Toronto’s technology industry is growing rapidly with an increasing skills gap in the labor market. Tech training programs are expensive and inaccessible to low-income learners seeking entry into IT. Free online learning options exist, but studies show low completion rates. Before COVID-19, 33% of learners who accessed TPL’s tech training wanted to improve their career and we expect that number to grow. LLT responds to these gaps in technology training and access by providing free industry-recognized programming.

LLT brings professional education into the library and empowers participants to be lifelong learners. Online courses prepare learners for industry-recognized certifications in Python and Linux. The learning circle model, adapted from P2PU, has staff facilitate rather than instruct which gives learners responsibility for their own success in preparing them for an IT career. In response to the challenge of COVID-19, LLT programs successfully transitioned online while maintaining the peer cohort model.

Ninety-one percent of remote learners reported that completing an online course through Let’s Learn Tech helped to improve their digital skills. Of in-person learners, 80% agreed the peer learning model contributed to a sense of social belonging. Based on LLT’s success, TPL has a recognized role in local workforce development. TPL is partnering with the City of Toronto and Cisco to provide Wi-Fi access to low-income communities living in residential towers. The Let’s Learn Tech model will be used to train youth residents hired to support the program.