When complete, the Matawa First Nations will have access to healthcare, mental health and other medical and health services from remote hospitals and medical specialists. Access to education will be available from colleges and universities anywhere in the world. The Matawa First Nations communities can be connected to the Matawa First Nations Healthcare Co-operative, the Matawa Education and Care Centre, and training and certification programs from KKETS, the training and jobs placement program supported by Matawa First Nations Management.
Subscribers to the network will be able to access online marketplaces to buy and sell products and services, as well as to access opportunities to work from home for remote employers. They’ll be able to browse the internet, stream video entertainment, news, sports and music, make video calls at no cost, play online games, and access thousands of other applications and services of nearly every imaginable kind that will be available to connected Matawa First Nations.
The project will have a huge social impact transforming communities and the lives of the Peoples living in them.
Connectivity, Communication, Sharing
Telemedicine, Remote Diagnostics, Connected Nursing Stations, Digitized Patient Records, Real-Time Consultations
Distance Education
GPS Technology, Mapping
Banking, Bills, Shopping
Access to the Global Workforce, Modernization and Expansion of Existing
Business, New Enterprises, Diversification of Economy
Donations, funding, fundraising
Entertainment
Access to the Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Cloud Storage
Jobs in Network Technology and Software Application Development
What Can We Do to Be Prepared?
On the ground jobs to run the network:
Typical broadband system positions include: engineering, customer support, order management, service installation and field support, fibre installation and splicing, facilities management, network monitoring and security monitoring.
From a business perspective:
- Technology consulting (advising businesses on how they can use technology to help them work more efficiently and make more money)
- Project management (making sure that IT projects are completed on time and in budget)
- Technical sales (selling hardware or software to businesses or individuals)
From an educational perspective:
To be prepared to embrace the new technologies that will be availabe, Matawa Peoples’ are encouraged to consider completing their educaiton in some of the following areas (not limited to the educational institutions that have been listed):
- Computer Science | Lakehead University which can lead to positions such as Computer Support Specialist, Network Administrator, Computer Systems Analyst, Helpdesk Analyst, Database Administrator, Network Architect, Information Security Analyst, Computer and Information Systemss Manager, etc.
The following skills and personal qualities will help you get ahead in an IT career:
- Maths ability (for technical roles). A lot of IT is about maths, particularly if you want a technical role. If you want to get into a top-ranked university to study computer science you’ll typically need maths A level (though that’s not always the case at lower-ranked universities). Entry requirements for IT higher apprenticeships or degree apprenticeships often include having an A level in maths, science or computing. Find out more about the subjects you should study for a career in IT here.
- Attention to detail. In technical roles, mistakes in your code will lead to problems. In business-focused roles, an email to a client that is littered with typos will do likewise.
- Willingness to keep learning throughout your career. Technology isn’t going to stop evolving, so you’ll need to keep learning even once your formal qualifications are far behind you.
- Passion for technology. Being genuinely interested in IT will help you to get hired and to make a good impression in the workplace. It will also give you the motivation you need to seek out new opportunities, keep learning and drive your career forward.
- Good communication and teamworking skills. Even if your job is very technical it’s unlikely that you’ll be the only person working on a project – you’ll need to work in a team with colleagues. Many IT jobs also involve lots of interaction outside the immediate team, for example with colleagues in other parts of the business and with clients or customers.