Continuing Education: Where Life Commitments and School Meet

If you have ever considered advancing your education in order to take your career to the next level or entering an altogether new career, there is no time like the present to do so. The best part is that through Continuing Education options, you don't have to neglect your life responsibilities to complete your training. In collaboration with a college or university, a Continuing Education School is a place for adult learners to attend programs on a part-time basis — either by attending school on evenings and weekends or through Distance Learning correspondence.

One Canadian post-secondary institution that offers Continuing Education options is Centennial College, which is located in Toronto, Ont. Each year, this School of learning trains more than 22,000 learners in 140 programs with more than 1,300 courses and discussion-oriented classes that have resulted in a 97 per cent learner satisfaction rate.

The first option in Centennial College's Continuing Education School is to attend on-campus programs. This option is ideal for learners who wish to experience the classroom feel of a program, which may include partaking in projects, case studies, co-op features, field trips and more. In addition, the Continuing Education school at Centennial College provides experienced instructors who understand adult learning needs, offering flexible, learner-centered teaching methodologies; provides practical hands-on knowledge to place relevant theory into context and perspective; recognizes and respects both the level of maturity and work experience of its students; provides effective instructor to student ratio and an optimal classroom size enabling competent peer interaction. This on-campus Continuing Education option allow students to enter areas of interest such as: Accounting, Business, Computers and Information Technology, Early Childhood Education, Fitness, Media and Design, Transportation and more.

Alternatively, independent learners who may not have the time to devote to coming to campus have two options. They may either take on Distance Learning or Print Based Courses. The first option was designed with flexibility in mind and enables Continuing Education students to work through course material and assignments in their own time and space, with 24-hour access to the online classroom. Online course delivery saves travel time, while still offering similar in-person benefits of a physical classroom such as: a qualified and industry-experienced instructor, communication tools, discussion boards and forums, a sense of email access with your classmates, digital assignment capability, and more. The Print Based Courses, meanwhile, offer students the ability to work at their own pace, typically within a six-month time frame. Print-based courses are best suited to students who work independently with minimal supervision. In most cases, both delivery methods (online and PB) require that students attend the campus towards the end of their class to write a final exam.

All programs facilitated through the Continuing Education school have their own prerequisites and it's best to check each individual program's page to ensure that students have the necessary requirements to apply.

Continuing Education - An Option for a Diverse Range of People

Today, the term continuing education can be applied to a variety of situations and a variety of people. Those who are returning to school after having completed high school and taking a break from school are considered continuing education students. Professionals who are experts in their field but are looking to upgrade their skills to keep up with technology may benefit from continuing education. Students who wish to study remotely or on-campus during evenings are considered part of the continuing education umbrella.

Centennial College's School of Continuing Education caters to all of these students (nearly 22,000 of them every year) through its 160 programs that feature 1,200 courses and a 97 per cent learner satisfaction. At Centennial College, continuing education study options include part-time, evening, weekend, online and alternative format courses — all of which are designed to help students improve their skills, further their education and pursue a variety of interests.

For example, one popular continuing education method is Distance Learning, which is offered in an online learning format that is instructor-led but allows students to complete course material and assignments in their own time and space, with 24- hour access to the online classroom. Another option is Print Based Courses. For this continuing education method, correspondence or print based courses (PB) offer students the ability to work at their own paces, typically within a six-month time frame. Print-based courses are best suited for students who work independently with minimal supervision. In most cases, both delivery methods (online & PB) require students to attend the campus towards the end of their class to write a continuing education final exam.

The more traditional way of attending Centennial College's School of Continuing Education is to attend class on-campus during the evenings on a part-time basis. This option is for students who enjoy learning face-to-face with their instructor, interacting with peers, partaking in group and class projects or require a more hands-on approach.

Whichever continuing education option they choose, Centennial College students are all: provided with experienced instructors who understand adult learning needs and offer flexible, learner-centered teaching methodologies; gain knowledge to place relevant theory into context and perspective; learn in a mature environment where and work experience is considered; and more. Among the specific continuing education areas of study are: Addiction Studies, Business, Computers and Information Technology, Early Childhood Education, Engineering Technology, Food Service Worker, Media and Design, Part-time Health Studies, Retirement Communities Management/Long Term Care Management, Transportation, and more.

All programs facilitated through the Continuing Education school have their own prerequisites and it's best to check each individual program's page to ensure that students have the necessary requirements to apply. It should also be noted that within certain programs there might be qualification requirements and costs for external accreditations, designations, certifications or recognitions. These are set by the granting bodies and not by Centennial College. In order to qualify for any of those external accreditations, designations, certification or recognition, students and graduates will need to follow the processes and meet the applicable requirements listed on the websites and materials of those external bodies.

Continuing Education - An Option for Busy Professionals

Whether your goal is to change careers, update your existing skills or augment new skills to launch a new career path, continuing education has a course or program that will help you to reach your goals. This learning option often involves enrollment in post-secondary, credit-granting courses by part-time students, and is often offered through a division or school of continuing education of a college. As the term suggests, it is assumed that the student already has an education and is simply continuing it.

At Centennial College in Toronto, Ont. students have a few continuing education options thanks to the institution's School of Continuing Education. These options include: part-time, evening, weekend, online and alternative format courses — all of which are designed to help students improve their skills, further their education and pursue a variety of interests. In addition, Centennial College's continuing education options: provide experienced instructors who understand adult learning needs and offer flexible, learner-centered teaching methodologies; provide practical hands-on knowledge to place relevant theory into context and perspective; recognize and respect both the level of maturity and work experience of students; and provide effective instructor to student ratio and an optimal classroom size enabling competent peer interaction. As a result, the school's Continuing Education school sees nearly 22,000 learners each year in 160 programs that feature more than 1,200 courses and a 97 per cent learner satisfaction.

All programs facilitated through the continuing education school have their own prerequisites and it's best to check each individual program's page to ensure that students have the necessary requirements to apply. It should also be noted that within certain programs there might be qualification requirements and costs for external accreditations, designations, certifications or recognitions. These are set by the granting bodies and not by Centennial College. In order to qualify for any of those external accreditations, designations, certification or recognition, students and graduates will need to follow the processes and meet the applicable requirements listed on the websites and materials of those external bodies. Among the continuing education areas of study are: Addiction Studies, Business, Computers and Information Technology, Early Childhood Education, Engineering Technology, Food Service Worker, Media and Design, Part-time Health Studies, Retirement Communities Management/Long Term Care Management, Transportation, and more.

Two other Continuing Education School options are Distance Learning and Print Based Courses. First, Distance Learning programs and courses are offered in an online learning format that is instructor-led but allows students to complete course material and assignments in their own time and space, with 24- hour access to the online classroom. Meanwhile, correspondence or print based courses (PB) are also available offering students the ability to work at their own pace within typically a six-month time frame. Print-based courses are best suited to students who work independently with minimal supervision. In most cases both delivery methods (online & PB) require that students attend the campus towards the end of their class to write a continuing education final exam.

Continuing Education — A Way to Look to the Future

It is often said that education is the key to success. In the past, those who could not attend post-secondary school for a variety of reasons didn't have many options. That is until Continuing Education programs became popular and opened up doors. Today, continuing education is similar to adult education, at least in being intended for adult learners. However, it is not normally considered to include basic instruction such as literacy, English language skills or programs such as vocational training or GED preparation. Instead, as the term suggests, it is assumed that the student already has an education and is simply continuing it. In Canada, continuing education involves enrollment in college/university credit-granting courses, often by students enrolled part-time.

One such Canadian institution to offer a Continuing Education option is Centennial College, which has nearly 22,000 learners each year in 160 programs that feature more than 1,200 courses and a 97 per cent learner satisfaction. This school's programs are designed to help students improve their skills, further their education, pursue a variety of interests and enable them to embrace new possibilities. In addition, the Continuing Education school at Centennial College provides experienced instructors who understand adult learning needs, offering flexible, learner-centered teaching methodologies; provides practical hands-on knowledge to place relevant theory into context and perspective; recognizes and respects both the level of maturity and work experience of its students; provides effective instructor to student ratio and an optimal classroom size enabling competent peer interaction.

Areas of Continuing Education study include: Addiction Studies, Business, Computers and Information Technology, Early Childhood Education, Engineering Technology, Food Service Worker, Media and Design, Part-time Health Studies, Retirement Communities Management/Long Term Care Management, Transportation, and more.

All programs facilitated through the continuing education school have their own prerequisites and it's best to check each individual program's page to ensure that students have the necessary requirements to apply. It should also be noted that within certain programs there might be qualification requirements and costs for external accreditations, designations, certifications or recognitions. These are set by the granting bodies and not by Centennial College. In order to qualify for any of those external accreditations, designations, certification or recognition, students and graduates will need to follow the processes and meet the applicable requirements listed on the websites and materials of those external bodies.

In addition, those students who can't make it to campus but wish to attend the Continuing Education School can choose the Distance Learning option, which is conducted entirely online. This study option still allows students to enjoy similar in-person benefits of a physical classroom such as: a qualified and industry-experienced instructor, communication tools, discussion boards and forums, a sense of email access with their classmates, digital assignment capability, and more.