Professional Quality Assurance Ltd. (PQA) and PLATO Testing (PLATO) have entered into a funding agreement with FedNor to continue to develop their software testing lab in Sault Ste. Marie, the traditional territory of the Anishnaabeg. A primary focus of the lab is to provide software testing for lottery and gaming clients, creating a Centre of Excellence in software testing at the heart of Canada’s lottery and gaming industry.

Fredericton, NB – June 12th, 2019 | Yesterday, Susan Holt, VP of Strategy and Communications of PLATO Testing was named the winner of the Fredericton Canadian Export Challenge Pitch Competition. Holt won $2,500 and an all-expense paid trip to Toronto where she will compete head-to-head against six regional finalists for the grand prize of $25,000 and up to $100,000 in in-kind scaling support.

Written by Kevin Jerome, Quality Assurance Analyst​

Hi my name is Kevin. I’ve been a tester with PLATO Testing for three years. In that time, I’ve found some tools that were very helpful to me starting out as a tester, that I wish I had known about sooner.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REGINA, SK (April 2, 2019) – FHQ Developments and PQA announced the official launch of PLATO Sask Testing, an Indigenous-owned-and-led tech company that will become the only dedicated software testing company in Saskatchewan.

In a follow-up report to a feature this fall on the plan to expand PLATO Testing’s Canada-wide Indigenous testing team to Sault Ste. Marie, CTV News Northern Ontario visits PLATO’s Software Tester training course that just got underway at Sault College this month. In partnership with Sault College, the course is 4-months of training followed by a 2-month paid internship with a full-time job offer at PLATO Testing in Sault Ste. Marie upon successful completion.

CTV Northern Ontario’s report featuring PLATO Testing and their plan to begin a software tester training course in Sault Ste. Marie this fall in partnership with UP Lottery and Gaming. This will help to bolster the lottery and gaming centre in Sault Ste. Marie and continue to expand PLATO Testing’s Canadian-wide Indigenous testing team. PLATO is looking to enrol 15 students in the upcoming course in Sault Ste. Marie and each successful graduate will be offered full-time employment working in Sault Ste. Marie in 2019.

Miziwe Biik is delivering a 4 month program in partnership with PLATO (Professional Aboriginal Testing Organization) and PQA (Professional Quality Assurance). PLATO and PQA are Canada’s leading independent solution providers of quality assurance and software testing services.

From PLATO Testing Headquarters

Exploring and dealing with a range of topics from health and art to renewable energy and technological innovation, The Walrus Talks is a series of events that takes place throughout Canada to understand the country’s place in the world.

Written by Denis Carignan, President of PLATO Testing

On July 1, 2017, Canada celebrated its 150th birthday. We, as a country, looked back on 150 years of history and culture and, together, acknowledged and celebrated the accomplishments that we worked hard for and achieved.

Written by JOYITA SENGUPTA, The Globe and Mail

Shawnee Polchis-Lanteigne went from working at a call centre in New Brunswick to a job in information technology. The career transition was made possible through a training program that helps Indigenous people get vital skills as software testers with a guaranteed job offer at the end.

“Aboriginal people have a keen eye for differences and that’s very key for software testing because you need to find things that the average Joe wouldn’t find,” said Ms. Polchis-Lanteigne, who heard of the training opportunity that lead to her new job through her aunt.

Interviews by Paula Iriola

Only one year ago, PLATO Testing was launched with the vision of building a team of Aboriginal software testers across Canada backed by PQA Testing’s 20 years of expertise and experience.  Since then, PLATO Testing has graduated over 50 Aboriginal people through the Software Tester Training Program, and now employs Aboriginal software testers from coast to coast.

WRITTEN BY ABORIGINAL BUSINESS MATCH

When the team at PLATO Testing decided to attend The Aboriginal Business Match (ABM), the biggest unknown was time. The idea of preparing for 31 pre-scheduled appointments in the span of 2.5 days sounded taxing, recalls Jarett Nickerson, Director of Sales and Marketing at PLATO Testing.

FROM PLATO TESTING HEADQUARTERS

VANCOUVER, BC – PLATO Testing is proud to announce the first Aboriginal Software Tester Training Course in British Columbia launched on October 3rd in Vancouver, BC.  This is in partnership with PQA Testing and the Native Education College (NEC).  In attendance was PLATO Testing President Denis Carignan, as well as PQA Testing Co-CEO Christin Wiedemann. 

Written by Josh Augustine and Charla Joseph

The first day, our nerves were shot. We had never had an internship, nor had we worked at a company the size of Medavie. On the commute up, I remember thinking to myself, “I’ll probably be in a back room with a couple other IT personnel.” Boy, was I wrong.

Written by Joint Economic Development Initiative

FREDERICTON, NB - Megan Ginnish, of Esgenoopetitj First Nation, is a committed, outgoing, and hardworking individual. She is always willing to take on the unexpected challenges that work and life bring her.

From PLATO Testing Headquarters

FREDERICTON, NB - PLATO Testing today announced the joining of Denis Carignan as President of the ProfessionaL Aboriginal Testing Organization (PLATO Testing) team.  Denis joins the team with years of experience in the public service working with Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

Written by David Bartlett, CBC News  

MIRAMICHI, NB - A company that hopes to eventually train hundreds of Aboriginal people to become software testers has opened a new office in Miramichi.

The Professional Aboriginal Testing Organization — or PLATO — is a sister company of the Fredericton-based software company Professional Quality Assurance (PQA).

The Miramichi office will be the third software-testing site in New Brunswick and the sixth across Canada for the company.

Written by Huddle Staff, Huddle Today

MIRAMICHI, NB - PQA Testing announced today the grand opening of their PLATO Testing office in Miramichi and $250,000 worth of funding from the Frank McKenna Miramichi Technology Fund.

The announcement was made at the grand opening of the new Miramichi office. PQA and PLATO founder Keith McIntosh says the location was chosen because it is central for a number of Aboriginal communities.

From the Office of the Premier

FREDERICTON, NB - A total of 145 new jobs in the information technology (IT) sector will be created with the establishment and expansion of a new Aboriginal software testing company, Premier Brian Gallant announced today.

Written by Cara Smith, Huddle Today

FREDERICTON, NB - Keith McIntosh has a vision for software testing in New Brunswick.

The co-CEO of Professional Quality Assurance Ltd. (PQA Testing) is helping to both localize software testing to the province and provide aboriginal communities with training and employment opportunities.