Education

4 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS - THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 2017 By Jennifer McFee for the Free Press When you enrol in a program at Robertson College, you have the option of pursuing post-secondary education from the comfort of your own home. In total, Robertson College offers 22 online programs and certificates in a range of disciplines that include business, health and information technology. With a finger on the pulse of the workplace, the college strives to adapt to each industry's ever-changing needs so it's always updating its offerings. "We never sit still with these programs," says Geoff Nevin, director of marketing. "They're constantly evolving to make sure that they match with what employers are looking for." Keith McConnell, director of the online campus for Robertson College, outlines some of the more recent enhancements to its programs. "In the business area, we have expanded our administrative professional and our bookkeeping programs," he says. "We also have a new digital marketing program that's just launched and we have a very strong community support worker program. In addition, we've just launched a revised format to three of our IT programs." With a focus on flexibility, Robertson College offers 10 continuous intake opportunities for students to start the programs during most months of the year. "We're starting to see significant growth, and the key reason for that is the continuous intakes and the fact that our students are career-ready in less than a year," McConnell says. "They're supported with a comprehensive program that also helps them with their job search. We provide those services to our alumni for life. We help them with resumé writing, interview preparation, job search techniques and working with employers." Robertson College's online students come all from across the country, with about 60 per cent in Alberta, 35 per cent in Manitoba and five per cent nationwide, including the Maritimes and the North. About 60 per cent of the online students live in urban centres while the other 40 per cent live in rural communities. "We have an industry-related expert instructor for each of our courses within the programs. Students need to find about 20 hours a week to dedicate to their program. If they can find about three hours a day, they'll do really well," Nevin says. "Most of our students are also working at the same time. They're still able to manage their family lives and spend time with their children. That's one of the biggest benefits — it's very accessible to most people and they can have a new career in less than a year." In addition to offering online courses to students in every province and territory, Robertson College also provides courses in person at campuses in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton. "We have a big campus in Winnipeg. It's one of the largest private schools in Canada with 1,200 students a year and 650 to 700 students at any one given time," Nevin says. "Most of the programs that are offered online are also offered on ground, but there are some unique ones to each option as well. All of our admissions staff can help with both options." The main Winnipeg campus is located at 265 Notre Dame Ave., where different programs are spread over five storeys. Then at a second campus, located at 433 Main St., Robertson College spans two floors to offer programs in business and much more. For more information or to enrol in a Robertson College program, visit roberstoncollege.com or email info@ robertsoncollege.com. You can also call 204-943-5661 for the Notre Dame campus, 204-943-5661 for the Main Street campus or 1-855-333-9319 for online education. ❚ FLEXIBLE LEARNING Robertson College offers 22 online programs and certificates in disciplines including business, health and information technology. Robertson College photo '' Most of our students are also working at the same time. They're still able to manage their family lives and spend time with their children. That's one of the biggest benefits — it's very accessible to most people and they can have a new career in less than a year." ROBERTSON COLLEGE

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