FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aboriginal Tech Firm Opens Office in Miramichi
New Office and Funding Partner in Miramichi for PQA & PLATO Testing
August 26, 2016 – 2:30 PM Atlantic Time (ADT)
MIRAMICHI, NB – PQA and PLATO Testing announced today the grand opening of their Miramichi office, PQA Testing’s third in the province and sixth across Canada. The office is strategically positioned near Eel Ground, Esgenoôpetitj and Metepenagiag First Nations; centrally located for future growth in the area.
PLATO Testing is a startup launched to bring meaningful training and employment to Aboriginal people in the software testing industry across Canada. PLATO Testing provides outsourced testing solutions to clients throughout North America, with a focus on projects that would have previously been sent offshore. Sister company and industry leader, PQA Testing, supports PLATO Testing by leading the Aboriginal Software Tester Training program and providing critical assistance in its startup phase.
Keith Joe from Esgenoôpetitj First Nation was one of the first PLATO Testing employees and is now a team lead in the new Miramichi office. He had the following to say:
“PLATO Testing has brought me a career I can be proud of and make a difference in. The opportunity for me to work closer to home at the Miramichi office with other Aboriginal people in a high-tech industry has given me a great sense of purpose and drive for the future. I think this is a great opportunity for my people and I hope to be a role model for upcoming Aboriginal testers in the industry.”
In addition to the grand opening, it was also announced that Frank McKenna’s Miramichi Technology Fund has come on as a strategic funding partner for PLATO Testing’s growth, both regionally and across Canada. The Miramichi Technology Fund was established in May 2011 through the generous donation of Frank and Julie McKenna. The fund aims to help Miramichi-based technology companies grow and develop.
Mr. McKenna said “The Miramichi Technology Fund is proud to be supporting PQA and PLATO Testing as they build a sustainable business that brings meaningful employment to Aboriginal people across Canada. We congratulate them on the grand opening of their Miramichi office and look forward to working with them through this period of growth.”
PQA and PLATO Testing founder, Keith McIntosh, added:
“PLATO Testing was founded to bring employment, fill an industry gap, and create leaders. By addressing a real market need in North America, it will continue to grow, be sustainable and create leaders in Aboriginal communities across Canada. The support of the Miramichi Technology Fund is critical in this phase of our growth, as we ramp up to employ 250 Aboriginal testers over the next two years.”
Upcoming training courses and expansions will be announced in the coming months across Canada. To learn more about PQA or PLATO Testing, visit www.pqatesting.com or www.platotesting.com/about.
For more information, contact:
marketing@pqa.ca or call (506) 455-7725