Fredericton’s PLATO Testing, an indigenous-led IT services and training company, has bought Saskatchewan-based Information Technology Consultants, or ITC, with the aim of expanding its presence in the prairie provinces.

Founded 25 years ago and already active in Saskatchewan, PLATO and sister company PQA Testing use a “train-and-employ” business model. The PLATO branding was introduced in 2015, and both companies recruit First Nations students for an eight-month course on the fundamentals of software testing, then hire them to test software for Plato and PQA’s clients.

ITC, meanwhile, sells a full slate of IT services, including project management, business analysis, infrastructure, architecture, IT planning and management consulting.

“ITC has been a leader in the IT consulting field in Saskatchewan for more than eight years now, and we are pleased to be joining forces to continue providing IT services to clients in the province,” said PLATO CEO Keith McIntosh in a press release.

“As PLATO eyes an expansion of our service offerings beyond software testing, we’re grateful to have the extensive knowledge and experience of the ITC team.”

PLATO’s “train-and-employ” model is also included in the Saskatchewan government’s plan to triple the growth rate of the province’s technology sector by 2030.

In the press release, PLATO said the acquisition comes as it looks to court strategic investors from indigenous communities.

A year ago, the company received a $500,000 investment from Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, which it used to expand its employee pool.

The software testing business is worth an annual $6 billion to $7 billion globally. Software makers test their products repeatedly and on a range of devices to prevent glitches — particularly for enterprise software like that used by banks and large retailers, creating widespread demand for the services of businesses like PLATO.