Article content continued

“Something that’s a going thing in the tech sector, not just in Saskatoon, but across North America really, is that there’s a major gap between the supply of tech talent and the demand for tech talent,” he said. “So being a developer, a programmer, an engineer in the tech sector is an incredibly high-demand skill right now.”

He said there’s not enough output from universities or other institutions such as Lighthouse Labs or polytechs to keep up with the demand for talent for growing companies.

The event is an introductory opportunity for people to see what it’s like to code and get their feet wet, to see if it’s something they’re interested in, Wolsfeld added.

Lighthouse Labs’ initiative also got positive attention nationally, and for Innovation Place, the HTML 150 event in Saskatoon presents an opportunity to showcase the local tech sector.

“We have a really bustling, growing, exciting tech sector in the city. And as is common sometimes with things in the Prairies, it sometimes doesn’t get heard about in the major centres like Toronto, Vancouver, Waterloo, where there are established tech scenes,” he said.

“The opportunity for us to partner with national organizations, groups like Lighthouse Labs, and sort of spread the word of the exciting stuff going on in the city, we think is a great opportunity to shine some light on the tech sector here.”

Event manager Amy Mansell said previous HTML 500 events in four cities sparked interest from other parts of the country. The lottery for the 150 sports attracted 100 people almost immediately after the Saskatoon event was announced, she said. More than 200 people ultimately signed up for the selection lottery; the participants have now been selected.