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Waterloo Region, ON (November 5, 2010) – A new scholarship program designed to attract top talent to Ontario will pay dividends for the Waterloo Region tech sector. The Province has recently announced the Ontario Trillium Scholarships, which are designed to attract international talent to Ontario universities.
[blockquote style="blue"]“Access to talent is the number one challenge facing tech companies in Waterloo Region, and across Ontario,” said Iain Klugman, president and CEO of Communitech, Waterloo Region’s technology organization.
“As regions around the world ramp up efforts to compete for workers in the knowledge economy, it is essential for government and industry to coordinate our efforts and ensure that tech companies have the talent necessary to compete globally.”
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The Province’s announcement integrates with recent federal initiatives that make it easier for foreign students to stay in Canada once their studies are completed. These measures, along with the investments of private companies to fund scholarships at universities, help companies to attract the best and brightest minds to Ontario’s tech sector.
Communitech works with more than 700 tech companies in Waterloo Region, and operates a series of initiatives to address the need for top-quality talent, including tech talent recruitment events, and the online jobs portal waterlootechjobs.com .
Tech company growth in Waterloo Region has burgeoned over the past two years, with a 21 per cent increase in the number of tech companies and annual revenues that now top $18 billion. Waterloo Region has more than 30,000 professionals working in its tech industry, and more than 2,000 job openings at local firms.
About Communitech
Communitech www.communitech.ca is the regional hub for the commercialization of innovation in Waterloo Region, creating economic prosperity by removing barriers to the creation and growth of tech companies.
Media Contact
Shelley Grandy, Sr. PR Advisor, Communitech, segrandy@communitech.ca
