Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/612381
Winnipeg Free press - saturDaY, December 5, 2015 3 �������� ��������� ��� ����� �� ���� ���� ������ ���������� �� ��� ���� ���� ���� ������ � ��� ���� ���� ��� �������� ��� �� ���� ���� �� ��� �� ���� ��� ���� �� ��� �� ���� �������� ��� �������� ��� �� ���� ���� �� �� ���� ��� �������� ��������� �� �������� ��� �� �������������������� ����� �� ������������ ���� Turnthethings thatinterestyou intoachallenging, rewarding career.You willgetpaid whileyou learnand, insome cases,your tuitioncosts mayeven becovered. Findoutmoreat manitoba.ca/ tradecareeers TURNYOUR INTERESTSINTOA CAREER The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate provides an additional certification to help recent graduates transition to the workplace and working professionals to enhance their career goals. photo by darcy finley The University of Manitoba's Extended Education department is offering a certificate course to help its students transition from school to the working world. T he Post-Baccalaureate Certificate is aimed at new and recent degree-program graduates, including but not limited to those with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. "This certificate program was designed especially for those who completed programs that don't have a specific career focus," explains Dr. Gary Hepburn, dean of Extended Education for the University of Manitoba. "We usually require students to have a degree to get into this program. It addresses some of the transitional needs our students have." However, he adds that students are welcome to take any of the courses that interest them, as long as prospective students have graduated from high school. Most of the programs can be taken without a prerequisite. The certificate program is comprised of six courses, which include three requirements and three electives. The three required classes are Business Communications, Project Management and Leadership. "Arts and science degrees typically don't prepare you for a specific career, so the transition to the workplace can be difficult at first," Hepburn says. "The courses in the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program meet the same high standard as any other programs offered by the university." The remaining three courses in the program will be created for specific focus areas. Extended Education is offering Applied Leadership, the first of these specializations, in January. Two e-learning specializations will be launched within the year, says Hepburn. These courses will teach students how to develop e-courses and how to teach them. "Developing and teaching e-courses requires related but different skill sets," he adds. "All of these courses have been structured for adult learners—we made sure to offer flexible learning options, including face-to-face, online and blended." Other electives the university is considering for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate are Change Management, Data Analytics or "Big Data," Quality Assurance and Organizational Communications. The university has noticed a continual increase in enrolment in its online courses, Hepburn says. "Our adult learners are very interested in online courses because learning online gives them flexibility. Most of our adult students have jobs and families, and the majority of the people who take our online courses live within the city limits, so we know location isn't the main factor anymore," he says. "This is an area of need we're going to put a lot of our energy into." The Extended Education department is dedicated to being responsive to the community, and quickly identifying the needs of its students. "The university has hired experts in e-learning who have taken the resources of the university and used them in courses that are accessible to a broader range of students," says Hepburn. "We expect to be leaders in Canada in this area within a year." Another example of the university's responsiveness is new updates to its Human Resources Management and Financial Management programs. "We have a big push to reach out to the community and really update those programs," Hepburn says. "Any certificate programs we offer have been to the senate at the University of Manitoba, so everything we're putting out has the same level of scrutiny as our full-time university degree programs." The university often partners with organizations to offer much- needed fields of study, such as the Manitoba municipalities administration program or the university's partnership with the Canadian Institute of Management. "We're looking for more opportunities to partner with different organizations. We have a huge pool of expertise and talent. Something that we're working very hard on is partnering with the indigenous community to offer shorter certificate programs," says Hepburn. "Working closely with these communities determines what kinds of training would be the most useful for them." ■ UniveRsiTy of ManiToba u of M CeRtifiCate pRogRaM foCused on woRk By Holli Moncrieff for the free press