Ryerson University

Career-Focused Education In Public Sector Management At The Chang School

If you’re passionate about government or you think working in the public sector is a good career move, but you’re not a political science grad – don’t worry! There are other ways to get the knowledge you need to get your foot in that really big, heavy door.

Chang School Financial Planning Certificate Leads To Career As A Financial Planner

When Harpinder Dhaliwal started working in the financial field in Toronto, he frequently met with financial planners and became interested in going back to school to pursue a career as a financial planner himself.

Ryerson Grad Switched Careers By Completing A Certificate At The Chang School

When you were a high school student applying to college or university, did you know exactly what career you wanted to pursue? Probably not. Check out our Q&A with Bill Chan to learn how he used continuing education to change careers.

Specialize with continuing education to make you more employable

Lindsey Goodchild enrolled in the sustainability certificate program at The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University because she believed it would make her more employable.

Change the direction of your career path with continuing education

Ken Yan, a freelance photographer and photography student at The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University, enrolled in continuing education classes to change career directions after a few years in other fields.

Continuing education can help you prepare for and help you advance your career

If grad school doesn’t work for you and you don’t feel prepared to start job hunting, consider acquiring a certificate from a continuing education program.

Start your career planning early to ensure long-term career success

Tracey Lloyd, Director of the Alternative Youth Centre for Employment (AYCE), a non-profit employment centre in Toronto, says students need to be more proactive and start their career planning while they’re still in school.

Mentors and real-world experience will help young professionals be successful

Karen Cleveland, marketing and communications manager at St. Joseph Media in Toronto, says there are a few things students and new grads can do to ensure that transition goes as smoothly as possible.

I decided to explore public relations after completing my undergraduate degree in journalism at Ryerson. One of the draws of The Chang School’s certificate program was that I was able to take all my courses by distance education. That flexibility was important to me because I was working full-time, and it’s nice to come home and read and participate in discussions when it fits my schedule. Because PR is such a competitive field, having these courses on my resumé helped me get my foot in the door. Now I have a job that I love, and I’m still looking for ways to expand my knowledge.       

Kerri Birtch, Public Relations

Digital Communications Consultant, Hill & Knowlton Canada

When I first read about food security, I had a light bulb moment and realized this is my calling so I enrolled in the Certificate in Food Security at Ryerson. Previously, in 2008, I travelled to South Africa to volunteer my time in a food insecure community. In Thembalethu, I forged a partnership with a local man, Gcinisizwe Noyakaza, to improve food security, housing, agriculture and access to education, and plant fruit trees to improve access to nutritious food. In the same year, I founded an organization, The Themba Development Project Association, a Canadian registered charity, which benefits from both the practical, hands-on techniques and theory I learned at The Chang School.

Catherine Robar, Food Security

Founding Director, The Themba Development Project Association

I graduated with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Geography, and after talking to people in the industry I realized I needed more specific education to pursue a career in GIS. The two GIS certificates I’ve completed at The Chang School gave me a broad overview of the industry and in-depth knowledge about industry-specific topics. Since taking these specialized programs, I’ve found myself in meetings where a new issue came up and I was able to refer back to what I learned to move things along and solve client problems. I’m the head of our GIS team now, and I’m recognized as a specialist people can turn to when they have questions.

Cameron L. Hutchison, Applied Digital Geography and GIS

Director, Location Warehouse and Applications, Angus GeoSolutions Inc.

I decided to focus on sustainability after completing a related undergraduate degree. The Chang School’s certificate program was perfect for my needs as it employs a multidimensional approach to sustainability –balancing environmental, social, and economic considerations. The emphasis on small classes and roundtable conversations made for an enriching and fulfilling learning experience. The program also led directly to several opportunities, including my ‘capstone’ research, which resulted in a checklist that guides companies towards corporate social responsibility programs. Then, drawing on knowledge gained from my research and the program, I entered and won a contest to develop a BlackBerry application to address sustainability problems within businesses.

Lindsey Goodchild, Sustainability

Sustainability Coordinator, Lura Consulting

I used to be in the retail fashion industry, but I wanted to achieve more. My goal is to complete the Certificate in Business Management at The Chang School then transfer the credits to the Bachelor of Commerce degree program in Business Management. The standards of the instructors are very high and the curriculum for the certificate is the same as Ryerson’s undergraduate program. I hope to advance my career and eventually move into corporate finance.

William Vu-Nguyen, Business Management

Ryerson's G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education Open House

The Chang School will be hosting an Open House on Wednesday, March 28th, 2012, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Ryerson University (350 Victoria Street). Please join us for this free information session designed to introduce you to our wide range of programs and services.

With 1,475 courses (many of which are degree-credit) and 83 career-related certificate programs, The Chang School allows you to choose from evening, weekend, and online class options.

CLICK HERE to find out more information