, giving them an opportunity to be employed in the technology industry while also pursuing an online IT degree from Athabasca University.
HCLTech’s apprenticeship program, described as ‘groundbreaking’ by a Technology Business Research Inc. special report, allows employees to undergo 12 months of training and work-integrated learning designed to fast-track their careers in software development and testing, digital and cloud services, infrastructure delivery and engineering. To learn more about the HCLTech apprenticeship program, please visit: https://www.hcltech.com/rise-at-hcl.
About Athabasca University
Athabasca University (AU) is one of the world’s foremost and fastest-growing online and open education institutions, serving over 38,000 students across 81 countries. AU is the second-largest university in Alberta. AU offers online bachelors, masters, and doctorate programs alongside online courses for both personal learning and professional development. It is uniquely founded on the principles of flexibility and openness, giving students control over their studies so they can learn whenever and wherever it is right for them. For more information, please visit: https://www.athabascau.ca/
About HCLTech
HCLTech is a global technology company, home to more than 221,000 people across 60 countries, delivering industry-leading capabilities centered around digital, engineering, cloud and AI, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products. We work with clients across all major verticals, providing industry solutions for Financial Services, Manufacturing, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Technology and Services, Telecom and Media, Retail and CPG, and Public Services. Consolidated revenues as of 12 months ending September 2023 totaled $12.9 billion. To learn how we can supercharge progress for you, visit hcltech.com.
HCLTech
Michelle Rico, Americas
michelle.rico@hcl.com
Elka Ghudial, EMEA
elka.ghudial@hcl.com
James Galvin, ANZ
james.galvin@hcl.com
Siddhartha Bhatnagar, India
bhatnagars@hcl.com