Two Canadian institutions are partnering to help workers boost their digital skillsets.

Known as the CGI Certificate in Enterprise Systems Development, it is backed by a $1 million investment from CGI. Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto and CGI (GIB-A-T) will jointly offer an eight-month program to provide business professionals, career changers and recent graduates the training to succeed in enterprise IT environments.

“Through this partnership with Schulich, CGI is helping to create a learning experience that reflects the realities of today’s digital workplace and prepares participants to contribute in complex, enterprise-scale environments,” Steve Starace, executive vice-president and chief human resources officer with Montreal-based CGI, said to TechNX in an email exchange.

“The skills gap we see in the market is not just about learning a specific technology or programming language. Organizations need people who can connect business needs with technology; understand how enterprise systems work, and apply tools like AI in a responsible, secure and practical way.”

CGI was founded by Serge Godin in Québec City in June 1976 and its 2025 revenue was $15.9 billion. It offers expertise across 21 industry sectors and has 400 locations worldwide, according to the company.

IT training for business professionals

In the certificate training program, students will learn “the full lifecycle of enterprise IT which begins with enterprise IT structure and business alignment, moves into programming (Python, JavaScript), then into data and databases; APIs, and system integration. From there, it covers software engineering practices, DevOps, cybersecurity, and quality assurance, culminating in an applied industry capstone project,” Murat Kristal, executive director of institute of digital business, Schulich School of Business, told TechNX, also via email.

There are spaces for 55 participants, according to Kristal. The program’s pricing depends on who will be taking the course:

• free for current Schulich School of Business students (graduate and undergraduate);
• $7,500 for Schulich alumni, York alumni and current York University students; and
• $15,000 for participants from outside the York University ecosystem.

The program will be offered on a hybrid basis, according to Kristal, as it will primarily be in-person with the option to switch to remote where appropriate.

“The in-person format is intentional: it supports hands-on learning, team-based development and direct interaction with CGI industry experts,” Kristal said.

Applications are open for the fall 2026 season, according to CGI.

Fixing gaps in IT knowledge

The certificate is designed to address skills gaps that have emerged with some workers today.

“The biggest gap is not technical depth, it is integration capability. Organizations struggle to find individuals who can connect business requirements with technical systems, understand how different technologies interact and operate within structured, large-scale environments. There is also a significant gap in understanding governance: how systems are designed, evolved, secured and managed over time,” Kristal said.

The learning is intended for a number of different types of workers.

“The program is designed for early-career professionals, recent graduates, and career switchers – particularly those from business or non-technical backgrounds – who want to move into technology-enabled roles," he wrote. "It is also well suited for individuals with some technical exposure who want to understand how enterprise environments actually function.”

“We are addressing a very specific gap in the market: there are many programs that teach coding, and many that teach management, but very few that teach how technology actually operates inside large, enterprise-scale organizations. This program is designed to bridge that gap, equipping learners not just to write code, but to understand how systems are designed, integrated, governed and scaled in real-world environments.

"The objective is to produce professionals who can contribute immediately within complex IT organizations."

Participants will also be using AI components, specifically applied AI, and how it is deployed in enterprise system integration, workflow automation and operational decision-making.

It is also not a one-off course of study, according to Kristal, as it’s intended to become a long-term initiative. “CGI’s involvement ensures the curriculum remains aligned with evolving enterprise needs, and the structure allows for continuous updates as technologies and operating models change,” he said.