University and College unite Their Differences for Joint Programs

In Canada, there's a cultural perception that a child should be sent to university, that university is the king of post-secondary education, and that everything else is beneath it. The reality is much more complex, though. While it's true that a university education can offer excellent growth to a young mind, it's not automatically going to be the perfect fit for everyone.

You don't need to be reminded that it's a tough job market out there, but it's still important to note than any student seeking higher education should be looking to use it as a way to cut to the front of the line in a job hunt. Regardless of the quality of your education, a degree that isn't oriented towards getting a career, or a program that doesn't provide anything in the way of relevant work experience could leave you in the cold when it comes time for a job search. At the same time, you have to want the education in what you're getting, and university just doesn't fit some students. If you like reading, writing, and mathematics, for example, a Bachelor's Degree Program at a university is for you. Meanwhile, examples of a student who should be college-bound are those who like practical problems or working with their hands. Ideally, then, you need to be combining a degree in something you're passionate about with relevant work experience to both excel in your program, and get that advantage in the employment market.

But too few potential Canadian students really invest time in figuring out which program is right for them, and ignore the potentially-more-fitting college education. Canada has one of the top post-secondary education systems worldwide, and this includes Colleges, which are traditionally good a changing and accommodating for a changing workforce, and meeting their needs.

However, there's a way you can have it both ways. If your future in the job market worries you, but you still want what a university education offers you, a solution may come in the form of a joint program. Offered by several Ontario colleges and universities including Centennial College, these unique programs start a student off at university for a theoretical foundation of knowledge, then send them off to college to learn the practical skills of their career.

Aside from the obvious advantages of two different educational perspectives, there's another very simple, elegant advantage: Two sets of credentials. At the end of a joint program, you have the opportunity to receive both a degree and a diploma, as proof entering the job market that you're a multi-talented individual with a uniquely layered perspective on your career of choice.