NPOWER GIVES YOUTH SPACE TO GROW IN TECH FIELD

Darryn Doull is the new curator at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery (KWAG). MATTHEW VIVEEN PHOTO

NEW CURATOR FOR KWAG

ALEX KINSELLA CONTRIBUTOR

On July 28, 2021, the KitchenerWaterloo Art Gallery (KWAG) announced the appointment of curator Darryn Doull.

The search for a new curator began in May after KWAG announced the departure of Crystal Mowry. Mowry left for an opportunity at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina at the beginning of August.

Doull officially joined the Gallery on Aug. 23.

“Watching the work that Crystal [Mowry] has done over the last few years, and the exhibitions and the publications that the gallery has been able to produce, I’ve always been impressed,” Doull said. The vibrant arts and culture scene in Waterloo Region has left a similar impact on Doull.

“That sort of energy is really exciting and attractive to me,” he said. “I look at the region, I see the innovation that’s happening and it’s pretty inspiring. It’s exciting to know that people are working hard to find success and to define success in new ways.”

Doull is no stranger to the area, either— he received a fine arts degree from the University of Guelph. After graduating, Doull worked in different roles at Gallery Lampton in Tiny, Ontario, before accepting the position of assistant curator at the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery in Sarnia. He joined the gallery at the beginning of a major capital campaign to construct a brand new facility in downtown Sarnia.

“That’s an opportunity that maybe comes around once, maybe twice in your career if you’re lucky. It was the chance to think about what an art gallery, especially a regional art gallery, means and looks like and actually put those thoughts into practice,” he said.

The role came without its challenges, Doull said. He went on to spend much of his time in Sarnia discussing the value and importance of having an art gallery with community members.

“A lot of people were wondering why we need an art gallery. ‘Why do we need to build this thing? Why do we need to invest the money here when there’s other issues in the community,’” Doull said.

Despite some initial hesitation in the community, the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery has become a keystone of downtown revitalization in Sarnia since opening in 2012.

“It started a whole renaissance of the downtown core that’s continuing today,” Doull said.

“Buildings getting fixed up, all the vacant apartments and storefronts being filled, and people living there— it’s a whole new energy.”

Seeing the gallery’s impact in Sarnia has shaped how Doull views the importance of art and how it can affect an entire community. He hopes to transfer his knowledge and skills from this experience to his new role at KWAG.

“There’s a power and potential of a public art gallery to be a catalyst that activates the community to help bring us closer to the sustainable future that we want,” he said.

“[KWAG] is the place where those things can happen...where we can meet each other and have those conversations,” Doull said.

“It’s the sort of space where we can collectively define and dismantle inequalities and shortcomings of the modern state and build those ways forward, together.”

Prior to his appointment at KWAG, Doull also worked as the curator of Canadian art at The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Citing the strict travel restrictions in Atlantic Canada as a major catalyst, Doull decided to move back to Ontario to be closer to his loved ones and began to search for local jobs.

“As soon as I saw the position at KWAG, I knew right away that it was the perfect fit,” Doull said.

“Even going back to my days in Guelph, KWAG was always a gallery that knew to punch above its weight to always exceed expectations.”

NPower’s primary goal is to empower young people facing systemic barriers by offering them free professional training, industry certification and helping them launch sustainable careers inside the tech sector. MATT SMITH PHOTO

NO COST TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

ERIN APPLEBEE CONTRIBUTOR

Andrew Reddin is passionate about helping youth begin careers in the tech industry, especially those who have not had exposure to opportunities in the tech field.

Reddin is the Chief Operating Officer of NPower, which is a charity that helps underserved youth and adults find meaningful and sustainable careers in the tech industry.

“The young people who we serve… often haven’t been provided with much exposure to what tech pathways could look like,” Reddin said.

“When we explore the pathways with youth in more accessible language, give them more of a concrete sense of what the jobs look [like]... we can explore how tech can adapt to someone’s own aptitude and interests.”

NPower Canada offers no-cost, technical and professional skills training, industry certification and job placement support. It was founded in 2014 when there was a need for both skilled tech workers for employers and more job opportunities in the tech sector.

They prioritize working with youth who have directly faced systemic, intersectional barriers to launching careers in tech. This includes members of BIPOC communities, women, newcomers to Canada, LGBTQ+ youth, youth with disabilities and those who come from low-income backgrounds.

In the first full year of operation, NPower Canada helped 87 youth and this year has helped over 1400.

One of those people is Marco Chumacero. A 2020 alumnus of the NPower Google IT Certificate program, Chumacero is now a Bilingual Product Technician. Before taking the program, he worked for many years in the hospitality industry. During the pandemic, found himself in need of a change.

The Google IT Certificate program offered Chumacero more than just technical skills. One of his favourite aspects of the course was personal development days.

NPower program participants receive ongoing mentorship and continuing education for up to five years after placement.

“[Even] though [finding a job is] such a positive and exciting development, it comes from its own stressors. It is often a massive change in their dayto-day schedule and responsibilities,” Reddin said.

“We need to continue providing counseling, coaching, and support to ensure that our young people remain successful and they’re able to maintain their employment,” he said.

After seven months with his current company, Chumacero is already training new people. In the next few months, he is hoping to transition into a team lead position. Currently, he is working through a coding course and will be continuing his education with a Java course in January.

The NPower Canada program in Ontario has been based predominantly in the GTA, but they have had some success with job placements in Kitchener-Waterloo. Reddin explained that they are excited about making a bigger impact in KW in the future. They are hoping to address a broader range of employer demands in KW.

With two universities and a college in KW, Reddin stressed that NPower is not trying to compete with other programs.

NPower Canada hosts Wednesday webinars to help introduce young people to the NPower program. Find out more at https://npowercanada.ca/ apply.