Attend a Highly Respected Health and Wellness Program

When considering a Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion program, it is important to take into account its standing within the community. Centennial College’s one-year Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion is the first post-graduate program with a respected national and international reputation.

But just what puts this Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion program in Toronto in such high regard? First and foremost, the offering emphasizes assessing health risk factors, developing stress management plans and strategies and lifestyle coaching. Additionally, it covers program planning, program management, physical health, mental health management, nutrition, health promotion theory, organizational development, environmental health coaching, and research and business skills.

These areas are ones that employees of the field encounter daily and are taught through a combination of lectures and practical application, such as designing promotional materials for mini-fairs and health awareness events. However, the most beneficial real-world training that students of the Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion program are exposed to is a second-semester field placement. During this aspect of the offering, students complete their two-days-a-week placement at the site in which they have been placed. They are expected to integrate and apply theories and skills learned in both semesters of the health and wellness program. Among Centennial College’s Workplace Wellness and Heath Promotion field placement partners are: Heart & Stroke Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society, American Express, Ministry of Labour, Rogers Communication, Toronto District School Board, St. John’s Rehab Hospital, Variety Village and many others. Prior to the field placement, students must obtain an annual clear police check with vulnerable sector screening, successfully complete and annual renew a recognized course in CPR (Health Care Provider level) and successfully complete a recognized course in Standard First Aid.

Thanks to the combination of hands-on and theoretical training, grads of the Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion program are prepared for careers in corporate wellness, community health and promotion and private practice. Among their specific abilities are: assessing wellness needs of individuals, groups, organizations and communities; applying best practices to design, implement, evaluate and manage effective individual and agency intervention strategies and wellness programs to achieve goals mutually determined through consultation; identifying risk factors that influence human behaviour, health and wellness and implement strategies that facilitate personal, organizational culture and community wellness; providing appropriate referral information to assist individuals, groups and organizations; apply research design and methods to workplace wellness and health promotion projects and much more.

Students who are interested in attending Centennial College’s Workplace Wellness and Health Promotion program are required to have completed a college diploma or university degree in any discipline and have the ability to demonstrate English proficiency.

Top 5 Reasons to Attend College Programs

1. Lower tuition
Who doesn't want to save money? By attending college programs, you stand to earn a respected post-secondary credential and keep about half of the money you would have spent on a university tuition in your pocket. That's because on average, fees for two terms of college in a general diploma program are about $2,400. Fees for a general university program are about $4,200. An important step in finding the right college programs is to research tuition as well as how the school may be able to help you financially. For example, at Centennial College, students of certain college programs may be eligible for grants, unemployment insurance during in-school class (in the case of automotive apprenticeship students) as well as student loans. Applying for scholarships and grants once you've been accepted to the college program of your choice is a good place to start saving even more money.

2. Smaller-sized classrooms
Because college programs are facilitated from small-sized classes, students have a better chance at one-on-one time with instructors, peer-to-peer interaction and networking. The set-up of Centennial's college programs encourages students to build relationships with their instructors so that they feel comfortable clarifying any course material with which they may be having trouble. In college programs, students are definitely more than just a number. Additionally, smaller-sized classrooms allow for collaborative work between groups of students that mimics real-world assignments they will encounter once they graduate.

3. Shorter study times
College programs are known for offering students the opportunity to earn a post-secondary credential in a short amount of time. Unlike a university education, which typically takes four years to complete, many college programs run from two to three years. Certain institutions, like Centennial College, also have an option known as "Fast-Track Programs." These college programs are designed for learners who seek shorter, relevant programs that complement their education and experiences. For example, qualified college or university graduates gain direct admission into certain college programs at an advanced level.

4. Hands-on application
While university programs often focus on theory, college programs are far more practical. As such, study time is usually split between theory and practical application through case studies, lab work, projects that imitate assignments they may encounter after students graduate, field trips, real life simulations as well as the use of certain on-campus facilities designed specifically for student use. At Centennial, students of the School Engineering, Technology and Applied Science are housed at Morningside Campus, which is the most technologically advanced of the intuition's four campuses. Here they find various labs that are fully equipped with cutting edge equipment they will find in their field.

5. Real-Life Experience
Many college programs include the opportunity for students to gain real life experience before they graduate. This is usually achieved through a placement with a company where they apply what they have learned, have the opportunity to network and work alongside seasoned professionals. Centennial's college programs have varying field placement experiences that range from paid co-op to unpaid work placement in various settings. A work placement is vital to any resume as employers seek professionals who already have some sort of field experience.

Software Design Program Opens Doors to Various Careers

Did you know that after two years’ worth of software design courses at Centennial College Information Sciences – Bridging to Software Systems Design, graduates are fully prepared to fulfill roles such as: software developer, software tester, game programmer, computer programmer, system analyst, business analyst, web application developer, database administrator, and applications or software support? That’s because computer program/analyst graduates or software engineering graduates from Centennial or from a similar program from another college may be eligible to obtain this four-year Bachelor of Applied Information Sciences in Software System Design in four short semesters.

Applicants must be a three-year computer programmer/analyst diploma holders from an Ontario college, or computer science/information technology/software engineering degree holders from a recognized institution with a GPA of 2.8 or higher. Additionally, English proficiency will be considered and a transcript review may be required.

Once accepted, students attend a range of software design courses that have been fully accredited by the Canadian Information Processing Society(CIPS) and the Canadian Council of Technician and Technologies in a first-of-its-kind-in-Canada joint accreditation. Not only does this accreditation allow students to rest assured that the program is respected but upon graduation they are also eligible to apply for certified membership to either CIPS or their provincial engineering technology association.

Meanwhile, the curriculum of the software design program is centered on covering a number of topics, including three bridging courses (two in mathematics and one in computer architecture during regular semesters). Among other courses are: Design Patterns (students examine the role of design patterns in designing object-oriented software); Business Consulting (provides learners with the ability to identify, explore, develop and evaluate consulting processes and activities that would arise from dealing with multinational corporations with extensive enterprise networks); Cryptography and Information Security (begins with an overview of cryptography and its role in information security; historical techniques of cryptography are studied before modern symmetric encryption techniques such as DES and AES. It then proceeds to cover required mathematical preliminaries including number theory before presenting public-key techniques such as the RSA algorithm, the ElGamal Cryptosystem and Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange); and more.

In addition, software design program in Toronto students benefit from three different Software Development Projects that are designed to mimic real-word tasks. These three projects see students developing and/or implementing a software systems design project that meets stated business objectives for an organization in a specific vertical market such as: health services, insurance, real estate, banking, heavy manufacturing, retail, transportation, and government; working in teams to design and implement a complete application for a small company employing use of enterprise tools to build enterprise-level data integration and provide view of all business data; and designing and implementing a complete application for a real business by applying agile software development techniques, such as Test Driven Design.

Nursing Programs For Anyone

At Centennial College, nursing programs are offered in four distinct sections that are geared towards various applicants. These sections are: diploma programs, degree programs, certificate programs and graduate certificate programs. Depending on an applicant’s previous educational background and career goals, one of these programs will be best suited for him or her. One thing, however, that all of Centennial College’s nursing programs have in common is the fact that they recognize that today nurses do a lot more than just offer bedside care. Instead, these professionals assess, plan, implement and evaluate care.

In the diploma program section are options such as Practical Nursing - Flex and Practical Nursing for Internationally Educated Nurses. The first is facilitated in a six semester, maximum three-days-per-week format to allow students the flexibility they need to meet personal and other commitments while offering a curriculum based on the College of Nurses of Ontario practice standards and guidelines. Meanwhile, the nursing program for Internationally Educated Nurses is completed in three semesters, which includes 15 weeks of consolidation experience. The program focuses on assisting students to develop their knowledge, critical thinking, communication, research and leadership skills, and to apply these skills in acute healthcare settings.

In the degree nursing programs category is Nursing (BScN). It is offered in partnership with Ryerson University, Centennial College and George Brown College. Students complete their first two years at Centennial and the final two years at Ryerson. Faculty is from both college and university. The curriculum has five themes: primary healthcare/ health promotion; reflective practice/critical thinking; meaningful relationships/ caring/ communication; political/ social justice; and personal/professional development.

Certificate nursing programs are actually indirectly involved in nursing practice. They are Health Foundations (an academic pathway for English-as-a-Second-Language students who wish to continue post-secondary education into college health programs in which English fluency is a professional requirement for safe practice); and Personal Support Worker (training gives students the flexibility to adapt to a variety of settings, such as in the home, schools, community residential facilities, nursing homes or chronic care facilities).

Lastly, three Centennial College nursing programs fall under the Graduate Certificate program category. RPN Bridging to University is an academic pathway offered to assist registered practical nurses (RPNS) bridge to BScN in approximately three year and RPN Bridging to University – Flexible offers the same credential as the non-flexible option and covers topics such as ethics and professional practice, health assessment, skill mastery and caring for clients with acute and chronic illness and provides the foundation for nursing practice. Finally, there is the Bridging to University Nursing for Internationally Educated Nurses program, which is exactly the same as the previously mentioned Graduate Certificate programs with full support of the needs of adult and English-as-a-second-language students.

Esthetics College Program Teaches Know-How for Blooming Industry

Today’s rapidly flourishing health and wellness service industry is keeping those who have attended an esthetics college program in high demand. And students of Centennial College’s Esthetician offering graduate in two years with an Ontario College Diploma and an extensive list of abilities that include: the know-how to provide the entire range of professional services offered in today’s spas (including but not limited to waxing and body treatments, pedicures and manicures, facials and anti-aging procedures); proper use of specialized equipment and products; the ability to adhere to health, safety, sanitation and infection prevention control guidelines, according to current legislation and national, provincial, municipal and industry standards and regulations; how to apply knowledge of business operations, exceptional customer service and diverse population needs to daily operations of an esthetic business in a controlled salon or spa environment; the skills required to successfully run a private business; and more. This range of skills allows esthetics college program grads of this institution to work in a variety of settings that include: spas, salons, health clinics, cruise ships, skin care companies and other such outlets.

To apply for this esthetics college program, students are required to present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Also required is compulsory English 12C or U, or skills assessment, or equivalent. After admission but prior to each program field placement students are required to: have an annual clear police check with vulnerable sector screening; successfully complete and annually renew a recognized course in CPR (Health Care Provider level); successfully complete a recognized course in Standard First Aid; and have their pre-clearance health form completed by a physician or nurse practitioner stating that they meet the health requirements of legislated acts, ministry guidelines and agency policies.  

Based out of Centennial College’s most high-tech location, Morningside Campus, this esthetics college program give students the advantage of training in fully equipped lab settings that simulate the real world. As such, the esthetician lab facilities are filled with cutting-edge equipment that is common in today’s wellness and medical spas. This is advantageous as students tackle topics such as: skin care practices, manicures and pedicures, spa health and safety, waxing and hair removal, anatomy, physiology, product knowledge, makeup, sales techniques, business practice and much more.

The on-campus training (including three Esthetics Clinic courses) culminates in a fourth semester esthetics college practicum that sees students work in highly respected esthetics establishments alongside seasoned professionals. During their field placements, students work with real customers (under the supervision of their instructors), learning the ins and outs of the industry; network, and apply what they have learned in their Esthetics college program.