TD supports initiatives helping to prepare underrepresented and underserved communities in North America for the jobs of the future

Two new organizations join six others that will have received CA$3.5 million in funding from TD by 2026 to help people build and strengthen technology skills

TORONTO, May 16, 2024 /CNW/ - As the pace of technological change moves faster than it ever has before, TD Bank Group (TD) today announced two new initiatives that received funding from TD through the TD Ready Commitment to support underrepresented and underserved communities by helping to enhance their employability in a changing job market. The two organizations, which support women and members of the Indigenous community, offer skills-building programs and training for members to build and enhance their technology accumen.

The two organizations are:

• Making Changes Employment Association of Alberta – a non-profit organization focused on providing women with the skills and resources to pursue meaningful educational and employment opportunities, received CA$50,000 in funding from TD through the TD Ready Commitment for their Women in Technology (WIT) program. The WIT program aims to provide upskilling training to unemployed or underemployed immigrant and Indigenous women in Calgary.
• Mi'kmaw Economic Benefits Office - a non-profit organization focused on increasing the employability of its community members and supporting the development and growth of local entrepreneurs, received CA$40,000 in funding from TD through the TD Ready Commitment for their Indigenous Cyber Security Program and Indigenous Blue Seal Program. Both programs aim to help community members enhance their employability in the STEM space, take on leadership positions, or start their own business.

"At TD, one of the ways we deliver on our purpose to help enrich lives is by supporting organizations that offer new skills training and entrepreneurship opportunities geared towards improving income stability" said Alicia Rose, Associate Vice President, Social Impact, Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship. "Through the TD Ready Commitment, the Bank's corporate citizenship platform, and our other philanthropic platforms and programs, we are proud to support organizations focused on helping people to build and strengthen skills required for the jobs of today and tomorrow. In doing so, our hope is that individuals and communities will be better equipped to thrive in a changing world."

These initiatives are the latest in a series of philanthropic contributions from TD in support of the jobs of the future. The six other organizations that will have received a total of CA$3.5 million in funding from TD by 2026 to help enhance employability are:

• Accessible Community Counselling and Employment Services (A.C.C.E.S.). which will receive CA$900,000 in funding from the Bank through the TD Ready Commitment distributed over 3 years starting in 2023, for programs focused on helping women newcomers upskill existing skills and qualifications and secure employment in their field. These programs are focused on helping to build employability skills for women newcomers with a focus on STEM, digital, and market-relevant skills. Participants are connected to professional mentors, networking opportunities and ultimately to employment commensurate with their education and experience in the tech space.
• Black Boys Code Society which will receive CA$836,304 in funding from the Bank through the TD Ready Commitment distributed over 3 years starting in 2022, for their Black Youth After School Program & Summer Technology Camp, with a focus on their 'Learning Math Through Code' curriculum. Black Youth After School Program & Summer Technology Camp programming aims to provide Black girls and boys in nine cities across Canada with the knowledge to enable them to consider an educational path that leads to careers in technology.
• Skills for Change will receive CA$750, 000 in funding from the Bank through the TD Ready Commitment to be distributed over 3 years starting in 2023, for their TechForward: Black Women in Data Analytics initiative which provides comprehensive data analytics, business skills, entrepreneurship, career development, wellness, and sector navigation curriculum to internationally educated, trained, or experienced women from Toronto's Black community. This donation followed the Bank's previous support of Skills for Change's pilot program of Women on the Rise: Data Analytics Bridge-to-Work for Black Canadian Women. This new funding will be applied to help expand their TechForward: Black Women in Data Analytics programming, enable updated workshops, panels, and market-level data analytics courses to new, enlarged cohorts of participants, and keep pilot alumni engaged.
• Tech Kids Unlimited (TKU) received US$50,000 in funding from the Bank through the TD Charitable Foundation in 2023 for their "Career Ladder" program which is a US program focused on helping neurodiverse students and people with autism to attain better job opportunities through work-based learning modules for computer science, technology skills, and social emotional learning, as well as providing 6-week workplace internship programs.
• The McKenna Institute at University of New Brunswick received a CA$750,000 grant in 2022 from the Bank through the TD Ready Challenge for their Indigenous Youth Digital Acceleration Program focused on helping to bridge the digital gap for Indigenous youth.
• Venture for Canada will receive CA$255,000 in funding from the Bank through the TD Ready Commitment distributed over 3 years starting in 2023 for their Sustainable Futures Fellowship Program focused on helping to support change, nurture progress, and contribute to making the world a better, more inclusive place.

"As new innovations, like AI, change how every industry operates, it's important that job seekers from all backgrounds have access to training for the jobs of the future," said Tim Clark, Senior Vice President, Commercial and Corporate Platforms, TD Bank Group. "At TD, we've focused on building a diverse tech talent base, with ongoing upskilling and reskilling to help support our colleagues in growing their careers. I'm proud to work for an organization that is helping to support the tech talent of tomorrow."

Today's announcement is part of TD Tech and Innovation Day, an annual event showcasing the Bank's unique technology and innovation story. This year's theme is Human-Centered Innovation which highlights the people behind our innovation and the customers, colleagues, and communities we innovate for.

About The TD Ready Commitment

TD has a long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues and communities. As part of its corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment, TD is targeting CDN $1 billion in total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to help open doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow – Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through the TD Ready Commitment, TD aspires to link its business, philanthropy and human capital to help people feel more confident - not just about their finances, but also in their ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world. For further information, visit td.com/tdreadycommitment.

About TD Bank Group

The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by assets and serves over 27.5 million customers in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust and TD Auto Finance Canada; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank^®, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in The Charles Schwab Corporation; Wealth Management and Insurance, including TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities and TD Cowen. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with more than 17 million active online and mobile customers. TD had $1.91 trillion in assets on January 31, 2024. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.

SOURCE TD Bank Group