Hotel Management School Provides Training in a Variety of Areas

Delta Hotels, Fairmont Hotels, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels, Marriott Hotels, Starwood Hotels and Hyatt Hotels are just some of the places that hire students of Centennial College’s hotel management program. This respected offering takes one-year to complete and is officially known as the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Management program, which is part of the hotel management school. Geared at those students who already have post-secondary accreditation but are looking for a career change, applicants must submit an official transcript demonstrating proof of successful completion of a post-secondary diploma or degree program. A resume review may also be required. Centennial College will consider applicants presenting a combination of partial post secondary education and relevant work experience, open to all disciplines.

Training from this program puts students into an industry that brings in $18.8-billion in national accommodation revenue via 8,356 properties and 378,000 according to a 2008 report by the Hotel Association of Canada. However, hotel management is challenging to define as it includes: sales and marketing management for hotels, cruise line management, human resources management, hotel and restaurant general management, convention services and tour coordination.

That’s why Centennial College’s hotel management school covers a variety of topics to ensure students are prepared for whatever areas they want to specialize in. Among the areas covered are: finance, human resources, labour and international relations, oenology, leadership and entrepreneurship, security and risk, service quality, marketing and revenue management. More specifically, courses include: Hospitality Financial Management (designed to allow students to identify and explore the factors that are relevant to financial decision making and budgeting); Human Resources and Labour Relations Management (focuses on central HR processes such as staffing, employee training and development, appraisal and reward, and career planning in effectively employing an organization’s human resources toward the accomplishment of organizational goals and business strategy); Hospitality Marketing Strategies (builds on basic marketing concepts to enable the student to analyze and apply the principles of marketing through the integration of marketing variables with real-world situations and in-depth analysis of strategic marketing strategies); and many more.Students also partake in a two-day-per-week internship. The Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Industry Internship provides students with meaningful work experience in approved jobs within the hospitality industry, enabling them to relate classroom theory to the practical world, while adding another career educational dimension to their career preparation. Field placement enables students 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.

If qualified graduates are interested in, and eligible for, further hotel management school studies, they can participate in an articulated program with selected universities, institutes and professional associations. These partnerships allow students to apply academic credit towards further study. Centennial College’s hotel management school partners include: International Hotel Management Institute (Switzerland), Ryerson University, University of Calgary, University of New Brunswick, University of South Carolina (U.S.) and more.

Advertising Programs At Centennial College Offer Options

Advertising is literally all around us. It appears on our television screens in the form of commercials, in our newspapers and magazines as print ads, on the Internet via pop-up ads and banners on our favourite website, on our highways in the form of billboards and even in our mail through flyers and take-out menus from restaurants. This field is far-reaching: In 2010, spending on advertising was estimated at more than $300-billion in the United States and $500-billion worldwide. The careers in advertising are also far-reaching — not everyone is the creative mind behind the campaigns. Some people work behind-the-scenes to ensure that everything is running smoothly. Your career in this exciting, creative field begins by attending one of the advertising programs offered by your local college.

In Toronto, Ont. many students turn to Centennial College to obtain their advertising credentials. Founded in 1966, the school boasts a respected reputation and offers three advertising programs to suit your unique interest in the field. All three are facilitated out of the $36-million cutting-edge campus for the arts, which ensures that students have access to the latest advertising technology, professors who have experience in the field and much more.

If students have already graduated from an advertising program but wish to advance their career by obtaining a specialized diploma, the college offers two options. The first is Advertising: Media Management. This hands-on and intensive industry-approved program prepares students for the advertising and communications industry in the role of strategic media planning and buying. It provides students with the fundamentals of media management, with a focus on consumer-driven communication channel choices for advertising messages. Just three semesters in length, this advertising program sees students attending lectures and completing an industry field placement during which they work in the field and apply what they have learned.

Another post-graduate advertising program at Centennial is Advertising: Account Management. This section of the advertising field is all about maximizing your creative, strategic and business skills to develop and coordinate advertising, sales promotion, event marketing, interactive or direct marketing. This particular Advertising program, focuses on offering students the scope of advertising tactics so they can manage integrated communication plans from inception to final production. In addition to courses such as, Advertising Research, Media for Account Managers, and Agency Finance and Operations, there is a 15-week industry field placement that allows students to gain critical knowledge, professional relationships and work experience.

If you do not yet have an advertising degree or diploma, Centennial offers an undergraduate Advertising program, which prepares students for careers in account management, media buying and planning, marketing, copywriting, production, direct marketing, promotion and event marketing. The Advertising program focuses on: developing instincts and strategic abilities while meeting deadlines in a professional and creative environment; completing an industry field placement that allows students to acquire experience in the day-to-day activities of the advertising world; and learning the entire advertising process. Courses include: Foundations in Marketing, Consumer Psychology, Imaging, Advertising Media Selection, Campaign Planning and more.

Centennial College: A Reliable Community College

In the province of Ontario when people think of reliable community colleges, it is likely that Centennial College comes to mind. Community colleges focus on job-focused practical training that is both affordable and gives students the competitive edge. Attending such a post-secondary institute allows students to save both time (with shorter program lengths) and money (with lower tuition costs). Centennial College exemplifies these, and other, community college aspects with its specialized programs and four campus locations. Let’s take a look at some community college benefits and how Centennial College excels in each aspect.

First and foremost, community college puts a lot of emphasis on being student-focused. This includes flexibility in scheduling for those students who may have part-time jobs or other demands. Centennial offers an extensive list of Continuing Education programs and options for students. There are about 160 part-time programs and more than 1,000 courses that students can either take on-campus or through Distance Learning, which is facilitated entirely online.

Other important community college features include smaller class sizes, hands-on training and, in a lot of cases, field placement experience. These were just three of the factors that helped community colleges to take off in popularity. At Centennial College, all programs offer some sort of hands-on training. Whether, it is through simulated case studies, time in laboratories or practice in simulated settings (such as the Horizons Restaurant for hospitality and tourism students or the fully-equipped automotive training centre at Ashtonbee Campus for automotive students). In addition, community colleges focus on sending students into the field of their choice so that they may apply what they have learned, work alongside seasoned professionals, network and encounter real life experiences to be prepared for entry into the workforce upon graduation. At Centennial College, many programs offer field placement or internships to its students. These work experiences are supervised by faculty members and place students in respectable companies, in which they may be hired once they are finished their studies.

Lastly, the small sized classes at community colleges make professors easily approachable and accessible. This learning environment gives students a chance to approach professors for help with solving problems, getting additional study assistance and individual attention. In addition, students have access to labs, computers, wireless Internet connections, large and fully equipped libraries and many other facilities that community colleges develop to ensure that students are getting a useful experience.

Aside from standout community college aspects, why is Centennial College the ideal choice? First and foremost, it offers experience. Founded in 1966, it was the first community college in Ontario. Secondly, the range of study areas includes: Business, Community and Health Studies, Technology and Applied Science, Hospitality Tourism and Culture as well as Communications, Media and Design. This variety of offerings makes Centennial College an ideal post-secondary institution for students looking to turn an interest into an employable skill set.

Prepare For the Construction Industry with an Architecture Program

The construction sector is inherently connected to the architecture field through architectural technology. This area’s concern is with the technical aspects of building the structures in our communities. Those in architecture technology are a vital link between architects and construction crews. Using their mastery of computer-aided-drafting software, they fill in the fine details of an architect’s drawing. In addition, they understand the physical laws that keep a building standing and know how to test materials, estimate costs, and quality evaluate mechanical and electrical systems, and prepare designs. This sector of the economy is very much in demand. Graduates of a technical based architecture program work with architects, architectural technology firms, engineers, builders, contractors, developers, construction material manufacturers and suppliers and municipal building departments.

Before professionals enter the field, they must attend a post-secondary institution such as Centennial College in Toronto, Ont. This college offers a three-year Architectural Technology program, which results in an Ontario College Advanced Diploma. Students are prepared for the field through activities such as preparing drawings for residential, industrial, commercial and institutional building types, as well as complex buildings and multi-use buildings; familiarizing themselves with building materials, construction methods, structural design, mechanical and electrical services, building codes, contracts, specifications and the business environment for providing design and construction services; and more. In addition, Centennial incorporates architecture’s green outlook into its curriculum by covering topics such as protecting the environment, energy conservation, and sustainable design and construction strategies. Green courses within the architecture program include its Environment series of classes, which address the basic principles of environmental design, physical properties of materials, and elemental structure analysis; energy conservation and other sustainability principles through investigation of local priorities, societal attitudes, construction sector trends, and issues.

Graduates can apply to: become a member of the Association of Architectural Technologists of Ontario; obtain a Building Code Identification Number; and obtain LEED status through membership with the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).

To apply for this architecture program, students must present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. In addition, they must have completed the compulsory English 12C or U credit or skills assessment, or equivalent and the Math 11M or U or 12C or U credit or skills assessment, or equivalent. Possession of minimum admission requirements does not, however, guarantee admission to Architectural Technology program. Please note that, once in the program, in order to gain entry into the fifth semester of the program, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA. Also, students who have completed all courses in semesters 1 to 4 will have all the prerequisites requirements for courses in semester 5 and 6.

Did you know that there is an expected demand for architectural services being predicted by Service Canada? This includes an increase in architectural technology jobs. In addition, Service Canada states that these opportunities will be first available to candidates with a Diploma of Collegial Studies (DEC) in architectural technology/technician.

Tourism Administration Offers A Combination of Practical Experience and Hands-on Training

If you’ve ever considered a job working in: hotel and restaurant general management, human resources management, sales and marketing management, convention services coordination and tour coordination, then the field of Hospitality Administration and Tourism Administration may be for you. Each of these positions entails a variety of tasks. Here, we take a look at two of these career paths you can take.

For example, as a hotel manager you would play a very active role onsite. This role would include leading hotel personnel and mangers of various departments as well as acting as a liaison between hotel guests and staff. In some cases, managers also handle greeting customers, especially in the case of important figures and frequent guests. If there are special events, conferences or business meetings being held at the hotel, it’s usually the work of the manager to ensure that things run smoothly and that supplies and security are in place. Lastly, hotel managers may oversee the daily fiscal workings of the facility. Another job example in the tourism admin field is that of a human resources manager. This person is in charge of any of the following: recruiting and staffing, employee orientation, development, and training; organizational and space planning, performance management and improvement systems; compensation and benefits administration; employee services and counseling; and more.

With hospitality revenues in excess of $61.4-billion from 60,000 different companies that employ more than 1.66-million Canadians and the industry being pegged as the country’s second largest employment sector with 290,690 new jobs being created between 2006 and 2015, now is a great time to enter the tourism administration field.

At Centennial College, students can study tourism administration and graduate with an Ontario College Advanced Diploma in just three years. Courses cover a full range of business practices in marketing, human resources, finance and industry operations — as applied to the entire hospitality and tourism field. The training ends with a 15-week industry internship that occurs in the final semester, which enables students to relate classroom theory to the practical world, while adding another career educational dimension to their career preparation. Field placement enables the 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.

However, before they can be sent into the field, students have access to many on-campus resources that enhance learning, including a full-service hospitality management centre, on-site conference centre and state-of-the-art computer labs. Specific courses in which they participate include: Geography and Tourism, Kitchen & Dining Room Practices, Introduction to Hospitality Accounting, Report Writing for Hospitality, Purchasing for the Service Industry and many others.

In order to apply to this Hospitality and Tourism Administration program, students must present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. They must also possess compulsory English 12C or U or skills assessment, or equivalent.

Centennial College: Hospitality Tourism Admin Program