Office Administration Training Results in Support Positions for Upper-Level Management

“From the students who participate in the executive work placement program to the employees we have hired through the school, we are proud to be associated with Centennial College’s Office Administration program” says David Lipton, president of SQM.

This positive testimonial is proof of the respect the industry has for Centennial College students who are training to become office administrators. The best part is that the program, which takes two years to complete, only requires applicants to complete an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older; and have the English 12C or U credit or a skills assessment or equivalent.

If you have an interest in this field and these credentials, you are able to apply. Please note that being able to meet minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission into the Office Administration — Executive program (as it is officially known).

Once students are accepted, they begin training to become office administrator who works in upper-level management. Other titles in this field include: Administrative Assistant, Administrative Support Officer, Senior Secretary, and Executive Secretary.


Emphasis of this program is placed on developing document production, note-taking and related computer skills. Students also concentrate on client service, communication, time management and supervisory skills. Faculty members with experience in the business world lead these future office administrators. Specific course within the undertaking include: Introduction to Word Processing (designed to provide participants with the basic skills to operate and utilize word processing software in order to produce basic business documents. Emphasis will also be placed on building communication and critical thinking skills, and on progressively increasing keyboarding proficiency to produce business documents with speed and accuracy); Integrated Software Applications (provides learners with the skills required to use a variety of software applications in the production of business documents and presentations. This involves the integration of word processing, spreadsheet, database and presentation software to share, embed, and link data between applications); Procedures for Managing Projects (provides realistic, practical, and meaningful experiences to strengthen students’ administrative skills and knowledge of executive office procedures); and more.

To round out classroom training, students take part in field placement during their last semester. During this time, students work in a variety of settings alongside professionals who can help to instill more knowledge and skills in them. In addition, students also have the opportunity to apply all that they have learned in the program.

To earn a graduation the students must achieve a minimum C grade average and an overall minimum GPA of 2.0 as well as a minimum keyboarding speed of 40 words per minute. Once students complete their studies, they have two options – Firstly, qualified graduates may be eligible to participate in an articulated program with selected universities, institutes and professional associations. These partnerships allow graduates to apply academic credit towards further study and include: Algoma University, Athabasca University, Davenport University and University of New Brunswick – Or they can directly enter the workforce.