In 2024, Foresight Canada launched the inaugural Advanced Manufacturing Engineers Upskilling Program.
Known as AME-UP, the initiative set its crosshairs on equipping engineers with specialized skills for sustainable manufacturing in Canada’s evolving sector.
“The program is free for all participants with the goal of scaling our cleantech workforce and accelerating the growth of high-potential cleantech firms,” states Foresight.
Traditional manufacturing methods are considered by Foresight and others to be high-emission and inefficient, suggesting a need for cleaner approaches and technologies.
That transition will require a major re-skilling of workers, however.
Funded by Upskill Canada, and supported by Palette Skills and the Government of Canada, AME-UP is returns this fall to tackle the issue.
Foresight Canada’s program, originally 16 weeks long, has been condensed to an intensive eight weeks. AME-UP offers a blend of hands-on experience, industry-specific training, and real-world project work with cleantech employers.
This includes weekly virtual meetings, online training courses, in-person office hours, and technical workshops.
Participants learn to create a technology development roadmap and intellectual property strategy; understand steps for turning technology into a marketable product; and improve sales skills and job searching skills.
Topics covered include technology development, customer experience, production scaling, budgeting, and establishing and managing intellectual property.
Those who complete the free program receive a $3,000 stipend upon completion.
“If you’re an employer looking to access top-tier, industry-ready talent, AME-UP offers a unique opportunity to engage with a highly motivated and diverse workforce poised to make an impact on your organization,” reads a statement from Foresight.
Applications for the fall cohort close at the end of August, with the program slated to begin the first week of September and finish by the end of October.
In addition to the fall program, a winter cohort is slated to begin in December.
