September 28, 2021
Government Welcomes Traction On Demand Skills Training Program to Support Job Growth in Winnipeg
– – –Industry Expansion Program with Traction on Demand to Support Tech Industry Skills Training for 100 New Positions: Reyes
Traction on Demand (ToD), a high-growth Canadian technology and consulting firm, has selected Winnipeg for its next regional office and will receive training support from the Manitoba government, Economic Development and Jobs Minister Jon Reyes announced today.
“Our province is a growing tech hub with many competitive advantages and we are extremely pleased that Traction on Demand chose Manitoba as its next expansion location,” said Reyes. “This investment by Traction on Demand and our government will create good new tech-focused jobs for Manitobans and contribute to the continued growth of the information, communications and digital technologies sector in our province.”
The Manitoba government is investing $520,000 over the next two years through the Industry Expansion Program with ToD to provide skills training to 100 net new hires who will be employed at the company’s new regional office, which will be opening in 2022. In line with ToD’s diversity and inclusivity targets, the hires will be representative of the local population.
Headquartered in Burnaby, B.C., and with operations across Canada, the United States, Australia and India, ToD is North America’s largest dedicated salesforce consulting and application development firm, focused on helping organizations drive digital transformation and positive change.The company has experienced exponential growthin the last 10 years, with a growing global team of over 1,200 employees. By recognizing the potential for tech growth and opportunities outside of Vancouver, ToD is continuing itsexpansion by locating new operations to Manitoba.
Drawn to Winnipeg for its diverse population, workforce and recent growth of the local technology industry, ToD also saw great potential for partnerships with other technology companies and post-secondary institutions.
“This exciting partnership between Traction on Demand and the Manitoba government will make room for new tech opportunities in Winnipeg and beyond. We recognize the evolving, competitive landscape in this city and look forward to expanding our team with this diverse, rich pool of talent,” said Jolene Chan, chief impact officer, ToD. “Partnering with Yes!Winnipeg was incredibly helpful in ensuring that we were connected to the right government funding vehicles, universities and local organizations.”
The company noted that Winnipeg is the perfect extension of ToD’s robust Canadian presence and the ideal location to bolster a growing tech hub in the Prairies.
“Economic Development Winnipeg’s business development team YES! Winnipeg provides a tailored concierge service to make it easy for businesses to locate and grow in our city,” said Dayna Spiring, president and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg. “Traction on Demand was particularly interested in our diverse talent pool and we’re proud to help connect them to the talent they need. It’s another win for our expanding tech sector and our city. Great things are happening here, and more and more businesses are seeing they can succeed and thrive in Winnipeg.”
The minister noted the Industry Expansion Program is one of the tools that Manitoba will continue to use to build its economy into a post-pandemic world. It assists companies to capitalize on growth opportunities by providing funding support to train new and existing employees required to support business expansion projects.
“This investment demonstrates our continued commitment to business investment and expansion, job creation and a long-term focus on economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Reyes. “This project will create highly skilled, well-paying jobs that can assist Manitoba businesses in shifting to online customer sales and services, and we are extremely excited to work with Traction on Demand.”
This new project aligns with the province’s Economic Growth Action Plan and the Skills, Talent and Knowledge Strategy, noted Reyes, adding it also supports the department’s mandates of strengthening demand-led training opportunities and championing Manitoba as an ideal location for business investment and expansion.
For more information on the Industry Expansion Program, visit www.gov.mb.ca/wd/ites/is/iei.html.
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