Diversity and Inclusion at the Heart of Tech

Founded in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, PLATO is dedicated to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous communities through training and employment opportunities. As a New Brunswick-based social enterprise, PLATO has become a leader in software testing by creating pathways for Indigenous Peoples and other underrepresented groups to enter the tech industry. For more than 27 years, PLATO has focused on delivering high-quality testing services and, in 2015, expanded its mission to empower individuals through skills development and career placement. 

With offices now all over the country, PLATO has successfully trained over 350 Indigenous software testers, along with many others from diverse backgrounds, providing them with the knowledge and opportunities needed to thrive in the tech industry.  

“We offer people another way into the field. Through our program, we give them encouragement and mentoring and all the training they need to be successful in these kinds of roles,” shares Heather Stapleton, Director of the Apprenticeship Program at PLATO and an engineer by trade with decades of experience mentoring youth and advocating for diversity. 

At the core of PLATO’s strategy is its train-and-employ model, which begins with a five-month, in-class training program accredited through New Brunswick Community College (NBCC). 

“Essentially, we guide people through the whole software development life cycle,” she explains. “At the end of the 5-month training program, we provide a job offer into our apprenticeship program, which is where Mitacs comes in.” 

These Mitacs-funded internships give participants the opportunity to gain business driven experience by working on projects with PLATO’s clients, allowing them to apply their newly acquired skills in a professional setting while continuing to grow under mentorship. 

Adapting for Success

For participants like Whit Finlayson, PLATO’s training and apprenticeship program has been transformative.  

“Before I started at PLATO, I was working as the main announcer and DJ at a local bingo hall,” says Finlayson, who joined the company looking for a fresh start. “I’ve always wanted to either teach or work with computers and, with this program, I was able to fulfill one of my career dreams from back when I was a kid,” he thinks back.  

Reflecting on his experience, Finlayson who is now a fully employed apprentice at PLATO, recalls the anticipation of seeing others complete the training program: “During training, we watched those before us working on real projects. It was inspiring to see the potential right before our eyes. I couldn’t wait to be in their shoes. Now, six months later, here I am!”  

Finlayson credits PLATO’s emphasis on adaptability as a key factor in his success.  

“That’s one of the big things we learned in training – that you need to learn how to adapt. Because of that, as apprentices, they can now trust us to do the work, which has been really confidence-boosting and encouraging,” he elaborates. 

The Power of Collaboration

The emphasis on adaptability is woven into PLATO’s training model of preparing participants for the reality of working in various environments within the tech industry. But for Finlayson, the program’s focus on collaboration has been just as important as all the other skills gained.  

“One of the most valuable things I’ve learned is how to work with people who come from different backgrounds. In my cohort, there was a language barrier with one of my teammates and, looking back, that experience made me a stronger listener,” he explains. 

Stapleton echoes this sentiment, noting that PLATO’s holistic approach is designed to build both technical competence and the soft skills necessary for career success.  

“If you can’t communicate, you’re going to have a much harder time in your role,” she notes. “But beyond things like communication, we try and help people who might be coming from different backgrounds like restaurants or construction get a real sense of what it’s like to work in an office 8 hours a day. It’s a different environment.”  

Key Partnerships for Broader Impact 

Partnerships like the one with Mitacs, Canada’s leading innovation organization, have been critical in expanding PLATO’s training and apprenticeship programs. Mitacs’s Indigenous Pathways initiative, along with its Inclusive Innovation Action Plan (IIAP), works to address inequities faced by equity-deserving communities. With PLATO’s expanded mission focused on reconciliation, the financial support provided by Mitacs helps offset the costs and expand training and internship opportunities, enabling more Indigenous talent and individuals from diverse backgrounds to access meaningful careers in tech. 

“Because of funding from Mitacs, we can have more participants than we would have been able to otherwise,” Stapleton remarks. “It’s really allowed us to scale the program and broaden our impact so that different types of people can thrive in the tech industry.”   

As the largest Mitacs-funded project in News-Brunswick to date, many successful graduates of the PLATO Software Tester Training Program continue to work for the company in and around their communities. But beyond expansion, Mitacs funding has also increased visibility in PLATO’s initiatives.  

“There’s that old saying: ‘You can’t be what you can’t see,’ right? If nobody in your community is in this kind of role, it’s not something you’d naturally consider,” Stapleton observes. “But when they see people coming through PLATO and succeeding in these careers, it shows them that this path is possible.” 

Building on this success, with $1.2 million in renewed funding from the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF), Mitacs continues to invest in companies like PLATO and other impactful projects across the province. 

Mitacs’s programs receive funding from multiple partners across Canada. We thank the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon for supporting us to empower Canadian innovation.

Do you have a business challenge that could benefit from a research solution? If so, contact Mitacs today to discuss partnership opportunities: BD@mitacs.ca.