A local marketing school is working towards supporting growth within digital marketing among Indigenous peoples and businesses by way of education.

Within Jelly Academy’s most recent fall semester, 45 seats were donated as scholarships to Indigenous students and staff members from organizations such as Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and First Nations Technology Council. As a result, more than 40 Indigenous digital marketing graduates have entered the marketing and tech industries over the past month.

As education is one of the most common barriers when it comes to opportunities for Indigenous students, Jelly Academy wanted to ensure they were creating a more accessible industry.

Jelly Academy founder, Darian Kovacs, shares the importance of these scholarships, “as an educator and leader with Indigenous roots myself, it's always been of great importance for us to give back and support others to assist with jobs, opening doors and the growth of other Indigenous businesses.”

With more job opportunities on the market, it is important that Indigenous professionals and businesses have support in the application process.

As for companies that plan to harness this fresh talent, SearchKings co-founder and president Darryl Margaux said his firm is "aiming to hire 23 people these next few months — and hiring more within the next year. This is exactly what the industry needs — more digital marketing skilled workers."

As digital marketing and digital-focused jobs are one of this year’s most popular careers, Jelly Academy wanted to ensure they were doing their part to create a diverse and inclusive industry. Through these scholarships, the goal is to ensure more Indigenous voices are being heard within the industry.

In addition to the scholarships, Jelly Academy has partnered with Best Buy to provide necessary hardware and electronics to Indigenous students to ensure there are no barriers to learning within the course. Not only will this year’s graduates leave the course with credible certifications, but they’ll also have the tools to help them succeed on the job.