Ryan Joe and Keith Joe (left to right)
When brothers Keith and Ryan Joe enrolled themselves into the Software Testing training course offered by JEDI in collaboration with PQA Testing and CCNB, they never imagined the career path to follow would be so fulfilling.
After successful program completion, students are guaranteed full-time employment with the ProfessionaL Aboriginal Testing Organization (PLATO). Keith Joe says that this is exactly what attracted him to the program.
Keith has been with the PLATO team for over two years now and is currently positioned as the Team Lead at the Miramichi location. His brother Ryan has been with the organization for over a year now following the recommendation of his brother to apply for the training program.
When asked about the best part of working with each other, Ryan says that it’s “getting to see a familiar face and having good laughs.” Keith adds that he enjoys working with his brother because they both “bring a different perspective to the table.” Prior to working at PLATO the pair rarely had the chance to see one another as they both lived in different communities – working in Miramichi together has strengthened their relationship.
When asked what their favourite part of software testing is, Ryan says that he “loves finding defects” and Keith adds that he loves that “everyone here helps each other, we’re like one big family.”
“I would definitely recommend PLATO testing to anyone wanting a career in the Information Technology (IT) industry,” says Keith. “It’s a great entry level position with lots of room for advancement. I would recommend PLATO to others as the environment is very friendly.”
“Without organizations like PLATO and JEDI, that aim at helping Indigenous peoples integrate themselves into the workplace, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” says Ryan.
PLATO, the sister company to PQA Testing, is a network of Indigenous software testers from across Canada. It was created with the intent of addressing the technology talent shortage in Canada whilst providing Indigenous peoples with the skills to immerse themselves in the testing industry.
Both brothers have worked on interesting projects, such as testing for a Canadian integrated energy company and a web-based project for the Saskatchewan government. Keith and Ryan encourage all Indigenous people interested in testing to apply to take the software testing program given the vast opportunities that are available following course completion.