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Coffee Briefing Jun.13 – Seneca Polytechnic teams up with Microsoft and Sobeys; Desjardins gives voice to 400 young people; Pearson airport to deploy enhanced screening service; and more

Coffee Briefings are timely deliveries of the latest ITWC headlines, interviews, and podcasts. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by IT World Canada’s editorial team!

Missed last week’s Coffee Briefing? We’ve got you covered.

Seneca Polytechnic team up with Microsoft and Sobeys to address shortage of cybersecurity analysts 

Seneca Polytechnic announced last week that it is teaming up with Microsoft Canada and Sobeys Inc. to provide short-term courses (microcredentials) aimed at addressing the critical shortage of cybersecurity analysts in Canada.

The Cybersecurity Analyst (Stack) of microcredentials include eleven stackable courses covering topics such as cryptography, network security, Microsoft Azure fundamentals and security engineering, cyber threat hunting, incident response, information protection and more.

The eleven courses will cost a total of just under C$3500 and last 21 weeks, which includes 162 class hours, 90 hours of Microsoft certification and 100 hours of lab access guided by Seneca faculty.

IT professionals who can pass a network skills assessment or who have a Network+ or Cisco Certified Network Associate certificate can access this opportunity. Participants must also be authorized to work in Canada, have English proficiency at a postsecondary level and an interest in pursuing a new career in cybersecurity.

Program contents and registration details are now available here.

Desjardins invites 400 young people to share their ideas and solutions on pressing issues

On Jun. 19 and 20, Desjardins will host the Dream the Impossible event at TOHU in Montreal, that will see 400 young people express their ideas and solutions on topics that matter to them including the environment, employment, education, finance and the economy.

“I’m very excited about talking with young people and hearing what they have to say. Our goal is to give their voices and ideas a springboard to make things happen, get their projects off the ground and help them solve problems that matter to them,” said the company’s chief executive officer (CEO) Guy Cormier, as he announced the event earlier this year.

The event will include hands-on conferences, workshops, brainstorming sessions and co-creation activities.

Registration for the in-person event is now closed, but interested participants have until June 16 to go to the event’s website to sign up for the online version. They’ll have special access to the conferences and will also be able to interact with other participants and speakers at workshops.

The event is also supported by Bell, Google, Hydro-Québec and KPMG.

First venture incubator to open in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area

The University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM)’s vice president Alexandra Gillespie has announced the creation of SpinUp, a venture incubator offering wet lab space, equipment, training and programming so that early-stage entrepreneurs and life science companies test and commercialize their products and innovations.

Gillespie was joined by mayor of Mississauga, Bonnie Crombie, as she made the announcement last week at the BIO International Convention in Boston.

“SpinUp is a much-needed and welcomed addition to IDEA – Mississauga’s Innovation District and we are thrilled that UTM’s new incubation space will be opening soon,” said Crombie. “Our goal is to work with partners in the community, like UTM, to provide resources and facilities to support businesses from early stages of inception to scale-up, until they ultimately transition into their own space with a sustainable path forward.

Entrepreneurs at SpinUp will also have opportunities to form research partnerships with the University of Toronto’s (U of T) science community. Additionally, they can connect with UTM students in experiential learning to strengthen the network of UTM graduates in life sciences in Canada. 

Mississauga is currently Canada’s second-largest life sciences sector by employment, with more than 500 businesses employing more than 26,000 people.

Liberty Defense to provide enhanced screening service Toronto Pearson International Airport

Liberty Defense, a provider of AI-based detection solutions for concealed weapons and threats, has announced that its walkthrough security detection portal, HEXWAVE, has been selected by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) to be deployed at Pearson International Airport.

HEXWAVE is a high-throughput, contactless, walkthrough portal that uses millimeter wave, advanced 3D imaging, and AI to detect all types of concealed metallic and non-metallic threats and other prohibited items – without the passenger having to divest common items.

“We plan to roll out the use of HEXWAVE in the second half of this year, working with airport stakeholders to assess the best locations to provide enhanced security and an improved screening experience in non-traditional areas of the airport,” said Dwayne MacIntosh, director, Corporate Safety and Security, GTAA.

Eurocom rolls out 20 per cent discount laptop program for students, graduates and faculty staff

Canadian computer developer Eurocom has announced the Summer 2023 Edition of its Education Laptop Program, offering a 20 per cent discount (instead of the regular 10 per cent) for any orders placed between Jun. 1 and Aug. 31, 2023.

The program applies to students at all levels, graduates, post-graduates, and education staff. The discount applies to all new Eurocom Mobile Supercomputers, Workstations, Gaming Rigs, Mobile Servers and Superlaptops purchased directly from Eurocom.com

“Eurocom has a goal of helping every student and graduate progress towards being an active participant of the global workforce.” said Mark Bialic, President of Eurocom.

University and College Students, Post Graduate Students, Educators and Institutions can also get increased discounts based on their educational achievements through the Eurocom Higher Education Program.

More to explore

Digital twin technology will change life as we know it by 2035: TCS

Digital twin technology will transform business and society by 2035, with widespread adoption coming first in life sciences and retail, to be followed by smart cities/homes in the coming years, a new report released this week by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) predicts.

Canadian government funds media literacy research project to combat disinformation

The Canadian government is providing a C$5.5 million investment to create the Canadian Digital Media Research Network (CDMRN).

Competition for talent intensifying in the Ontario creative tech sector: ICTC study

Ontario’s creative tech sector is booming, with talent demand on the rise despite economic headwinds, new findings from a ICTC (The Information and Communications Technology Council) survey revealed.

Reuters reports EU approval of Broadcom’s VMware buy imminent

Reuters reported today that U.S. chip maker Broadcom is set to gain conditional EU antitrust approval for its proposed US$61 billion acquisition of VMware.

Shopify files motion in Texas court to crack down on “patent trolls”

Yesterday, Shopify filed a motion in a Texas court in an attempt to crack down on so-called  “patent trolls”.

Cisco takes major steps toward making data centres more energy efficient

Earlier this week, Cisco chief executive officer (CEO) Chuck Robbins talked about the importance of sustainability during a keynote speech at Cisco Live! 2023.

Channel Bytes June 9, 2023 – Nominations open for Women in the IT Channel awards; New CMO at MSP360; Commvault adds security features; and more

Staying informed is a constant challenge. There’s so much to do, and so little time. But we have you covered. Grab a coffee and take five while you nibble on these tidbits.

Listen to the latest episode of Hashtag Trending

Hashtag Trending Jun.13- Reddit continues protest; S&P weighs in on AI ROI; Barracuda issues urgent notice to immediately decommission compromised devices

Listen to the latest episode of Cybersecurity Today

Cyber Security Today, June 12, 2023 – Replace compromised Barracuda email gateways, and more holes found in MOVEit

Listen to the latest episode of Hashtag Tendances

If you live in Québec, or prefer to consume the latest technology news in French, our sister publication Direction Informatique has you covered. Follow them on Twitter as well.

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