Certificate in Human Services Foundations

at Algonquin College - Ottawa Campus Canada

The two-year Business - Management and Entrepreneurship Ontario College Diploma program provides you with the knowledge and skills for a successful career in management or ownership of a small or medium-sized enterprise.

This program has a strong focus on business trends, developing an entrepreneurial mindset, and innovation in a digital economy. It encourages your creativity, strategic thinking and originality, as you cultivate the skills to start up and run a small business.

Explore your talents and creativity through hands-on projects that can be customized to your interests. Learn about business concepts and how to:

. Develop a good business idea . Create a business model . Validate your business through market research . Manage people and resources . Understand financial information . Gain customer attention and sell . Create a digital presence . Launch a business

Create a start-up idea that you develop and enhance throughout the program. Complete multiple team-based projects, including the creation of an online store as well as the presentation of a comprehensive business plan.

Our campus is the ideal place for an entrepreneur. Faculty consists of entrepreneurs and business owners who continue to keep up with trends in their areas of specialization. You have access to the Discovery, Applied Research and Entrepreneurship (DARE) District, our entrepreneurship and innovation centre, and several other business supports and competitions. Activities such as the AC Market, B-ME Grill and Wolves Den provide you with opportunities for hands-on, experiential learning.

Upon graduation, you are ready for a variety of career paths. You may start a business, manage an existing business, continue your education or find a career in:

• eCommerce
• Marketing
• Digital marketing
• Visual merchandising
• Store planning
• Professional sales
• Social media
• Marketing research
• Purchasing
• Retail
• Customer service and management

The two-year Financial Services-Canadian Context Ontario College Graduate Certificate program is specifically designed to support students transitioning into the Canadian work environment in the customer sales and service areas of:

• Banking
• Insurance
• Financial planning
• Wealth management

In this program, you build knowledge and skills to evaluate and recommend financial products and services based on clients` individual needs. You develop techniques to collect and analyze client information to create and present customized financial plans. Sales strategies and relationship building techniques are applied while adhering to legal and ethical practices and industry standards. Throughout the program, you develop a professional competencies portfolio to document marketable skills. The fourth semester of the program focuses on experiential learning within a variety of real-world scenarios.

Through experiential and simulated workplace learning, you develop financial advising strategies to facilitate clients` short- and long-term financial goals. Topics include:

• Saving and borrowing for major purchases
• Postsecondary education and retirement planning
• Insurance for wealth protection
• Investing for diversification, growth and tax efficiency
• Estate planning for succession and wealth transfer

Graduates are eligible to write the Canadian Securities Course designation exams. Algonquin College collaborates with the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI) and the Canadian Institute of Financial Planning (CIFP) to offer the Financial Services Graduate Certificate Program, which meets FP Canada`s Core and Advanced Curriculum educational requirements. The program provides a pathway to the following designations upon completion of their additional requirements and exams:

• Canadian Securities Course (CSC designation)
• Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP) designation (see FP Canada website for additional requirements)
• Certified Financial Planner(CFP) designation. (See FP Canada website for university degree and additional requirements)

The one-year Project Management Ontario College Graduate Certificate program prepares you for a rewarding career in project management. Project management is a highly sought discipline that applies technical, leadership and business strategy skills to plan and execute projects effectively and efficiently. There is a growing demand for project managers in the global economy.

Our experienced faculty are dedicated to preparing you to thrive in a project leadership position. Algonquin College is a Registered Education Provider (REP) with the Project Management Institute (PMI)®and is approved by the PMI to issue Professional Development Units (PDUs) for its training programs.

Learn to move a project along its lifecycle phases through the application of concepts, strategies and best practices. Acquire creative, practical and advanced expertise that contributes to ensuring overall project success via the combination of in-class and practical learning activities. Get hands-on project experience via a work integrated learning opportunity, which serves as a vehicle for incorporating and applying skills obtained during the academic studies and providing an opportunity to handle real-life situations.

Learn the tools, perspective and expertise necessary to successfully achieve results and deliver value. Develop a critical understanding of ten knowledge areas according to A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)®.

Students also have the option to gain real-world experience through a paid co-operative education (co-op) work term (see Additional Information for more details). Please note that places in the co-op version of the program are subject to availability.

Upon graduation, you may find employment as a project management practitioner in a wide range of national, international, profit and non-profit organizations. You could also pursue a career as a(n):

• Assistant or junior project manager
• Project administrator
• Project control officer
• Project coordinator
• Project manager
• Project scheduler
• Project team leader
• PMI and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

Paramedic is a two-year Ontario College Diploma program well suited for the students who are looking for a dynamic, challenging and professional career and are able to work effectively under stressful situations in challenging environments. 

The program revolves around professionalism and dedication, integrity, leadership, compassion and commitment are the learning outcomes. The curriculum is challenging and includes practical/laboratory, in-class and online learning, high fidelity simulation and hospital clinical and paramedic practicums allowing the students to develop the clinical reasoning skills necessary to deal with traumatic and medical emergencies and the ability to communicate effectively with patients, family members and healthcare professionals.

Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Communicate and interact effectively and appropriately with patients and others.
• Assess patients using relevant theory and practices and in compliance with current legislation, regulations, standards, and best practice guidelines.
• Establish patients` treatment and transport priorities based on assessment findings.
• Implement preventive and therapeutic patient management strategies to maintain and promote patients` well-being in compliance with current legislation, regulations, standards, and best practice guidelines.
• Integrate and perform delegated controlled medical acts in a simulated, clinical, and field setting.
• Evaluate in an ongoing manner the effectiveness of patient management strategies used and adapt or change strategies to provide optimal care for patients.
• Report and document patient information completely, accurately, and in a timely manner, in compliance with current legislation, regulations, standards, and applicable policies and procedures in a simulated, clinical, and/or field setting.
• Ensure personal safety and contribute to the safety of partners, patients, and others.
• Ensure the operational safety and preparedness of an ambulance and its equipment and operate an ambulance-type vehicle in a simulated setting.
• Collaborate with a broad range of personnel such as first responders, paramedics, emergency services personnel, health care professionals and other allied health care workers.
• Integrate and meet legal, ethical, and professional responsibilities while providing optimal care for patients.
• Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

This one-year Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Certificates and Diplomas Ontario College Certificate program provides you with the knowledge, skills and abilities fundamental to academic success in a variety of health science programs. Develop strong study skills and earn post-secondary credits that may be transferred to other college programs.

As a student, you explore your interests in the health science field while meeting the eligibility requirements for a number of Algonquin College programs, including:

• Dental Assisting - Level I and II
• Fitness and Health Promotion
• Occupational Therapist Assistant/Physiotherapist Assistant
• Paramedic
• Practical Nursing
• Pre-Service Firefighter Education and Training
• Veterinary Assistant
• Veterinary Technician

The curriculum provides you with the opportunity to learn more about potential careers in health sciences as you improve your skills and knowledge in communications, mathematics, biology and chemistry.

The intention of this program is to prepare you for further study in certificates or diplomas, rather than moving directly into the chosen industry. It is important to note that completing this program doesn`t guarantee entry into a health or science program.

The General Arts and Science - English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Ontario College Certificate program is an academically-oriented English as a Second Language (ESL) program designed for International and Canadian students whose first language is not English.

Improve your academic English language skills for college and job success in a dynamic multicultural setting. Upon successful completion of the program, you obtain an Ontario College Certificate, which provides a pathway into post-secondary studies by satisfying the language requirements for entry into most programs offered at Algonquin College.

The EAP Placement Test determines your starting point in the program, ranging from low-intermediate to low-advanced language skills. As you move through the program, you actively participate in a variety of large and small group activities that provide engaging opportunities to practice the four language skills of:

• Reading
• Writing
• Listening
• Speaking

Smaller class sizes allow for ample feedback from your instructors on all in-class and online assignments. Additional features include regular visits to our well-equipped language lab and elective courses that provide opportunities to develop areas of personal interest. Your classmates from countries all over the world bring with them a wealth of cultural perspectives and life experiences to share. The opportunities to grow your language skills are not limited to the classroom. As an International student or a newcomer to Canada, you can benefit from the many opportunities to apply your developing language skills in the nation`s capital city.

Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Analyze a variety of authentic readings from a range of subjects.
• Critically read and analyze academic texts using effective reading and note-taking strategies.
• Develop and apply fundamental skills and strategies to ensure academic success in post-secondary studies.
• Conduct research and write essays and/or reports to ensure success in post-secondary studies.
• Communicate competently at the level required for postsecondary studies, showing flexibility and clarity of thought and expression.
• Examine and evaluate various aspects of our changing society to assist in developing a sense of personal and social responsibility as a citizen in society.
• Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

The one-year Geographic Information Systems Ontario College Graduate Certificate program provides you with knowledge and skills relating to geographic and cartographic science, with a focal point on information systems technology.

In this program, you use both hands-on and theoretical approaches to explore topics such as:

• Field data collection
• Programming
• Remote sensing
• Enterprise geo-database design and management
• Cloud-based services
• Application development
• 2D and 3D cartographic design
• Spatial analysis and project management

A key part of this program is the independent project that you begin in your first semester and complete throughout your studies. You identify an area of interest, develop a project proposal, and then implement and complete your project, all in collaboration with an industry or government sponsor.

Cooperative education (Co-op)    
Cooperative education (Co-op) allows students to integrate their classroom learning with a real-world experience though paid work terms. Two academic terms prior to the cooperative education work term, students are required to actively participate in and successfully complete the self-directed co-op online readiness activities and in-person workshops.

Students must actively conduct a guided, self-directed job search and are responsible for securing approved program-related paid co-op employment. Students compete for co-op positions alongside students from Algonquin and other Canadian and international colleges and universities. Algonquin College`s Co-op Department provides assistance in developing co-op job opportunities and facilitates the overall process, but does not guarantee that a student will obtain employment in a co-op work term. Co-op students may be required to re-locate to take part in the co-op employment opportunities available in their industry and must cover all associated expenses; e.g., travel, work permits, visa applications, accommodation and all other incurred expenses.

Co-op work terms are typically 14 weeks in duration and are completed during a term when students are not taking courses.

Define your interest in music, media and film production in the one-year Music, Media and Film Foundation Ontario College Certificate program. As a student, you explore career opportunities in the music, media and film industry, and develop foundational skills to prepare you for further post-secondary study in film, radio, television or music industry arts.

In this program, you build fundamental techniques in audio and video production, and apply them within a studio environment. You develop storytelling skills, allowing your message to reach audiences in an influential way. You plan and prepare for further education and the industry, focusing on the academic and professional skills that will help you get there. In this program, you work collaboratively to create media assets, learning the many roles that function together in the music, media and film industry.

This foundational program allows you to build a portfolio that demonstrates your readiness for several related programs, acting as a starting point for further education. These foundations provide students with an introduction to more advanced music-, media- and film-related programs including but not limited to:

• Music Industry Arts
• Broadcasting - Television
• Broadcasting - Radio
• Film and Media Production

The two-year Business - Marketing Ontario College Diploma program provides learners with a strong theoretical marketing foundation and the opportunity to apply it through hands-on industry projects, assignments and simulation tools. You develop the knowledge and applied skills to succeed in a wide range of marketing and business roles. Additionally, you use computing technology in a collaborative learning environment to learn, develop and apply the technical skills that employers desire.

Learn about how marketing affects the operations of a business - from product conception to launch and delivery.

Explore concepts such as:

• Marketing to the consumer and business marketplace
• Product and pricing strategies
• Marketing planning and decision-making
• Global marketing
• Marketing communications and promotions
• Marketing research
• Professional selling
• Sales management
• Digital marketing and distribution

Complete hands-on assignments that involve case studies, simulation platforms, research assessments and role-playing. You also have the opportunity to work with industry clients in the program, including developing a full marketing plan for a local client.

The one-year Welding and Fabrication Techniques Ontario College Certificate program provides foundation skills to gain entry-level employment in the welding industry.
Participate in a combination of theory and shop work, and learn metal fabrication techniques and welding, acquiring a solid foundation of principles for the field.

All classes are taught in Algonquin College`s state-of-the-art Algonquin Centre for Construction Excellence (ACCE) facility, where you have the opportunity to use up-to-date equipment and learn about advanced technology in the welding and fabrication field, including:

• Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)
• Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW)
• Gas metal arc welding (GMAW)

learn metallurgy, and joint and metal preparation. Gain the ability to take technical measurements using the right tools, set up and safely operate equipment for various processes, and read and interpret blueprints and welding specifications.

Students also have the option to gain real-world experience through a paid co-operative education (co-op) work term. Please note that places in the co-op version of the program are subject to availability.

You also have the opportunity to take additional welding qualifications throughout the program. You can complete the Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) Qualification of Welding Procedures test for different forms of welding. These can include shielded metal arc, gas metal arc, and flux-cored arc. These can be used in one or more positions.

Graduates may find work in a variety of different positions in the welding field:

• Machine shops
• Fabrication facilities
• Manufacturing companies
• Ship repair
• Mining

Cooperative education (Co-op)
Cooperative education (Co-op) allows students to integrate their classroom learning with a real-world experience though paid work terms. Two academic terms prior to the cooperative education work term, students are required to actively participate in and successfully complete the self-directed co-op online readiness activities and in-person workshops.

Students must actively conduct a guided, self-directed job search and are responsible for securing approved program-related paid co-op employment. Students compete for co-op positions alongside students from Algonquin and other Canadian and international colleges and universities. Algonquin College`s Co-op Department provides assistance in developing co-op job opportunities and facilitates the overall process, but does not guarantee that a student will obtain employment in a co-op work term. Co-op students may be required to re-locate to take part in the co-op employment opportunities available in their industry and must cover all associated expenses; e.g., travel, work permits, visa applications, accommodation and all other incurred expenses.

Co-op work terms are typically 14 weeks in duration and are completed during a term when students are not taking courses.

International students enrolled in a co-op program are required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to have a valid Co-op/Internship Work Permit prior to commencing their work term. Without this document, International students are not legally eligible to engage in work in Canada that is a mandatory part of an academic program. For more information, please visit https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop.