The School of Continuing Studies at York University has assembled a team of influential business leaders from the public, finance, education, commerce and technology sectors to guide the creation of Canada’s first fully online Certificate in Cloud Computing Strategy.
Canada’s first fully online Certificate in Cloud Computing Strategy will launch at York University’s School of Continuing Studies in January 2020. The new continuing professional education program is being created to meet the need for highly skilled cloud architects and consultants who can work across industry lines
Starting in January 2020, the new continuing professional education program will meet the growing demand for highly skilled cloud architects and consultants who can work across industry lines. The specialized task force, or program advisory council, is collaborating with the School of Continuing Studies to ensure that students graduate the program with the crucial mix of technical and cross-functional (or “human”) skills needed to succeed now and in the shifting future of work in Canada.
Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly
Employers hiring for jobs in cloud computing are increasingly demanding people who not only have the technical skill to create a compelling business case and understand the various available cloud service models, but who can use critical human skills like analytical thinking, negotiation tactics and communication skills to move a successful cloud adoption forward. It’s this unique blend of competencies that will give graduates a competitive edge for roles like cloud architect, cloud consultant or cloud strategist in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), across Canada and the U.S. These types of jobs have recently increased more than 300 per cent in the GTA alone, according to Burning Glass Technologies.
“The future of work is vastly different than anything we’ve seen before,” said Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly, assistant vice-president of Continuing Studies at York University. “With changes in technology shaping what employers are looking for when they hire, the need to close the impending skills gap is critical. Our graduates leave our programs with the deep skills they need to excel in their job functions, as well as the broader skills to collaborate across teams and affect lasting change within their organizations.”
This collaborative engagement with industry leaders is a critical step in the way the School of Continuing Studies at York University develops its program roster – the resulting curriculum and learning outcomes are sure to be on-trend and responsive to the realities of a job market that’s increasingly affected by emerging technologies and automation. With members from the Ontario Pension Board, the LCBO, Amazon, RBC, Deloitte, Microsoft and TD Canada Trust, the Certificate in Cloud Computing Strategy task force (advisory council) assembled by the School of Continuing Studies is giving back to the community at large, training the types of candidates they want to hire for their own organizations.
Michael Eubanks
“Cloud platforms and apps drive growth and the vast majority of IT enterprises have at least one application in the cloud,” said Michael Eubanks, LCBO’s senior vice-president and chief information officer, and advisory council member for the Certificate in Cloud Computing Strategy. “Investments are soaring, year over year. As the momentum continues, it will be critical for technology-dependent industries to recruit and retain cloud-centric skills and talent.”
The Certificate in Cloud Computing Strategy rounds out an expanding list of 24 certificate programs offered by the School of Continuing Studies at York University, designed to prepare Canadians for success in emerging and evolving careers. As the top recent technological change affecting the information technology field, according to Gartner (June 21, 2016), the cloud is changing the way companies do business.