Diploma in Educational Support

at Conestoga College - Doon Campus Canada

This two-year diploma program prepares students for professional practice in the field of early learning and child care. Through interactive classroom learning and integrative field placement experiences, students will develop skills that will enable them to work in collaboration with families, colleagues and communities for the purpose of designing, implementing and evaluating inclusive play-based early learning programs. Building on a thorough understanding of child development and principles of responsive practice, students will work in partnership with college-operated child development centres, kindergarten classrooms, licensed early learning and care programs and community agencies in order to integrate classroom theory and practice in meaningful and engaging ways.

This Bachelor of Community and Criminal Justice is a four-year, paid co-op degree program that emphasizes the importance of individual values, principled leadership, and inter-professional and multi-sector collaboration to address both individual and societal issues related to crime, community safety and community wellbeing. Our program is anchored to a strong foundation in values, service and action, and draws from a rich network of community and institutional collaborators and partners. Through an intentionally designed learning journey, students are exposed to ideas and they learn skills that will enable them to contribute and adapt to changing needs and demands. Our “ecological” focus on individuals, groups, organizations and society helps students tackle the increasing complexity of the community safety landscape. Our combination of classroom based and work integrated learning forms a “bridge to practice”, so students can develop the capabilities that will position them as preferred graduates for the labour market of the next decade.

This newly updated program provides strong pre-service preparation for individuals seeking a career with today's and tomorrow's fire services. Our curriculum provides the knowledge, skills, and professional development for success as a fire services recruit, and the foundation for further career progression opportunities in this important area of public safety. 
With a focus on professionalism, integrated skills acquisition through simulation-based training and inter-professional collaboration, students build towards internationally recognized credentials (National Fire Protection Association - NFPA) relevant to careers in fire suppression and also prevention through training in public education. They also develop critical thinking, situational performance skills, and lifelong wellness practices that enhance their personal and professional development and adaptability, serving as the foundation for ongoing learning, and adding value and lowering risk to themselves and to prospective employers.

The Bachelor of Design is a four-year degree in visual design with a complement of courses in entrepreneurship, marketing, and management. The program will ensure graduates have both the creative and visual acuity, and the knowledge of business strategy, that are necessary to create design solutions for current market needs. Conestoga’s Bachelor of Design is unique in Ontario for offering students a truly interprofessional perspective that blends visual design, entrepreneurship, and liberal studies courses with co-op opportunities, enhanced studio space, printing facilities and access to advanced technology, as well as state-of-the-art on-campus facilities. Limited enrolment and small class sizes ensure student access to faculty with professional experience in the fields of visual design and business development. As a comprehensive design program, students take courses in typography, visual design, colour theory, design studio, drawing and illustration, photography, interactive design, as well as entrepreneurship, branding, marketing, business management, writing and presentation skills, and group dynamics. The program employs a project-based learning approach that addresses design and entrepreneurship skills, as well as a variety of prescient issues including accessibility, sustainability, and corporate and social responsibility. Students engage in dynamic studio projects for both in-class and live clients.

Conestoga's Protection, Security and Investigation (PSI) and Police Foundations (PF) programs offer a two-year integrated learning experience to help you develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values of a preferred candidate in your chosen field. The first year of the Protection, Security and Investigation program is shared with the Police Foundations program. This common first year focuses on justice foundations and has been designed to provide an overall base for a variety of careers in criminal justice and community safety. In this first year, you will be exposed to courses that give you an understanding of how society and its institutions work. In second year, you will be given the opportunity to concentrate your studies in one of the two programs, which focus on policing or security/investigations: Police Foundations or Protection, Security and Investigation. This second year provides both academic study and job-focused practical training to prepare students for careers in the private and public sectors. 

Graduates of the Protection, Security and Investigation program may also qualify for a Provincial Security Guard License and Private Investigator License, which can be valuable points of entry into the world of work. 

If you are attracted to modern manufacturing technologies and enjoy working with machines, this skills-based program will appeal to you. It prepares you for entry into the tool and die/tool maker skilled trade or related career in the manufacturing sector, including apprenticeship. You will learn the high-precision hand fitting, positioning, aligning and assembly techniques involved in the production of stamping dies. Also, the program incorporates a number of months of paid co-op education work, and covers all the learning outcomes for Level 1 and Level 2 of the related apprenticeship program in Ontario. As a graduate of this program, you may not be required to complete the in-school apprenticeship training or take an exemption exam for Levels 1 and 2 should you choose to pursue a tool and die maker apprenticeship. The optional co-op stream includes two back-to-back co-op work terms.

Applying to the Co-op Stream

• All applicants apply to the non co-op program. Students will be informed of the application deadline and process to apply for the Co-op Stream. Labour market conditions determine the number of co-op seats in optional co-op programs. Every student who meets academic eligibility requirements may not be admitted to the co-op stream.
• To be considered for admission to the co-op stream, students are required to achieve a minimum 65% session weighted average as well as successful completion of Precision Machining Theory I (MACH1940) and Precision Machining Practice I (MACH1955).
• Students who are not admitted into the Co-op stream or students in the non-co-op stream will have co-op semesters off instead of participating in co-op work terms. These off semesters enable students to gain part-time or full-time work or volunteer experience to build their resume and/or can catch up on academic work if scheduling permits.

Co-op Information

• Co-op programs add value to your education. Earn while you apply what you learn in a real workplace environment. See the Co-op webpages.
• The College cannot guarantee co-op employment. All co-op students are required to conduct an independent co-op job search in addition to the supports and services provided by the Department of Co-op Education.
• Students are responsible for their own transportation and associated costs in order to complete work term requirements. Work locations may not always be readily accessible by public transportation.

As a student in the Woodworking Technician program, you will study at one of the most advanced woodworking training facilities in North America. You will receive a solid foundation in the skills and technology involved in the manufacture of furniture, cabinets and architectural millwork, as well as training in modern manufacturing techniques. During the first year of the program, which is common with the Woodworking Technology program, you will spend a significant amount of time learning the set-up and operation of woodworking machinery and equipment, laminating, veneering, machining, sanding, assembly and finishing. The second year, which is also common with the Woodworking Technology program, involves extensive project work, introduction to production management skills, manufacturing of kitchen cabinets and architectural millwork.

Do you enjoy working with people and helping them achieve their goals? Do you have strong analytical skills you would like to use in combination with your self-motivation and ambition to achieve performance goals? If yes, a career in financial services may be a good fit for you. Financial service providers cultivate strong relationships with clients by understanding their needs, evaluating the risks, and offering custom-designed solutions to meet their financial goals. The Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) – Financial Services degree program provides the opportunity to develop necessary planning competencies, professional skills, and required technical knowledge needed for a career in financial services. This four-year program, delivered at the honours level, offers a clear pathway to many successful and exciting career opportunities in banking, insurance, investment management, and estate and financial planning. You will learn through a combination of active learning approaches, which include group work, major individual case analyses, multiple projects requiring industry engagement, and meetings with industry professionals outside of the college. By the mid-point of this program, the faculty team ensures you will be ready to begin your preferred major – either in financial planning or property and casualty insurance. Whichever major you choose, you will encounter a blend of extensive technical analyses and opportunities to develop your professional ‘soft’ skills. You will apply and further refine your program-related skills and abilities through an 8-month, paid, full-time co-op work-term situated between third and fourth year. The program curriculum is aligned with the body of knowledge and course requirements (in whole or in part) for a number of professional licenses. As a successful graduate of the Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) – Financial Services degree program, you will meet the pre-requisite conditions to challenge professional examinations and/or receive advanced standing into the following licenses/designations:

• Personal Financial Planner (PFP) granted by the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI)
• Qualified Associate Financial Planner (QAFP) granted by Financial Planning Canada (FP Canada)
• FP Canada’s Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
• Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP)
• Additional licenses for insurance and securities

Today's office is a dynamic place to work with global networking, communication and work flows becoming increasingly complex and challenging. In order to ensure the efficiency of the organization, employers depend on office administrators to provide effective clerical support to all levels of management. They need staff with exceptional computer skills and organizational skills and specific business skills such as bookkeeping, customer service and document processing. In this one-year certificate program, students develop the necessary technical, organizational and interpersonal skills that will enhance their role as an effective member of the office team. With a wide variety of hands-on practical experience and creative thinking skills, graduates are fully trained to meet the demands of today's challenging work environment.

The Educational Support program will prepare graduates to work effectively with learners of all ages with exceptionalities. Through this program, students will develop a variety of educational interventions and techniques that will allow them to become contributing members of an educational team working with learners with exceptionalities. They will experience real-life opportunities that connect theory and practice through in-class projects and engaging and meaningful work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences.