Speedy Entry Ensured into Workforce through Centennial College's Financial Training

“It has courses such as mutual funds, your basic math and English courses and your introduction to financial services, which is really, really helpful because today it’s such a high in-demand job,” says Zara Kareshi a student of the financial training undertaking (officially known as Financial Service Fundamentals) at Toronto’s Centennial College. “What I like about the program is that financial services is not only interesting because it talks about the economy and what finance is actually like but also because it’s practical. These days you can work up towards a designation. It’s such a broad field you can get into anything in finance just by studying financial services.”

Zara gives excellent insight from a student perspective on the benefits of the financial services training at Centennial College. Let’s take a closer look at specific details. First and foremost, to apply, students must have completed a minimum of an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. In addition, students must have the compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent and Math 11C, M or U, or 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent. Students will be placed in the appropriate English and math levels based on skills assessment results. This may lead to additional courses and require extra time and fees.

Taking one year to complete, the financial training courses offered within the program are designed to get students into the field quickly. To ensure that students are qualified, Centennial College employs experienced faculty members who are professionals in the industry. These professors lead financial training courses such as: Financial Accounting (introduces simple tools to allow students to analyze financial information and explain the information contained in the financial statements in their future roles as managers, investors, or other users of financial accounting information); Credit and Collections (topics include consumer lending, mortgage lending and financial statement analysis affecting particularly consumer loans and mortgage applications); Professional Selling (emphasis is placed on pre-selling activities, techniques and procedures to use during the sales interaction and post sales activity); and more. In addition, students in the financial training program have the opportunity to take a course leading to a license to sell mutual funds. (This will incur costs in addition to regular tuition).

Graduates of the financial training at Centennial College. First, they may continue their education into the two-year financial training program where in one additional year they can enhance their qualifications. This enables them to pursue lucrative careers in the broader financial services industry. The other option is to enter the financial services sector. “Many people end up working for banks and some people work for mutual fund companies selling mutual funds or advising on mutual funds to the general public. I am confident that in eight months, if you pass the exams, if you meet the standard, there are jobs available,” says Harvey Willows, a professor in the financial training program.

Only Two Semesters are needed to Complete Heritage Management Courses

Did you know that Centennial College has heritage management courses in its Culture and Heritage Site Management program that will prepare you with the skills you need to establish long-lasting careers in culture and heritage site management? In just two semesters, if you have already obtained a college diploma or university degree in any discipline, you can graduate from these heritage management courses with an Ontario College Graduate Certificate. In addition to having a previous diploma or degree, applicants to this offering must submit a resume with relevant work experience may be. The Culture and Heritage Site Management program will consider applicants with partial post secondary education and relevant work experience in the field.

Students who are accepted into Centennial College’s culture courses and heritage management courses are engaged in practical management courses as well as industry-based subjects relevant to this largely publicly run or not-for-profit culture and heritage sector. The offering also pursues an in-depth exploration of issues and cases pertinent to current challenges confronting cultural and heritage organizations at home and abroad.

Specific culture and heritage management courses include: Issues in Heritage, Museums and Galleries (provides a framework for learners to engage with some of the current key challenges and trends confronting the culture and heritage sector practitioner. The relationship between sites and individuals; public participation in heritage; museum and gallery processes and activities; sustainability; political dimensions associated with heritage tourism; the drivers of construction and presentation of how visitors consume heritage and culture is examined through essays, guest speakers and site visits); Financial Management and Planning for Culture and Heritage (introduces the aspiring culture and heritage sector practitioner to the bookkeeping, accounting and financial principles underlying sound management decision making in sector organizations); Culture and Heritage Management Essentials (theory and practice facilitates the development of the basic skill set required by the generalist practitioner administering the day-to-day operations of the gamut of sector establishments and venues); and many others.

During their time attending culture course and heritage management courses, students are based at the Progress Campus location, which is home to all of the School of Tourism and Hospitality’s programs. As such students have many opportunities to network and socialize with peers from similar programs and use hospitality and tourism facilities to their advantage.

Centennial College has built partnerships with local, regional, provincial and national institutions and establishments that accept students for a two-day-per-week, 15-week field placement during the second semester. This is an opportunity for students attending Centennial College’s culture courses and heritage management courses to apply what they have learned as well as learn from industry professionals currently practicing their art

Upon completion of the culture courses and heritage management courses at Centennial College, students go on to work at one of Canada’s 2,500 museums and related institutions that include not-for-profit museums, art galleries, science centres, aquaria, archives, sports halls-of-fame, artist-run centres, zoos, and heritage sites. Annually, these places attract more than 59 million visitors. A further 60 million visit Canada’s historic sites and natural parks. These types of establishments and facilities require professionals trained in the very particular skill set taught at Centennial College.

Varied Options are offered by Hospitality Services

Students are positively responding to Centennial College’s Hospitality Services, which takes two semesters to complete and results in an Ontario College Certificate. Their responses are just part of the proof that this program is beneficial for those looking to establish themselves as professionals in a range of careers available in the hospitality industry, including room attendant, front desk clerk, food service, cook or maintenance worker. For example, Eiikeme Ehirim, who graduated from the Hospitality College in 2011, had this to say: “I studied in an industry that I am passionate about. The Hospitality Services program consists of learning about hotels and restaurants. The focus is put on food and beverage services, sanitation, life skills and job readiness. This experience has taught me about time management skills and resourcefulness. Centennial College has had major impact on me in terms of informing me about global citizenship opportunities. Teachers are awesome about pushing me to succeed and are knowledgeable about this industry. This is the best educational experience I have ever known.”

Let’s expand on Eiikeme’s points. First and foremost, in order to attend the hospitality courses offered within this undertaking, students must have completed an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, or have mature student status (19 years or older).

Once students are accepted, they study a wide range of topics, as Eiikeme mentioned. Specific hospitality courses include: Communication Skills for Hospitality Service Workers, Front of the House Agent, Room Attendant, Visitor Information Services, Beverage Services, Safety & Sanitation, and more. In addition to industry specific courses, students of Hospitality Services are also exposed to courses that will help them to get jobs upon graduation. Among these courses are: Communication Skills of Hospitality Services, Introduction to Math, Life Skills and Job Readiness. Industry professionals, who serve as instructors, explain and help students to master all of these hospitality management topics. They all possess current experience, ensuring that any advice students obtain is up-to-date and geared to helping them obtain a career. To complement what they have learned in class, students participate in a two-day-a week work experience placement at a restaurant or hotel. This allows them to apply what they have learned, network and obtain new knowledge.

Also weaved into the Hospitality Services offering are hands-on training opportunities. Because students are based out of Progress Campus, which houses all of the School of Hospitality and Tourism offerings, they have access to a number of facilities. Among these facilities are a conference centre, which gives students an opportunity to organize conferences and meetings, and a kitchen in which students can gain hands on experience with planning menus and running a kitchen.

In addition to earning an Ontario College Certificate upon completion of this hospitality courses, students also have the opportunity to take certification exams in Sanitation and Beverage Services, thus graduating with the confidence and required skills to work in this industry. Should students be interested in further education, they can transfer to one of Centennial College’s more specialized hospitality management programs.

Heritage and Culture are Combined with the Industry by Tourism Management Programs

“It focuses primarily on the understanding and appreciation of world cultures and world heritage as they relate to tourism,” says Salmea, a faculty member of the Cultural and Heritage Tourism program at Centennial College, one of the most reliable tourism management programs offered in Ontario. “I believe everyone has a culture, a heritage, a root and a unique identity. If you want to tie it all into tourism and get a career for yourself, this is the program for you.”

While Salmea gives a great overview of this two-year tourism management program, let’s take a closer look at some of its standout features. First and foremost, to attend Centennial College’s tourism management courses, applicants must be able to present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Also required is a compulsory English 12C or U skills assessment, or equivalent.

Once accepted, students will discover a program that provides them with an interdisciplinary learning approach that integrates the challenges facing culture and heritage sector managers with the operative fundamentals of the tourism industry. This convergent methodology mirrors the convergence of culture, heritage and tourism. Specific tourism management courses in this program include: World Geography for Tourism, Dimensions of Tourism, Responsible Tourism, Introduction to Hospitality Accounting, Tour Planning and Management, Festival Management and more.

A measured application of fundamentals and training culminating in valid industry experience opportunities equip learners in this program to contribute, as the tourism sector retools for this emergent transformation. This work placement enables students to relate classroom theory to the practical world, while adding another career educational dimension to their career preparation. Field placement enables student to better understand the dynamics of the industry, increase their knowledge of industry practices and provides a competitive advantage of experience in the job market. Some of this tourism management program’s partners include: Jonview Canada Inc., Thomas Cook Canada Ltd., Toronto Board of Trade, Tourism Toronto, Heritage Toronto, Air Miles and more.

Should qualified students wish to continue their education, they may be eligible to participate in an articulated tourism management program with selected universities, institutes and professional associations. This tourism management program’s partners are: Athabasca University, International Hotel Management Institute (Switzerland), Vancouver Island University, University of New Brunswick and Royal Roads University (B.C.).

If, however, they choose to enter the field right away, tourism management programs students become professionals who work at hotels, motels, travel agencies and airports to help travellers choose destinations or sites to visit on vacation. Tourism managers may create activity packages, arrange tickets, transportation and more. It is important for professionals in Tourism Management to maintain records of transactions, inventory of promotional materials as well as keep their ear to the streets in regards to upcoming attractions, shows, etc. With the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization reporting that global cultural and heritage tourism has increased 15 per cent per year, now is a great time to enter a career in this field.

Gain Bachelor Credentials Through Software Systems Design Program

“Centennial College’s bachelor’s degree in Software Systems Design ... will go a long way in contributing to meet this need for skilled people who can design, build, install, service and create future information technology applications, ” says the Information Technology Association of Canada. Meanwhile the Software Human Resource Council says, “The unique curriculum proposed by Centennial will produce highly trained IT professionals with sound technical skills, a strong understanding of business, project management and excellent communication skills.”

These two testimonials prove that Centennial College’s four-year program offers valuable knowledge and credentials to those who wish to enter the software systems development field. The only of its kind in the province of Ontario, Centennial College’s Software Systems Design program provides its students with a four-year Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Information Sciences. The offering has a unique focus on system design, a blend of technology and business subjects as well as an industry placement. It also provides specialization in mobile application development or service-oriented architecture and cloud computing. The program places emphasis on advanced software standards and management.

Specific courses offered in this software systems development undertaking include: Computer Architecture (the course is concerned with the operational methods of the hardware, with the services provided by operating system software; with the acquisition, processing, storage, and output of data; and with the interaction between computers); Operating Systems Fundamentals (concepts covered in this course are based on those found in existing commercial operating systems in particular Unix/ Linux, Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft XP); Object Oriented Analysis and Design (explains the environment in which analysis and design is carried out, how to establish requirements and model them using Unified Modeling Language (UML) tools such as use cases, use case descriptions, domain class diagrams, system sequence diagrams, and statechart diagrams, and more).

To supplement theoretical training, Software Systems Design includes three software development projects. These real-world business applications require students to utilize all the technical, systems and business skills acquired during their studies to build higher quality software. More hands-on training is offered through a 15-week paid co-op placement. This placement places students into companies that hire Software Design System professionals, so that they can apply theory and practice to real-life situations. In order to be eligible for co-op, students are required to obtain a minimum C grade in ENG-110, minimum 2.0 GPA and minimum 80 per cent of year 1 and 2 courses.

To apply for this Software Systems Design program, students must present an Ontario Secondary School Diploma with a minimum of six 12U, 12M, OAC credits or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. Other requirements include English 12U and one of the following: Math 12U Advanced Functions, Math 12U Calculus and Vectors, Math 12U Mathematics of Data Management or equivalent. Possession of minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to program.

Upon graduation, students obtain positions as software developers, software engineers, systems analysts, business analysts, web application developers, IT project managers and computer programmers/ analysts. These professionals serve a very important purpose in the technology world as they solve and plan a large variety of software solutions.