powered by Riipen
Exceptional tech talent ready to make an impact
The ICT Ignite difference
Track progress: Review learner applications to your project, track project progress and get reminders on major project milestones through the ICT Ignite portal. Keep track of important documents and communications all in one place.
100% Remote: All ICT Ignite projects can be completed 100% remotely. Riipen supports Google Meet and Zoom integration, so you can work with learners anywhere in Canada.
Test drive Talent: This is your chance to work with recent ICT Ignite graduates who can bring new ideas and specialist skills to your business. Explore collaborations through fully-subsidized project work and hire the best-fit learners to join your team.
How the program works
A registered Canadian business or non-profit organization
A member of the House of Commons or Senate of Canada
Part of an organization that engages in partisan political activities, and/or a federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal government
Grow your business with ICT Ignite Plus
Frequently asked questions
Related resources
Tech education leader, Lighthouse Labs is partnering with Riipen, the leading work-based learning platform to provide an accelerated path to Canada’s thriving tech sector. Through hands-on, employer-led projects, this partnership will help aspiring tech professionals pave their way for success with in-demand tech skills and work experiences tailored for today's dynamic job market. Together they are creating an ecosystem of opportunities for all and creating a more inclusive and thriving tech sector.
What does an ICT Ignite Plus project need to include? 
Projects should provide 80 hours of work per learner participating and align with one of the four ICT Ignite disciplines (web development, cyber security, data science, or data analytics). Each project must be completed within 2-8 weeks. For more information on how to create and submit a project for ICT Ignite Plus, consult this article.
What specialist skills do Lighthouse Labs grads have to bring to my projects?
The LHL graduates are skilled in the following areas:.
- Web Development
- •JavaScript and Node.js
- •HTML, CSS, Version control / Github
- •Automated Testing
- •React JS
- •Ruby on Rails
- •Databases and Data Modeling
- •Data transformation and algorithms fundamentals
- •Command line
- •Problem solving
- •Pair programming and collaboration
- Data Analytics
- •Setting up a Data Analytics Environment using Anaconda, VSCode, Jupyter Notebooks, and Tableau.
- •Spreadsheets
- •Statistical Analysis
- •Data Wrangling
- •Relational and non-relational Databases with a focus on PostgreSQL and SQLite
- •Data Visualization with tools like Tableau, Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly, and Geopandas
- Data Science
- •Setting up a Data Science Environment using Anaconda, VSCode, Git, and Virtual Environments
- •Python, PostgreSQL, Git, and Jupyter Notebook
- •Data wrangling, data manipulation, Pandas, APIs, and the ETL process
- •Data Visualization with tools like Tableau, Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly
- •Probability theory, statistics, and linear algebra using NumPy and Statsmodels
- •Relational and non-relational databases
- •Development Process using tools like Pickle, Joblib, and Flask
- •Elements of machine learning like supervised learning, unsupervised learning, deep learning (stretch content), NLP (Natural Language Processing), time series, and recommender systems using sci-kit learn, Tensorflow and Keras.
- Cyber Security
- •Network Security
- •Encryption
- •Incident Response
- •Coding
- •Forensics
- •Threat Detection Engineering
- •Threat Defence Operations
- •Building an effective Blue Team
- •Teamwork
How many projects can I submit, and how many learners can I take on?
There is no limit to how many projects an employer can submit to the ICT Ignite Plus program. You should work with 2-4 learners per project.
What if my project requires more than 80 hours of work?
If this is the case, we suggest taking on more learners for the same project. We recommend that employers accept at least 2 learners per project, but you can work with up to 4. Working with 4 learners means a project can require up to 320 hours of work in total.
ICT Ignite Plus is offered as part of the ICT Boost Initiative. Funded in part by the Government of Canada's Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP).
Most Canadian employers are already eligible
Why work with a Lighthouse Labs Graduate?
Skilled Talent - Graduates are recognized across the tech industry for their skills honed through intensive, immersive and specialized programs.
Workforce Readiness - Graduates are equipped with the most in-demand industry skills and knowledge to confidently navigate the professional landscape.
What is ICT Ignite Plus ?
An exciting program for employers seeking to tap into the exceptional talent pool of Lighthouse Labs’ graduates for internships, through Riipen.
Meet your hiring goals
Connect with top tech talent, explore working together through a 2-8 week project, and then make a hire with access to a wage subsidy.
Easily turn your business needs into projects
Access our template library for inspiration, or browse to see what other employers are looking for. We make it easy for you to convert your digital tech challenge into off-the-shelf 80-hour projects.
Just mark projects complete to issue compensation
Your learners will receive a $2000 stipend, paid directly by Riipen. All you have to do is review their final submission, provide feedback, and mark the project as complete.
Unlock 80-hour, fully-subsidized, digital tech internships for Canadian employers, building and nurturing their tech talent pipeline.
Lighthouse Lab graduates having successfully completed intensive bootcamps specializing in: Web Development, Cyber Security, Data Science and Data Analytics are ready to take on your projects!
Are you or your organization looking to transition your intern into a full-time role? We've got your back with wage subsidies.
Please note that this program is currently closed for new applications. We invite you to explore our other programs or check back later for updates on future openings.
One of the challenges we have faced when recruiting for technical roles in the past is that building domain-specific knowledge takes substantial time and is costly for our small non-profit organization. This program allowed us to build the interns knowledge with less cost to our organization, and the work completed will have a meaningful impact on our team and clients for some time.
Erin Massender,
Manager of Research and Innovation, AgSights
In any business, hiring the wrong person is inherently risky. Previous businesses that I have run have suffered because we have hired the wrong person many times. This program completely reduces that risk because we get to vet potential employees or would-be contractors before expending funds. This is a game-changer for small businesses.
Sameer Hajee,
Director, Nuru Energy + Iki Design Studio
