Students interested in machine learning now have even more options to apply their learning in the entrepreneurship realm with a new partnership between Innovation York and the School of Continuing Studies at York University. The Certificate in Machine Learning‘s new entrepreneurship stream will provide students the opportunity to gain support for their existing or planned machine learning startups in the final course of the program.
As Canada’s only dedicated Certificate in Machine Learning, the eight-month, part-time program offers students the opportunity to learn and apply data science skills through a series of on-campus classes and online learning, with the option to participate in either an employment or entrepreneurship stream. Armed with the power to shape their learning experience through the development of their own venture, students interested in the certificate’s entrepreneurship stream can benefit greatly from this unique opportunity.
As most know, the life of an entrepreneur can be a lonely one, with little direction and support for those who need it most. This new program stream aims to break that cycle with experiential learning, customized support and access to critical funding.
Those who select the entrepreneurship stream will be able to use Innovation York’s entrepreneurial offerings to help build, grow and eventually scale their machine learning startups. Students will have access to customized mentorship through the LaunchYU Coaching program and the ability to apply for incubator space at YSpace or IBM-MCC, and they will be granted an interview in the LaunchYU Experience or LaunchYU Accelerator programs, with access to up to $55,000 in awards.
“Supporting entrepreneurship across campus is so important if we are going to help support the development of the entrepreneurial mindset in our students,” says Sarah Howe, director of Innovation York. “The partnership between Innovation York and the School of Continuing Studies is a great example of how we’re trying to do this – we’re really looking forward to seeing the great machine learning ventures coming out of this program and how we can help them with our mentorship, incubator and accelerator programs.”
The new stream has the ability to amplify its impact in the artificial intelligence industry by encouraging and supporting those with machine learning ventures to make an impact in areas like finance, health care, manufacturing and environmental sustainability. With the machine learning job market expected to grow by almost 60 per cent in the next few years and the recent growth of more than 900 per cent in the GTA alone, participants who successfully bring their startups to market can reap significant rewards.
There is a paradigm shift in both learning and teaching, and traditional classroom approaches are making way for experiential and unconventional learning. The certificate’s entrepreneurship stream aims to support this shift because students lead their own learning as they embark on their unique entrepreneurial journeys.
“Since its launch last year, the Certificate in Machine Learning has been giving budding data scientists a platform to build the skills that are critical in helping organizations make strong data-driven decisions,” said Sean Woodhead, program manager, Certificate in Machine Learning. “This new entrepreneurship stream will empower our students to shape their futures in machine learning, supporting them with many of the resources one needs, but seldom finds, to launch and grow their successful venture.”
To learn more about the Certificate in Machine Learning and the new entrepreneurship stream, visit continue.yorku.ca/certificates/certificate-in-machine-learning.