Colleges in Toronto Give Students Rare Cultural and Educational Experience

Attending college is an exciting experience but it's made even more so for students who choose a Toronto-based post-secondary education. That's because this exciting city offers not only an educational experience but also a cultural one. Toronto is the most populous city in Canada, with 2.6 million residents in total. As such, students may meet and network with a wide range of professionals for all walks of life. Additionally, their education is supplemented by cultural events in the city. For example, if a student is attending an event planning program, he or she may benefit from taking part in the range of cultural festivals that occur in the city throughout the year.

There are principal campuses of four post-secondary colleges in Toronto, as well as the campus of one other Ontario college, scattered across the city in 29 campuses. The first community college to open in Ontario in 1966 also happens to be in Toronto. Known as Centennial College, it has spent the last 47 years transforming itself from a local school to a worldly institution with a presence in several emerging markets, including China, India, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. In fact, as a leader in internationalization, Centennial College has done extensive work teaching international students. Conversely, it is also enabling Canadian learners to have an international adventure by completing a semester in Spain, an internship in South Africa or a Global Citizenship learning experience in the Amazon Basin.

At the core of this college's philosophy is the belief that while students should be prepared to enter the workplace, they should be trained as leaders. As such, Centennial College offers industry-recognized full- and part-time programs at four Toronto campuses. These campuses are all specifically designed to cater to an array of schools of study, including: The School of Business, The School of Transportation, The School of Health and Community Studies, The School of Continuing Education, The School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science, The School of Communications Media and Design; and The School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culture.

To further the philosophy of training leaders, this institution has worked to build lasting partnerships with local communities while preparing graduates to succeed in a global context and to offering students real world experiences. As such, many of the programs within this college include co-op, internship and field placement. While the specifics of these vary (some are paid, others unpaid; some take place just once during a program, others take place throughout the offering; some take place between semesters, others don't), this aspect not only allows students to apply what they have learned, but also to liaise with their superiors and fellow employees to enhance their resume and network of professionals.

As one of the most respected colleges in Toronto, 94 percent of employers hiring Centennial grads have told the college they are satisfied or very satisfied with their hires.