Graduate Certificate in Financial Planning

at George Brown College - St. James Campus Canada

The Food Tourism Entrepreneurship graduate certificate prepares graduates to create "tastes of place" experiences that support local economies by fostering relationships between stakeholders in agriculture, hospitality and tourism. Exploring the geography of food and beverage, students will learn to develop partnerships to communicate and market unique experiences that emphasize sustainability and transparency. Graduates may find career opportunities at local and international tourism attractions, culinary travel groups/associations, restaurants, wineries, breweries, cideries, distillers, agricultural destinations, destination marketing and development organizations, and government agencies, in roles such as Culinary Tourism Program Manager, Marketing Travel Consultant and Conference Services Manager. 

The Food Tourism Entrepreneurship program will prepare graduates to harness local economies and cultures of food and drink production and consumption, and channel them into successful and resilient tourism “experience” enterprises. Geared towards diploma and degree graduates who want to specialize in food tourism development and entrepreneurship, this three-semester program builds on the strengths of George Brown's School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and our Chef School. Business graduates may also be interested in pathways in this field.

Students will learn to:

• Connect and work with businesses, communities and associations in municipal, regional, provincial, national and international locations.
• Support local economies by fostering relationships with stakeholders in agriculture, hospitality, tourism and agritourism.
• Bring creative entrepreneurship skills to the small and medium businesses that make up the food tourism sector.
• Continue to provide consumers with "taste of place" experiences that build on new business models and opportunities.
• Develop the partnerships and tools to generate, capture, communicate and market unique experiences that speak to consumer values of sustainability and traceability.

The first two semesters of this program each include six courses provided through hybrid delivery. The third semester includes six online hours per week plus work-integrated learning, an independent study project and an experiential learning trip.

In today’s rapidly changing business world, organizations are realizing that their greatest asset is their employees and that effective people management is a key factor in their overall success. The Business Administration – Human Resources program will provide you with a practical approach to human resources management, preparing you for a variety of careers within this exciting and growing field.

This learning experience will enable you to:

• Design human resources policies and programs that adhere to employment legislation
• Attract, retain and develop a productive workforce
• Manage employee diversity
• Ensure health and safety at the workplace
• Advise on employee/labour relations

Our program enables you to work towards obtaining the professional designations offered through the Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario (HRPA). For information about obtaining professional designations in HR, please contact the Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario.

PROGRAM STANDARDS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Contribute to the planning and implementation of employee recruitment, selection, and retention strategies.
• Administer and facilitate the performance management program.
• Coordinate and support the development, implementation, and evaluation of employee orientation, training, and development programs.
• Implement and support effective employee and labour relations strategies in both non-­union and union environments.
• Administer and communicate the organization’s total compensation plan.
• Collaborate with others in the implementation and monitoring of organizational health and safety policies and practices.
• Contribute to the identification of information needs and apply current and emerging information technologies to support the human resources function.
• Contribute to organizational development strategies aimed at promoting organizational effectiveness.
• Present and evaluate communication messages and processes related to the human resources function of the organization.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate personal professional development plans to achieve ongoing competence in human resources professional practice.
• Identify and communicate the human resources component of the organization’s business plan.
• Contribute to the collection, analysis, and utilization of human resources data.

The Pre-Health Sciences Pathway to Certificates and Diplomas program prepares students to perform at a level that will assist them in gaining entry to a Health Sciences program at George Brown College, including Practical Nursing. It also gives students a basic understanding of social sciences and human relations. This helps them relate to people at college in further studies and at work in health care institutions or with health care providers. Throughout the program, students study biology and chemistry. Other courses include applied math, communications and general education electives.

George Brown College has been delivering this nutrition program with great success for more than 30 years. We'll build on the culinary skills you already have by teaching you about food modification, clinical nutrition, physiology, nutrition analysis, sanitation and safety. Through classroom instruction and work placements, you'll learn how hospitals, retirement homes and long-term care facilities provide their patients and residents with nutritious food and care.

This top nutrition program is accredited by the Canadian Society of Nutrition Management, which is necessary for employment as a Food and Nutrition Manager in Ontario.

Program Schedule

• The schedule for the Food and Nutrition Management program is based on a five-day week, Monday to Friday, with classes from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. This allows students to pursue part-time positions in related health-care fields while in school.

Your Field Education Options

• As part of the program you will practice your skills by completing a work integrated learning opportunity in our student-run Café. Students will complete 35 hours including weekends as this models our café business operation. This valuable work experience can be added to your resume.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to
  • Plan menus to accommodate the nutritional, dietary and medical needs, cultural and religious requirements, and personal preferences of clients.
  • Manage handling, preparation and service of food to ensure compliance with relevant legislation, policies, procedures, and industry best practices for health, safety, sanitation, quality assurance and client satisfaction.
  • Manage nutritional needs of diverse clients in health care and other food service settings in collaboration with or under the direction of health care professionals.
  • Support others to work professionally and ethically in accordance with industry, organization and legal standards.
  • Monitor relevant local, national and global trends, emerging technologies, changes to legislation and best practices to enhance work performance and guide management decisions.
  • Deliver customer service that anticipates, meets and/or exceeds individual expectations and is consistent with organization standards and objectives.
  • Manage hiring, coaching, training, scheduling, work performance and evaluation of department staff in accordance with human resources, labour relations, workplace health and safety, and industry best practices.
  • Manage inventory, suppliers and procurement of goods and services according to industry best practices, financial constraints, and principles of social responsibility and environmental sustainability.
  • Analyze food and nutrition services and operations, and manage the implementation and evaluation of changes, to support continuous improvement.
  • Plan and manage budgets consistent with organization objectives and legal requirements for food and nutrition service departments.
  • Select, use and support the use of information and industry-specific technologies to enhance individual work performance and the management and delivery of food and nutrition services.
  • Promote food and nutrition services and healthy living to support marketing plans and the general well-being of stakeholders.

This advanced diploma Business Administration – Marketing program will open doors to opportunities in the exciting and fast-moving field of marketing. Marketing at George Brown in Toronto is more than textbooks and lectures. Our learning is hands-on and project-based, and this program provides opportunities for case studies as well as real-world projects that can involve industry partners.

What differentiates the three-year advanced diploma from the two-year diploma is the additional opportunities for hands-on learning as well as digital marketing courses, international marketing courses, marketing research courses, and marketing strategy courses. You can also expand your horizons with additional business electives.

This learning experience will enable you to:

• Develop an integrated marketing communication strategy for marketing products, concepts, goods, or services based on an identified target market
• Conduct primary and secondary market research to provide information needed to make marketing decisions
• Develop strategies to establish effective working relationships with clients, customers, consumers, co-workers, supervisors, and others
• Evaluate the viability of marketing products, concepts, goods, or services in an international market or markets
• Formulate and prepare a marketing plan including marketing objectives, marketing mix, marketing strategies, budgetary considerations, and evaluation criteria
• Integrate digital marketing and social media into a marketing plan with an understanding of various platforms and technologies

Embedded in all of the above will be the development of soft skills including communication, presentation and team-building skills, as well as the analytical skills required by marketers today.

George Brown College actively works with industry partners in order to:-

• Align the curriculum to industry needs
• Provide students with hands-on learning through class projects
• Offer students field education opportunities
• Participation in extracurricular activities allows students to build on their knowledge and skills while networking. This is one of many ways that our School of Marketing helps 

Participation in extracurricular activities allows students to build on their knowledge and skills while networking. This is one of many ways that our School of Marketing helps students get a great return on all that they invest in their business education. Activities may include:

• Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition
• Vanier BDC Case Challenge
• Enactus George Brown
• Speed Mentoring event
• Great Canadian Sales Competition
• Ad Week

Your Field Education Options
Students have the option of earning a business elective credit with the Field Education Course (BUS 1067).

This program (B108) is also offered with work experience. Students who wish to apply for Business Administration – Marketing with Work Experience should apply to B158.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Develop a marketing plan that will meet the needs or goals of a business or organization.
  • Develop an integrated marketing communication plan for marketing of a product, concept, good, or service based on an identified market need or target.
  • Determine strategies for the development of new and/or modified marketing concepts, products, goods, and/or services that respond to evolving market needs.
  • Determine strategies for the efficient and effective placement/distribution of a product, good, and/or service that respond to an evolving market.
  • Determine the impact of using different marketing strategies for a product, concept, good and/or service, on the finances, return on investment (ROI), and business goals of an organization.
  • Analyze the viability of a concept, product, good, and/or service in local, national or global markets.
  • Conduct market research to provide information needed to make marketing decisions.
  • Communicate marketing information persuasively and accurately in oral, written, graphic and interactive media formats.
  • Plan, prepare and deliver an effective sales presentation or pitch to address the needs of the client.
  • Develop strategies with clients, customers, consumers, co-workers, supervisors, and others to maintain and grow working relationships
  • Develop learning and development strategies to enhance professional growth in the field.
  • Apply entrepreneurial strategies to identify and respond to new career opportunities that might include contract employment, and self-employment initiatives.
  • Apply and contribute to a framework of organizational policies and practices, when conducting business of the organization.
  • Apply the principles of business ethics and corporate social responsibility to business decisions.

The Business Administration – Finance advanced diploma program provides students with the knowledge and skills to work in the financial services sector. The financial services sector continues to grow and adapt to the needs of clients through the use of technology. People with customer service skills and knowledge of financial planning, call centre operations, investments and risk management are needed in this fast-paced environment.

Upon completion of this program, you will be able to:

• Help clients take steps to achieve their life goals through an integrated approach to the management of all their financial affairs, including such areas as:
  • Financial Management – assess the client’s current and future financial position, based upon their cash flow, budget and net worth.
  • Investment Management – assess the nature of the client’s assets based on their risk tolerance, time horizon and expected rates of return
  • Retirement Planning – compare the client’s expected lifestyle in retirement to their current retirement assets and planned savings
  • Tax Planning – assess the client’s current and future tax obligations and strategies employed to minimize or defer taxation
  • Insurance and Risk Management – manage the client’s exposure to an unexpected financial loss due to death, health issues, property damage and other risks.
  • Estate Planning – assess how the client can meet their objectives upon death in the most efficient and cost-effective manner
• Prepare a comprehensive financial plan for a client situation, integrating and prioritizing the activities listed above

This program (B130) is also offered with work experience. Students who wish to apply for Business Administration – Finance with Work Experience should apply to B150. Find out more about Field Education at the Centre for Business.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Co-ordinate the processing and maintaining of financial records in compliance with relevant policies, procedures and regulations for individuals and/or organizations.
  • Co-ordinate the preparation and the presentation of financial information in compliance with relevant legislation and regulations for individuals and/or organizations.
  • Analyze financial reports for individuals and/or organizations by applying financial mathematics and statistics.
  • Develop and evaluate a financial plan to meet individuals’ and/or organizations’ needs and objectives.
  • Develop, implement, evaluate and co-ordinate marketing strategies to promote financial products and services and to enhance customer service.
  • Develop, implement and evaluate strategies to establish and maintain professional networking and business relationships in the finance sector.
  • Analyze and evaluate, within a Canadian context, the impact of economic variables, legislation, ethics, technology and the environment on individuals’ and/or organizations’ operations.
  • Develop, implement and evaluate ongoing strategies for personal and professional development, highlighting ethics, values and standards in the finance sector.
  • Co-ordinate the planning, implementation, management and evaluation of team projects by applying project management principles.

Career Development Practitioner is a three-semester (one-year) graduate certificate program that prepares graduates to enter the career development sector. The program may also appeal to practitioners working in the field who want to gain additional formal training and job coaching experience. The career development sector includes non-profit/community-based, government, post-secondary and private/corporate organizations.

The key objective of the field is to assist clients to be self-sufficient in career exploration, skill acquisition, job search and maintenance. Career Development Practitioners coach and counsel others on:

• Job search
• Career planning
• Career choice and change
• Academic and training advising
• Identifying and meeting staffing needs

Practitioners may work with specialized and diverse groups such as:

• Youth
• Women
• People with disabilities
• Immigrants and refugees

This program has been designed to meet the changing needs of the sector and will help meet demand for trained Career Development Practitioners in the GTA and beyond.

What key skills and knowledge will you gain?

• Emerging trends and techniques in job search and career exploration
• Individual and group facilitation/counselling
• Job development and employer engagement
• Ethics and professional practice
• Career development theory
• Diversity, accessibility, equity and inclusion
• Use of technology and social media
• Career and employment information resources
• Employment legislation and programs

Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Apply evidence-­based career development practices in advising diverse client groups.
• Utilize self­-reflective and critical thinking skills to enhance counselling, teaching and learning strategies with groups and individuals.
• Develop a commitment to ongoing professional development to actively respond to changing labour market and professional requirements.
• Integrate appropriate career information resources and tools with career and employment strategies to enable clients to meet their employment goals.
• Perform needs assessments and develop subsequent interventions using techniques and skills that enable diverse ranges of clients to meet employment goals.
• Design consulting, advising and teaching strategies that incorporate trends and issues of the changing labour market to assist clients in job search and career transitions.
• Integrate emergent technologies into the full spectrum of Career Development processes and applications to maximize service delivery to clients navigating changing labour market requirements.
• Adhere to relevant legislation and social policy to plan programs, interventions and referrals for client groups.
• Use current work search tools and strategies to facilitate successful client job search.

The Business Administration (with Work Experience) advanced diploma program is designed to offer the widest range of possible career choices and opportunities in a variety of business disciplines. Graduates are prepared to work in diverse team settings and lead projects with relevant and practical skills.

This learning experience will enable you to:

• Conduct and present research to support business decision making
• Assess and use current concepts/systems and technologies to support an organization's business initiatives
• Develop a business plan to formulate the strategic direction of an organization
• Apply human resources practices to support management objectives and the organization's goals

PROGRAM STANDARDS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Evaluate the impact of global issues on an organization’s business opportunities by using an environmental scan.
  • Apply principles of corporate sustainability, corporate social responsibility and ethics to support an organization’s business initiatives.
  • Assess and use current concepts/systems and technologies to support an organization's business initiatives.
  • Conduct and present research to support business decision making.
  • Plan, implement and evaluate projects by applying project management principles.
  • Perform work in compliance with relevant statutes, regulations and business practices.
  • Apply human resource practices to support management objectives and the organization’s goals.
  • Use accounting and financial principles to support the management and operations of an organization.
  • Assess marketing and sales concepts and strategies and apply them to the needs of an organization.
  • Outline principles of supply chain management and operations management and assess their impact on the operations of an organization.
  • Participate in the development of a business plan.
  • Develop strategies for ongoing personal and professional development to enhance work performance in the business field.
  • Outline strategies used to manage risks in an organization's business activities.

YOUR FIELD STUDY OPTIONS:
WORK EXPERIENCE (CO-OP OR INTERNSHIP WORK TERM):
This program requires the successful completion of two semesters of work experience to graduate. This work experience is either co-op (paid) or internship (unpaid). Either one will give you the practical experience employers value.
George Brown works with employers and industry partners to identify potential work experience opportunities. Students are also strongly encouraged to pursue self-directed industry work experience opportunities they believe would provide the learning experiences they value and meet the learning outcomes of the program. This valuable work experience can, in turn, be added to your resume.
In addition to on-the-job work experience, George Brown College endeavors to provide field education opportunities with real-world challenges and clients. Find out more about field education at the Centre for Business.

This Centre for Business program (B155) is part of our School of Management and is offered with Work Experience. Students wishing to apply for Business Administration without work experience should apply to B145.

The Pre-Business program provides academic strengthening and exposure to a broad cross-section of business fields. This unique program offers a strong foundation in business, marketing, accounting, math and English. Many credits earned through this program can be used toward diploma-level programs at the college. Upon graduation, you are given advanced standing in the Centre for Business diploma programs. Graduates are well-prepared to continue on to further education in the Centre for Business or to pursue other career paths.

The Community Worker program is a two-year (four semester) Ontario College Diploma program that integrates local and global perspectives within a multi-level understanding of the historical, social, political, economic and systemic ways in which current issues have developed and are experienced by communities. Grounded within social justice and human rights, we provide students with the critical analyses, knowledge, skills and attitude required to work with a diversity of largely marginalized and urban-centred individuals and communities on a range of social issues.

This program is recognized by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). Graduates of this program can apply to receive the additional designation of RSSW (Registered Social Service Worker). Extra fees may apply. For more information Click On

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Establish constructive relationships with individuals concerned with community work.
  • Describe their personal values and motivation as a community worker.
  • Serve in a variety of grassroots community organizations especially in the areas of co-operatives, seniors and community legal services.
  • Be comfortable in community work roles ranging from direct service to classical advocacy and organizing.
  • Understand and articulate the special needs of multicultural groups.
  • Analyze social inequalities and demonstrate creativity in the organization of new services and institutions to meet community needs.
  • Work with groups to identify their own needs.
  • Access existing services and community resources.