Author: CCNB , Press Release
Photo: (L-R) Jason McManaman, vice-president of technology and security of TKS, Alain Lamarre, dean of the School of ICT, technologies and transport of CCNB, and David Small, director of advanced research and innovation of IGT.
DIEPPE, May 11, 2022 - A dozen years after the creation of CCNB’s Programming and Game Development program, IGT and TKS and CCNB are renewing their partnership. Their collaboration continues to have positive impacts for both companies, as well as the college and individuals interested in launching a career in programming in southeastern New Brunswick.
On May 11, representatives from all three parties met at the Dieppe Campus to sign a new memorandum of understanding.
CCNB will continue to offer the Programming and Game Development program, while IGT and TKS are committed to providing paid internship opportunities and employment opportunities to some of the students, as well as reimbursing a portion of the tuition fees of graduates they hire.
Since the program's inception, the two companies have hired over 30 graduates in five cohorts.
"The CCNB is proud to offer this program, which meets a specialized need in this technology industry," said Alain Lamarre, dean of the CCNB School of ICT, Technology and Transportation. We are also pleased to be able to offer people who wish to work in this field the chance to achieve their career goals."
"This agreement with CCNB helps IGT engage a vast pool of technology focused students in the region and enables us to fortify our local talent pipeline with qualified and ambitious subject matter experts," said David Small, director of advanced research and innovation at IGT.
"Graduates of the program are ready for the challenges of industry and have the skills to fit into the team. We have hired several alumni over the years, and we look forward to continuing to do so for years to come," said Jason McManaman, vice president of technology and security at TKS.
CCNB alumni consistently good employees
Yannick Dufils was a member of the second cohort of the program, from 2012 to 2014. Since then, he has been working for TKS, and is now one of its five lead software developers. Having had the opportunity to participate in the hiring process in recent years, he assures that CCNB alumni are "a sure shot".
"At TKS, I’ve had the opportunity to work with several CCNB graduates and they are some of the highest performers on our team," says Dufils.
CCNB is able to respond to industry needs year after year by adapting the Programming and Game Development program to changes in the marketplace. Dufils points out that training at CCNB also offers several "soft" skills that are highly valued by employers.
"Knowing how to code when you leave a program is expected, says Dufils. But how do you communicate with your employer and colleagues? Are you able to integrate into a team of coders and work in a group? Learning how to interact with a team at CCNB and clearly explaining your challenges is invaluable."
About the partnership
As part of the partnership, IGT and TKS are committed to providing paid internship opportunities for selected students during their final year of studies. In addition, they are committed to providing employment opportunities to certain graduates (more than 50% in the case of IGT), and they plan to reimburse up to $3,500 in tuition fees for graduates who work for them for at least two years.
IGT and TKS also provide guidance to program faculty on labor market standards and expectations, and occasionally send employees as speakers to present specific topics from the industry. They provide students with information about the industry and employment opportunities within the company.
About the program
The Game Programming and Development program is a two-year program offered at CCNB – Campus de Dieppe. A new cohort is launched each year in September. The program prepares students to develop programming skills to meet the needs of businesses operating in the gaming industry. They develop high-level object-oriented programming skills in C++, Java and C#, among other languages.
Media requests :
Jean-Marc Doiron, Communications agent, CCNB, 506-377-2569 or jean-marc.doiron@ccnb.ca
Vanessa Matthews, Vice President of Marketing, TKS, 506-380-4842 or vanessa.matthews@tks.ca
Read the press release here
