SkillingUp

What SkillingUp Is

SkillingUp is a free digital skills program run by March of Dimes Canada for people with disabilities and others who face barriers to employment. The home page describes it as "a free program, providing personalized training and support for people with disabilities to feel confident in their digital skills," and adds that "Everyone should have access to the knowledge, technology, and opportunities to thrive in today's digital-first world." The site is available in English and French, and its tagline is "Digital skills for life and work."

The reader is a learner: an adult in Canada who wants to get comfortable with a computer, build workplace software skills, or study toward a Microsoft certification and then find a job. Funding from collaborators, the home page says, "enables us to offer barrier-free, industry-relevant training, mentorship, and employment support."

Three Programs

SkillingUp is organized into three offerings, and a Digital Skills Assessment gives "personalized recommendations based on your current skills and learning goals" for anyone unsure where to start.

• Accessible Technology, provided in partnership with TELUS Tech for Good, connects learners with a specialist for a virtual assessment and customized training on assistive and accessible technologies, so they can control their devices and gain independence at home, in the community, or at work or school.
• Digital Fundamentals covers existing and new features on your devices, online safety and digital citizenship. It offers workshops and resources, some in collaboration with programs like TELUS Wise, and 1:1 coaching from tech support coaches. The page says these programs suit "a range of ages and abilities."
• Digital Skills and Job Readiness is the course program: "independent, self-paced training available for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels," plus role-specific learning pathways, with mentorship and job search support after a learner completes a certification or pathway.

Levels and Certificates

The Digital Skills and Job Readiness page explains its three levels in plain terms. Beginner is for someone who needs "basic computer skills, like connecting to Bluetooth, using a USB key, and managing and organizing windows." Intermediate is for someone who has "worked with the programs that workplaces count on most, like MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)." Advanced is for someone who has "handled security problems and installed software on your own computer," and perhaps coded or worked in IT. The page encourages learners to "begin at the level that makes sense to you."

Each certificate shows its length:

• Beginner: Digital Literacy for Work and Everyday Life (9 hours), Job Readiness (10 hours), Professional Soft Skills (10 hours), Entrepreneurship (5 hours).
• Intermediate: Generative AI (4 hours), Cybersecurity (4 hours), Build Your Generative AI Productivity Skills (4 hours), AI for Organizational Leaders (5 hours), AI for Managers (5 hours), Microsoft Copilot for Productivity (5 hours), Microsoft Azure AI Essentials (3 hours), Microsoft Security Essentials (4 hours) and Human Skills in the Age of AI (6 hours).
• Advanced, labeled Expert: (MS-700) Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate (14 hours), (SC-900) Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (6 hours), (PL-900) Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Fundamentals (7 hours), (AI-901) Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals (12 hours), and (PL-300) Microsoft Data Analyst Career Path (15 hours).

The advanced courses, in the page's words, "give you the in-depth knowledge and advanced skills to earn Microsoft Certification." The course prepares you; the certification itself is Microsoft's. The beginner and intermediate certificates are SkillingUp program certificates.

Live Training

Not everything is self-paced. The same page invites learners to "Apply for a free, live virtual training program" called Build the Skills You Need to Succeed in the Age of AI, "Designed to help job seekers and persons with disabilities build the confidence, human skills, and AI knowledge needed to succeed in today's workforce."

Mentorship and Job Support

After finishing a pathway and earning a certificate, learners can be matched with a mentor and get job search support "provided by our career specialists." The mentorship section describes a mentor as someone who can "share insights and offer advice to help you define and achieve your career goals." A testimonial from mentor Patrina Samuel shows how it works in practice: she and her mentee "hit it off within 10 minutes of the first session" and "had 5 powerful sessions, super productive with lots of sharing and guidance." She notes that everyday skills like using a spreadsheet are worth passing on: "Sharing this knowledge can be so impactful to someone else and it does not take a ton of time for the sharing."

Eligibility, Access and Cost

The eligibility box says "You must be at least 16 years old and live in Canada" and "You have a disability or experience barriers to employment." (The FAQ answers "No" to whether there is a minimum age, so check eligibility when you register.) You do not need a disability to join: the FAQ says the training "is targeted to people with disabilities," but anyone facing other barriers to employment who needs digital skills can also register. Registration is a brief form followed by a call from the team. There is no registration fee; the FAQ says the program "is committed to providing free and accessible learning for people with disabilities." Some pathways have prerequisites, but "many are open to a wide range of learners."

The FAQ says the Learner Portal works on computers, tablets and smartphones, and that "There are also offline /low bandwidth options for added flexibility." Support is by toll-free phone at 1-800-263-3463 or email at skillingup@marchofdimes.ca. The site also has pages for employers and agencies and an accessibility commitment.

What Learners Say

Kenneth Cheung, an advanced participant from Toronto, says: "I needed help to get my life back on track. Doing the program really accelerated my recovery. Afterwards, I got a full-time job as an Enterprise Architect that really matches what I had before I got sick." Bala Sreekumar, an intermediate participant from Kitchener, Ontario, writes that "Receiving my certificates was a moment of pride and accomplishment" and that the program structure, resources and team support made learning enjoyable.

Who SkillingUp Suits

SkillingUp suits adults in Canada with a disability, or facing other barriers to work, who want free and patient digital skills training: from first steps with Bluetooth and USB keys, through Microsoft Office, Copilot and generative AI, to Microsoft certification pathways in Teams administration, security, Power Platform, Azure AI and data analysis. The mentorship and job support after a certificate make it a route back into employment, not just a course library. People who need help with assistive technology get a specialist through the Accessible Technology program. Learners outside Canada are not eligible, and anyone wanting a deep developer or IT engineering curriculum beyond these fundamentals and associate-level pathways will need another provider after SkillingUp.