What & Why upskilling?

What is upskilling?
Learning new skills to get better at the job you already have.

What is reskilling?
Learning different skills so you can move into a new job or career.

Why is this important?
People who upskill and reskill to stay flexible, grow their careers, and seize new opportunities in a changing world.

Why create new solutions?
At the UPSKILL Hackathon, your team gets to spot the gaps in the skills Canadians need to work on, solve them in your own way, and unlock new opportunities that strengthen your community and spark innovation.

What impact can it have on society?
Upskilling and reskilling strengthen society by fueling growth, innovation, and new opportunities for everyone.

Think beyond certificates!


Imagine AR/VR tools, AI platforms, haptics, hardware, apps, smart devices, or any software that helps people learn, grow, and unlock new opportunities.


How will you help Canadian learn about AI, Cybersecurity, Agriculture, Digital Skills, Healthcare, manufacturing and beyond.

The Future of Work starts with you!


#upskillhackCANADA

Find skill gaps in:


Digital Literacy
Cybersecurity
Agriculture
Manufacturing
Clean Tech
Transportation
Smart Cities
Health Care & Life Sciences
Finance
Communication
Trades & Construction
and so much more!

and build a solution that can fill that gap!

Teams can work on any sector based on their expertise.

Helping you WIN!



To help you get ready, we’ve put together 6 weeks of thought-leader interviews and workshops starting in January.


We will explore different Canadian industries, dive into trends in upskilling and reskilling, hear from startup founders, and join hands-on tech and business sessions for beginners to advanced learners.


All sessions are designed to inspire your ideas, boost your hackathon experience and help you WIN!

Prizes! Challenges! People’s Choice Award!

Top Team Winner Prize: 10k Cash
Every team that submits gets swag!
Monthly challenge prizes!
Top Two Teams: Gift cards
People’s Choice Award Winner!

Top 4 Teams will receive flights andaccommodation to Toronto to attend the final presentations, judging day and UPSKILL Hachathon reception!

UPSKILL Hackathon Thought Leaders

Interviews & Workshops Start January 2026! - More speakers coming soon!

Claudette McGowan
CEO, Protexxa

Stergios Anastasiadis
GP, Genesis Ventures

Sarah Wilson
Panache Ventures
Professor in VC
Schulich School of Business

Aashna Kumar
Senior Associate, Vistara Growth

Aashni Shah
Founder and CEO, HypeDocs

Helen Kontozopoulos
Founder, Resiin
Host, UPSKILL Hack
Adjunct Professor,
CMS + CS, University of Toronto

Carole Piovesan
Managing Partner, INQ Law

Laura Yu
Regional Director, MITACS

Danielle Brewin Graham
Co-founder, The Firehood

Nafis Ahmed
Associate Director YSpace, York University

More speakers, mentors, and leaders coming soon :)

FAQs + Eligibility

Eligibility
Open to full-time or part-time students at any Canadian university or college,
and recent graduates (within the past 2 years).

Key Dates
Online learning programming begins: January 13, 2026
Applications open: February 23, 2026
Application close: March 16, 2026
Top 20 Teams are announced and Open Public Voting: March 20 - April 6, 2026
TOP 3 Teams & People’s Choice Winner Announced: April 10, 2026
Final Presentations & Top team Announced: May 9, 2026
UPSKILL Hackathon Reception: May 9, 2026

Application
Application video: As part of your application, submit a short (1-minute) unscripted video where the team introduce themselves, explain their idea, share who it’s for, and why it matters. Submission portals open: February 23, 2026

Prizes
Top prize: $10k Canadian Dollars
2nd and 3rd runner up teams: Gift cards

Peoples Choice Awards!
There will be a special spot for a fourth team, that will be the voted by the public!

Cost
Does it cost anything to apply or participate?
No, applying and participating is entirely free. Resiin also takes no equity from startups.

Can it be based on our current research? or a solution we are creating now?
Yes! Your project can be based on your current research or a new solution you’re creating now—solutions built on research are fantastic.

What happens if I can’t code?
UPSKILL Hackathon is a great place to start and learn. Starting January we will be holding beginner-friendly tech and busienss workshops to help you build your idea.